Two Nigerian players make EPL list of youngsters to watch

Nigerian youngsters Zadok Yohanna and Calvin Okike have been named among 20 emerging talents expected to make their mark in the 2026-27 Premier League season.

The duo were included in a list compiled by BBC Sport on Wednesday highlighting promising players from each Premier League club who could enjoy breakthrough campaigns in the new season.

Brighton & Hove Albion winger Yohanna is among the names on the list after the Seagulls invested £21.5 million to sign the 19-year-old from Swedish club AIK Stockholm.

The Nigerian right-winger impressed in Sweden last season, scoring five goals and providing four assists in 18 appearances.

His performances attracted interest from other English clubs before Brighton secured his services.

Former Brighton midfielder Warren Aspinall praised the club’s recruitment strategy and believes the Nigerian could become another success story at the Amex Stadium.

Aspinall said: “It’s a little bit of a scalp because two other big clubs in England were chasing him, Chelsea and Newcastle, so they got ahead of them, which is very good.”

Meanwhile, Hull City defender Okike is another Nigerian prospect tipped to make his mark in the Premier League.

The 18-year-old signed his first professional contract with Hull during the summer after impressing at academy level.

Okike also gained senior experience during a loan spell at National League side Hartlepool United, scoring within a minute of making his debut.

The defender was named Hull City’s academy player of the year for the 2025-26 campaign and has featured during the club’s pre-season preparations as he pushes for a first-team opportunity.

Yohanna and Okike are joined on the list by several highly-rated youngsters, including Arsenal’s Max Dowman, Chelsea forward Dastan Satpaev, Liverpool midfielder Trey Nyoni and Manchester United forward Shea Lacey.

Full list of 20 youngsters to watch

Max Dowman — Arsenal (attacking midfielder/forward)

George Hemmings — Aston Villa (midfielder)

Veljko Milosavljevic — Bournemouth (defender)

Kaye Furo — Brentford (striker)

Zadok Yohanna — Brighton & Hove Albion (winger)

Dastan Satpaev — Chelsea (forward)

Kai Andrews — Coventry City (midfielder)

Joel Drakes-Thomas — Crystal Palace (winger/wing-back)

Harrison Armstrong — Everton (midfielder)

Jonah Kusi-Asare — Fulham (forward)

Calvin Okike — Hull City (left-back/central defender)

Luca Fletcher — Ipswich Town (winger/forward)

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