EPL: Five Youngsters To Watch This Season

1) Fran Merida (Arsenal)

Picking just one young Gunner to have a breakout season is hard, what with the incredible wealth of talent Arsene Wenger seems to have waiting in the wings.

Carlos Vela, the Mexican forward, looks likely to make an impressive impact at the Emirates Stadium after a successful loan period in Spain, but many fans are already aware of his ability.

The likes of Denilson and Armand Traore should also be well known to Gunners fans, and will look to build on promising starts to their careers. One man who might still be under the radar though, is Fran Merida.

A young Spanish midfielder with great technical ability—the similarities with a certain Cesc Fabregas are striking. There are further parallels too—Merida also left Barcelona at a young age to join the Arsenal revolution.

Capable of playing in the middle, but more comfortable roaming on the left, Merida should get chances to impress in the Arsenal first team this season, in place of the departing Alexander Hleb.

On the back of a successful loan period last season at Real Sociedad, where he weighed in with many impressive performances, the 18-year-old looks ready for more first team action than simply the Carling Cup.

Described as “an absolutely amazing talent” by Arsene Wenger, it looks like the Arsenal manager will not think twice about blooding his young prodigy.

Arsenal’s big summer signing so far, Samir Nasri, will no doubt have a great future in North London. However, as he settles into the club, expect Merida to initially share the playing time to take the weight of the Frenchman’s shoulders. No doubt the Spaniard will take full advantage.

2) Damien Plessis (Liverpool)

Let’s not beat around the bush here; Plessis has the potential to dominate the Liverpool midfield for years to come. Playing in the same position as Javier Mascherano, the chance to learn from arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world will only help the cultured 20-year-old.

After a surprise debut in the Premiership at the Emirates against Arsenal, Plessis alerted the world to his talent. A product of the Olympique Lyonnais youth academy, the Frenchman looked composed on the ball and competent in the tackle against some of the best midfielders in the world.

Plessis’ real advantage is his height, at 6-feet-4 he is far taller than many in his position—and this added aerial threat makes him valuable at set-pieces, both defending and attacking.

Currently behind Mascherano and Lucas Leiva in the Liverpool pecking order, expect Plessis to appear frequently at Anfield this season. With the ability to make himself time on the ball and a good passing range, he can be employed further forward than his positional rivals, perhaps helping him get the nod if some of the more attacking midfielders get injured.

Whatever the case, Rafa Benitez seems to have high hopes for the youngster. Perhaps this season Plessis will show us all why.

3) Maynor Figueroa (Wigan Athletic)

At 25-years-old, calling Maynor Figueroa ‘young’ may be pushing things slightly. But regardless, he deserves a place on this list as he looks certain to have a great season.

A tall, powerful left back, Figueroa is another great Honduran player Steve Bruce has seemingly managed to pluck from obscurity. Wilson Palacios, the first Honduran to arrive at the JJB, has proven himself to be high-class combative midfielder—Figueroa could go on to demonstrate he is of similar quality.

Figueroa is known in his homeland for his powerful left boot, and his attacking inclinations were demonstrated in his full debut—the final game of last season against Manchester United.

Despite the illustrious opponents, Figueroa roamed the left touchline and created many headaches for a title winning defence. While his defending still needs some work, he dealt with Cristiano Ronaldo far more effectively than many others did last season.

With 53 international caps for Honduras, Figueroa has international pedigree. With expert guidance from Steve Bruce (a none too shabby defender himself), this season he could prove he has Premiership pedigree too.

4) Curtis Davies (Aston Villa)

Most football fans are aware of Curtis Davies by now. The former pub player (in his mind at least) was often in the headlines last season for all the wrong reasons—with poor performance and injury curtailing his season.

Having finalised an £8 million move from West Brom in the summer, Davies is looking to kick-start his Villa career. Recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon is the first item on the agenda.

Once back to full fitness, Davies should form a productive partnership with Martin Laursen in the heart of the Villa defence. While Laursen’s advantage is his aerial ability, Davies is great on the deck—comfortable in the tackle and on the ball.

While positionally he still needs work, the 23-year-old’s athleticism helps get him out of tricky situations.

Davies has been regarded as an outstanding prospect ever since he first broke into the Luton Town team. Settled in and fully fit, Davies should finally deliver on his promise and even force his way into Fabio Capello’s England squad.

5) Daniel Sturridge (Manchester City)

Manchester City’s youth coaches must be working overtime. The likes of Kelvin Etuhu, Nedum Onuoha, Michael Johnson, and Micah Richards are testament to the fine work the academy at Eastlands is doing.

But it is another young product that fans should be looking out for this season. Daniel Sturridge, nephew of former Derby County striker Dean Sturridge, has long been talked about as the next great hope of the blue half of Manchester.

A clinical finisher who also has an eye for the spectacular, the 18-year-old is believed to be destined for great things.

A talisman for England at many youth levels, Sturridge broke into the first team at the City of Manchester Stadium last season. Having already scored in both the Premiership and FA Cup, he has already got a thirst for goals.

The real advantage for Sturridge this season looks to be the appointment of Mark Hughes. Whilst at Blackburn, Hughes never backed away from giving youngsters a chance—so the likes of Matt Derbyshire managed to make many first-team appearances, despite the likes of Santa Cruz and McCarthy in the squad.

While the arrival of Brazilian Jo (and possibly Ronaldinho?) has pushed Sturridge down the pecking order, don’t be surprised if the determined goal-getter gets more than a few Premiership appearances this term—and more than a few goals.

A Few More to Consider:

Danny Guthrie (Newcastle) — Expect the hard working midfielder to fit in perfectly to a side that desperately needs his grit.

Gary Cahill (Bolton) — Always alert, expect the former Villa man to show why Megson was willing to pay £5m for his services.

Adam Johnson (Middlesbrough) — Another on the endless production line of Teeside talent, Johnson has the potential to be a right-sided Stuart Downing.

Jack Rodwell (Everton) — If he can break into a talented Everton defence, Rodwell should deliver on the potential he has shown at youth level.