With the Euros coming to a close, most Premier League fans have their attention well and truly turned back on their respective clubs.
The 2021/22 campaign kicks off on August 14, and excitement is already mounting with transfer rumors swirling around and the promise of stadiums returning with full capacities raising the stakes even higher.
Here are five potential breakout stars every Premier League fan should watch out for throughout the 2021/22 campaign.
Christian Pulisic (Chelsea)
Christian Pulisic emerged as one of the world’s most exciting talents on the back of four successful campaigns in Germany with Borussia Dortmund.
Having lived in England when he was just seven years old, meeting current Chelsea star Mason Mount in this time, a move to the Premier League was always likely, and in January 2020 the Blues secured his services for a then club-record fee of £58 million.
The youngest United States national team captain has already made 77 appearances for Chelsea in his first two seasons in England, scoring 17 times and establishing himself as one of the most talismanic attackers in the league.
Various injuries have perhaps stunted Pulisic from getting to the heights his talent could see him hit, but the American is still only 22 years old and the 2021/22 season could be the blank slate he needs to kickstart his rise to the top.
Tariq Lamptey (Brighton and Hove Albion)
Chelsea fans had a couple of glimpses at the kind of talent they had in their ranks with Tariq Lamptey before Brighton and Hove Albion came calling in January 2020.
It didn’t take long for the 20-year-old right wing-back to start showcasing exactly why he’s so thought of for the Seagulls, impressing during the post-lockdown end to the season.
Lamptey continued to stand out for Brighton in the first half of the 2020/21 season, earning a plethora of plaudits and even becoming an outside shout for an England callup.
His impressive season was curtailed by a hamstring injury in December, making the upcoming 2021/22 season a huge opportunity for the young defender to put himself back on everybody’s radar and return like a new signing for the Seagulls.
Mason Greenwood (Manchester United)
Manchester United have found themselves moving up the fixed football odds under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and the unearthing of talents like Mason Greenwood is a huge factor behind this.
The talent possessed by Greenwood has been undeniable pretty much since the English forward was given his debut in 2019, but the question of where his best position is was only really beginning to be answered last season.
One of the finest strikers of a ball in the entire league, Greenwood really began to showcase his potential as a number 9 towards the end of the 2020/21 campaign, learning from the likes of Edinson Cavani and netting 12 times in all competitions.
With Cavani signing on for another season, and the imminent arrival of the creative Jadon Sancho, 2021/22 looks set to be a huge campaign for Greenwood.
Nuno Tavares (Arsenal)
Things have not been rosy at the Emirates Stadium over the last couple of seasons for Arsenal, with the club’s recruitment policy providing more misses than hits during this time. However, in Nuno Tavares, it looks like the club have managed to bag themselves a real talent in the transfer market.
One of the most highly regarded Portuguese talents on the continent, the 21-year-old left-back broke through the Benfica youth academy and B team and made 25 appearances in the Portuguese top division before moving to North London in the summer of 2021.
Blessed with a world-class delivery into the box and a remarkable amount of composure on and off the ball, he is an exceptional talent and one that looks set to strengthen an Arsenal defense badly in need of some added steel.
Ferran Torres (Manchester City)
Signed as a 20 year old forward from Valencia in the summer of 2020, Ferran Torres has emerged as one of Europe’s most exciting talents since his arrival at Manchester City.
Tall, pacy, and versatile in a variety of positions across the frontline, Torres has already looked like he’s being molded into the next great Guardiola prospect.
Exceptional on either wing or as a false 9, the young Spaniard ended the 2020/21 campaign in glittering form with a stellar hat-trick against Newcastle United, before jetting off to the Euros in the summer and reaching the semi-finals with his country.
With Sergio Aguero departing the Etihad, there’s sure to be more of an opening spot in the City lineup for Torres to take a bigger step up in his career.
Kenneth is a an avid soccer follower, fan and writer. He is a consistent follower of the sport and is a fan of Chelsea FC.