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The Premier League is inarguably one of the top two leagues in Europe, with the other being the Spanish first division, La Liga.
Over the years, the English top-flight has shown a tendency to introduce some of the world's best young players to the grand stage.
Players such as Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott, and Cristiano Ronaldo, to name a few, have set the league alight in the past with their extraordinary performances, all while being very, very young.
Real Madrid who, until this past summer, seemed to have put the 'Galactico' policy aside and invested more in youth.
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Before the 2017-18 season began, players such as Theo Hernandez and Dani Ceballos were bought. Moreover, Castilla products such as Achraf Hakimi, Jesus Vallejo, Marcos Llorente, and Borja Mayoral were promoted to the first team owing to impressive performances.
Real Madrid forked out a combined 90 million euros for the Brazilian duo of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes, and the team is reaping the rewards with their continued selection in the squad.
We take a look at 7 such exciting prospects under the age of 21 that are surely ones to watch out for for years to come.
#7 Mason Greenwood (Manchester United, 18 years)
Having turned 18 just a few months ago, few would expect to achieve what Mason Greenwood has in such a short career.
Having featured for all age groups of the England national team (except the senior team) and making his official debut for the first team of Manchester United during the 2018-19 season, Greenwood has hit some rapid strides.
For a club of the stature of Manchester United, and given its illustrious history, Greenwood created history by becoming the youngest goalscorer for United in European competitions at 17 years and 353 days.
Greenwood's strengths lie in his deceptively quick feet. He is a two-footed player who prefers to use his left foot more. Although more of a number 9, Greenwood possesses the versatility to play anywhere across the front-line.
Initially finding it difficult to cement a spot in Solskjaer's side, Greenwood has seen his opportunities rise significantly, and he has now made 32 appearances in all competitions, scoring 10 goals and providing 4 assists.
His chemistry with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial has become fruitful, and if they can play in full form, Manchester United can make a strong case for a top-4 finish during the final stages of the season.
2020-21 might be his breakout season.
#6 Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, 18 years)
Just like Mason Greenwood of Manchester United, Bukayo Saka has featured in all age groups for England (bar U21 and above)
A player of the mould of ex-Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, Saka is a good dribbler and is a threat for defenders when his dribbling ability is coupled with his speed. He is also very agile.
Having made just 4 appearances for Arsenal during the 2018-19 season, the winger has already made 23 appearances, scoring 3 goals coupled with 6 assists.
Saka couldn't have asked for a better European debut, scoring once and setting up two more in Arsenal's 3-0 defeat of Eintracht Frankfurt in the ongoing UEFA Europa League.
#5 Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal, 18 years)
Statistically, Martinelli is the most productive and efficient player on this list. Ever since Arsenal secured his move from fourth tier Brazilian club Ituano, Martinelli has appeared 23 times, scoring as many as 10 goals, thus becoming the first player since Ian Wright to score four times in the first four starts for Arsenal.
Although he hasn't represented either Brazil or Italy (because of his father being Italian) at any age groups yet, Brazilian national team head coach Tite called him up for training sessions during Copa America, a clear indication of his talent.
Primarily a striker, Martinelli can play anywhere across the front three. His finishing is brilliant and his link-up play is one of the core strengths of his game. He can easily find space during pressure situations, and he is reliable on the ball.
Having scored a goal every 130 minutes in all competitions, he has certainly attracted a lot of interest from Europe's big clubs.
#4 Reece James (Chelsea, 20 years)
Reece James is a promising right-back who made his debut for Chelsea against Grimsby Town in the third round of EFL Cup, making a memorable debut by scoring once and assisting twice.
Due to his strong build, he has immense physical strength which gives him a definite advantage in duels, and is quick.
He became the youngest goalscorer for Chelsea in the Champions League when he scored the 4th goal in the 4-4 draw against Ajax during the 2019-20 group stage.
Although there are certainly a lot of areas where he needs improvement, he has a lot of potential and has already created a place for himself in Frank Lampard's plans.
#3 Brandon Williams (Manchester United, 19 years)
It would mean something really big when a third choice left-back starts and makes his debut, and ends up being the Man of the Match. That is exactly what happened with 19-year-old Brandon Williams.
Williams has been a revelation at left-back, and could displace Luke Shaw as the first-choice left-back at Old Trafford.
He has already made 20 appearances for United, also scoring a goal in the dramatic 3-3 draw vs Sheffield United in the Premier League. He has also assimilated 1,409 minutes across all competitions.
He also managed to keep the destructive Adama Traore quiet when United faced Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He has shown the character to be a composed figure at the left-back, showing a lot of glimpses of his defensive prowess. Not only that, but he is a menacing presence in the final third by making timely over and under-lapping runs.
Having been called up for the England U-20 squad in August 2019, he is making significant progress at the national youth levels, and he could very well be fighting for a spot in the English squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar if he can maintain his form and help United win silverware.
#2 Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea, 19 years)
Having spent his entire youth developing at the age group teams of Chelsea since the age of 7, Callum Hudson-Odoi was always primed for success when he was first selected for the Chelsea U-23 at just sixteen.
Hudson-Odoi made his senior debut for Chelsea on 28th January, 2018, aged just 17. He has since gone on to make 52 more appearances, and has become a very relevant player off the bench. He has already scored 8 times, 3 of them this season.
Fast, direct, agile, diminutive, deceptively quick, and an effective dribbler, Hudson-Odoi has the ability to torment any defence in the world because of his explosiveness. He was a pivotal figure in Chelsea's triumphant Europa League campaign in the 2018-19 season, scoring 4 goals.
He has already earned 3 caps for the England national team.
Following Eden Hazard's transfer to Real Madrid, he has seen more opportunities come his way, and he is surely the crown prince of the young squad that Frank Lampard is constructing at Stamford Bridge for the future.
#1 Phil Foden (Manchester City, 19 years)
With doubts surrounding his physicality and whether he can survive in a league as demanding as the Premier League, Phil Foden has more often than not shown that he is a tough nut.
Guardiola has always played faith in him and also stated that he is the most talented player he has ever managed, quite a feat for Foden since Pep has worked with the likes of Messi, Iniesta, Ribery, Mueller, to name a few, during his time at previous clubs.
Being described by Guardiola as a central midfielder, he can also play as a winger on the right and can use his preferred left-foot to cut in and shoot at goal. Operating as an out and out 10 is another part of his versatility.
What makes Phil Foden such a great talent is his unprecedented tenacity. He works hard both on and off the ball, and he is already compared to his fellow Manchester City teammate David Silva. He uses his low centre of gravity to exploit half-spaces and slalom past defenders, and is a very efficient ball-carrier, gradually developing an eye for goal.
Foden has made 23 apperances so far, scoring 3 goals and assisting 6 times. Having played a total of only 900 minutes, the fact that he is directly involved in a goal every 100 minutes represents all his credentials.
His attitude has been the key to him making rapid strides and consolidating a place in Guardiola's plans. At 19 years of age, he still has a lot to learn, but the amount of talent he already boasts is scary, and it would be safe to say that he is arguably the best young talent of Premier League.
