Top 5 youngsters who have impressed in the Premier League this season

5. Luke Shaw

Even before he had played his first game for Southampton, Saints’ youth product Luke Shaw was a wanted man by the Premier League’s top guns. During the 2012 January transfer window, when Shaw was 16, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City were said to have had submitted bids for the left-back, while the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool have also has been eyeing the defender in recent times.

However, despite the pressure from outside, Shaw committed to the Saints earlier this year by signing a five-year contract, and under the stewardship of Mauricio Pochettino, has been part of a back-four that has conceded only three goals in nine games so far, also notching up a couple of assists.

Given his propensity to attack down the left flank, Shaw has been compared by many to former Southampton player Gareth Bale, with the 18-year-old possessing the ability to match the success that Bale has enjoyed in recent seasons.