2023/24 season 

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There’s few more rewarding feelings for fans than to watch a youngster breakthrough into the first-team. Clubs across the world are always looking to unearth the next star of the future and while some clubs prioritise developing their academy graduates, other clubs look to sign the next wonderkid.

The English Premier League is the most intense league in Europe and some managers can be deterred from blooding youngsters into their first-team due to the immense pressures over losing their jobs. But several exciting teenagers emerged last season with Kobbie Mainoo enjoying a stratospheric rise at Manchester United, Lewis Miley playing regularly at Newcastle United and Tottenham starlet Mikey Moore debuting as Spurs’ youngest ever Premier League player. But which English top flight sides gave the most minutes to teenagers last season? Transfermarkt has analysed the data, so let’s find out!

Which Premier League club handed the most minutes to teenagers during the 23/24 season?

Manchester United are renowned for giving youth a chance and Erik ten Hag continued that tradition last season. The Dutch boss handed 4,971 combined minutes to six teenagers last season in the league with Alejandro Garnacho (2,576) and Mainoo (1,940) responsible for 91% of those minutes. Brighton’s teenagers played just 20 combined minutes less than Manchester United’s starlets but Roberto De Zerbi handed gametime to eight different youngsters – more than any other club in the league. 

 As the graphic above illustrates, Burnley, Newcastle and Bournemouth complete the top five. The only teenager used by Pep Guardiola last season was Rico Lewis and despite signing a plethora of youngsters, Chelsea only rank seventh. Jürgen Klopp famously played several academy graduates in the League Cup final win over Chelsea but Liverpool’s teenagers only played 136 minutes in the league. One of the most eye-catching outcomes from the data is that North London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal occupy the bottom two places. Mikel Arteta has transformed Arsenal’s fortunes and turned them into genuine title contenders but it’s been difficult for youngsters to break into his plans with Ethan Nwaneri – the youngest ever Premier League player – handed just 13 minutes.

Despite three teenagers appearing for Tottenham last season, they only featured for seven minutes combined. Spurs, however, have placed more emphasis on youth development this summer with teenagers Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and, the aforementioned, Moore tipped to make an impact next season. To counterbalance our data on teenage minutes, it’s important to highlight that Arsenal had the third youngest average starting eleven last season (25y and 157d) with Tottenhan fourth (25y 192d).