Which Premier League clubs are playing the most youth academy players this season?

We’re now well and truly in the thick of the new Premier League season, which means most clubs up and down the English top-flight have settled on their squads. While the division is famous for spending untold fortunes on importing players from abroad or shopping in the English Championship, a number of England’s biggest clubs still pride themselves on developing young players and promoting them to their first team. And, perhaps to the surprise of some football fans, a lot of Premier League giants have turned to their younger players to fill the holes in their squads this season. 

Which Premier League clubs have played the most academy players so far this season? 

To the delight of Liverpool fans around the world, new Anfield boss Arne Slot has truly hit the ground running and has quickly guided the Reds to the top of the Premier League table with 18 points from their first seven games. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Slot has also turned his attention to a number of players that came through the club’s youth academy in one form or another. So much so that after just seven fixtures, Slot has played no less than eight players from Liverpool’s youth teams. The most high-profile of which is undoubtedly Trent Alexander-Arnold, followed by regular first team players such as Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah. Only one other team in the English top-flight have played as many former youth players as Liverpool this season. 

That, surprisingly, is none other than historic rivals Manchester United. Although Erik Ten Hag is struggling in his third season at Old Trafford, the Man Utd boss can’t be accused of ignoring the young players in his team. While relying on typical senior players like Marcus Rashford and Jonny Evans, who both came through Man Utd’s academy, Ten Hag has also done well to give some serious game time to young talents like Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo. The club’s eight former youth academy players to have featured in the first team this season is notably higher than rivals Manchester City, who can lay claim to just five academy graduates in their squad so far this season. And far more than Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Aston Villa, who all have three former academy graduates in their squad at this moment in time. 

Near the bottom of the table are, unsurprisingly, a number of clubs that have not only seen a huge turnover in their squads in recent years but are also under immense pressure to deliver results and avoid the very real prospect of relegation each and every season. That's perhaps why the three clubs with just one former academy player in their respective squads are Fulham (Ryan Sessegnon), Wolves (Luke Cundle) and West Ham (Kaelan Casey), with the latter two having made just a handful of appearances between them so far this season. However, only one club in the division has yet to play a single academy graduate this season and that just so happens to be Brentford. Which may come as no surprise to fans of the club, who have certainly gotten used to the Bees being exceptionally busy in every transfer window and often relying on clever signings over their own youth academy.  

Who are the most valuable youth academy graduates this season?

To no great surprise, the top clubs in the Premier League dominate the list of most valuable youth academy players that are still playing for their original club. In first place is none other than Manchester City playmaker Phil Foden, whose market value currently stands at a very impressive €150m. He only just beats Arsenal star Bukayo Saka, who has to settle for second place despite having an almost equally impressive market value of €140m. Both are then joined by the aforementioned Alexander-Arnold, Rashford and Mainoo to make up the top five. Be sure to flick through the gallery above to see the full list of the top 15 most valuable academy graduates in the Premier League this season.