When Manchester City secured Jeremy Monga from Leicester City for £12.5 million last month, they entered a competitive landscape for one of English football’s most promising teenagers.

Arsenal also had their sights set on the 17-year-old winger, but City ultimately won the race for a player who joined Leicester at the age of eight and has already made significant strides in senior football.

Monga made headlines last April when he became Leicester’s second-youngest Premier League player at 15 years and 271 days before establishing himself as their youngest league starter and breaking Jude Bellingham’s record as the Championship’s youngest goalscorer.

His recruitment signifies a broader trend among Premier League clubs, which increasingly seek young domestic talent from EFL and Scottish academies, often acquiring players before they have fully emerged in senior teams.

The rationale is clear.

Take Antoine Semenyo, for instance. Having been rejected by multiple academies, he caught Bristol City’s attention while playing college football. After loan spells at Newport County and Sunderland, he made his mark in the Championship before transferring to Bournemouth for around £10 million and subsequently moving to Manchester City for £64 million.

Other success stories include Ollie Watkins of Exeter City, Adam Wharton from Blackburn Rovers, and Eberechi Eze, who revived his career at Millwall and QPR after being released by Arsenal.

Identifying the next standout player capable of a similar trajectory is a key focus for recruitment teams.

Clubs Trying to ‘Jump the Queue’

Research from BBC Sport indicates that 14 players have been recruited from EFL or Scottish Premiership academies into Premier League development squads this summer, matching the total number from the entire 2025-26 season. In previous years, these numbers varied from eight in 2024-25 to 18 in 2023-24 and seven in 2022-23.

More significantly, the profile of recruits has evolved, with 11 of the 14 players this summer being only 18 years old. By contrast, last season saw only five of the 14 players in a similar sample at that age.

League One has emerged as a rich source, contributing seven recruits this summer compared to just two last year.

Noteworthy transfers include Blade Earley from Cambridge United to Aston Villa, Valentin Joseph moving from Blackburn Rovers to Brighton, George Munday from Cambridge United to Brighton, Harrison Bettoni from Wigan Athletic to Chelsea, and Maxwell Adedeji from Leicester City to Tottenham.

While Monga is not included in the BBC Sport sample due to his prior involvement with Leicester’s first team, his fee underscores how quickly perceptions can shift once a young player establishes themselves at the senior level.

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The 18-Year-Old Sweet Spot?

At 18, players benefit from several years of professional coaching while remaining young enough to adapt to an under-21 or B-team setting before club decisions on loans or first-team roles are made.

Additionally, the financial risk tends to be lower. This summer, nine out of the 14 transfers listed are categorized as free, with the remaining five involving undisclosed fees. Eight of the previous season’s transfers also included free moves.

For clubs used to investing hefty sums for established first-team players, the strategy of distributing smaller amounts across several promising teens presents a compelling opportunity. The development of just one player into a regular in the Premier League could yield significant returns.

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The economics of academy recruitment have become more complex. The Premier League is discussing with the EFL the possibility of setting caps on compensation when young players transition between academies.

Clubs losing young talent can receive training compensation along with future performance-related payments and sell-on clauses, while unresolved disputes can be forwarded to the Professional Football Compensation Committee.

A Market Reshaped by Brexit

Brexit plays a significant role in this dynamic.

Previously, English clubs could scout a broad European talent pool without the immigration complications that now exist. According to a report by Analytics FC, around 60,000 professional players were available to British clubs before Brexit, whereas post-Brexit regulations mean that only about 5,000 players are likely to qualify for work permits, marking a 92% decline.

This restriction particularly impacts younger players, as exemplified by Liverpool’s Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who joined from Austria Vienna but cannot participate in competitive matches due to work permit issues. A loan abroad is forthcoming to help him gain the necessary experience.

In contrast, a teenager advancing through an English academy faces no such immigration hurdles.

Brexit has also diminished the flow of players moving from England to the EU. The report noted that Premier League 2 previously saw more British transfers to EU clubs than any other division in England, but those moves have reduced by half by the 2021-22 season.

While this does not conclusively link Brexit to Premier League clubs targeting EFL academies, it has altered the landscape for young player recruitment and development.

No Single Premier League Model

Approaches to youth development vary among Premier League clubs.

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Data from the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) for the 2025-26 season reveals that club-trained players constituted 16.2% of Manchester City’s Premier League minutes, with Chelsea and Brighton following at 15.5% and 12.5%, respectively.

CIES defines a club-trained player as one registered with their club for at least three full seasons or 36 months between the ages of 15 and 21. Therefore, an 18-year-old from an EFL academy can qualify as a club-trained player if they spend the next three seasons with their new Premier League club.

On the other hand, Tottenham’s club-trained players made up only 0.1% of league minutes, while Bournemouth, Brentford, and Burnley recorded zero minutes from club-trained players.

Recruiting from EFL and Scottish academies thus presents another pathway for building development pipelines.

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Instead of relying solely on players nurtured from childhood, Premier League clubs can identify those developed elsewhere, integrate them into their under-21 structures at ages 17, 18, or 19, and manage the final stages of their development.

The statistics indicate that there is not yet a consistent upward trend. With 18 transfers recorded in 2023-24, the current summer’s tally of 14 does not constitute an unprecedented landmark.

However, the increased focus on 18-year-olds and League One players suggests clubs are honing in on specific targets.

This shift raises important questions for EFL clubs about how long they can retain their top young talent.

For Premier League teams, the outlook is different. The next potential star, akin to Watkins, Eze, Wharton, or Semenyo, may already be developing in the tiers below. The challenge remains to discover them before others do.

When Manchester City paid £12.5m to sign Jeremy Monga from Leicester City last month, they were not alone in wanting one of English football’s most highly rated teenagers.

Arsenal also coveted the 17-year-old winger, but City won the battle for a player who joined Leicester aged eight and has already broken records in senior football.

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Monga became Leicester’s second-youngest Premier League player in April 2025, aged 15 years and 271 days, before becoming their youngest league starter and surpassing Jude Bellingham as the Championship’s youngest goalscorer.

He represents the more established end of a wider battle for young domestic talent.

Premier League clubs are increasingly looking to EFL and Scottish academies for players who can be brought into their development structures, sometimes before they have established themselves in senior football.

The appeal is easy to understand.

Antoine Semenyo was rejected by several academies before Bristol City spotted him playing college football. After loans at Newport County and Sunderland, he established himself in the Championship before joining Bournemouth for about £10m, then Manchester City in a £64m move.

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Ollie Watkins came through at Exeter City, Adam Wharton at Blackburn Rovers and Eberechi Eze – after being released by Arsenal – rebuilt his career at Millwall and QPR.

For recruitment departments, finding the next player capable of following a similar route can be enormously valuable.

Clubs trying to ‘jump the queue’

BBC Sport research has identified 14 players recruited from EFL or Scottish Premiership academies for Premier League development squads so far this summer.

That matches the 14 such transfers made across the whole of 2025-26. There were eight in 2024-25, 18 in 2023-24 and seven in 2022-23.

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More striking is the profile of this summer’s recruits. Of the 14 identified, 11 are 18 years old. Last season only five of the 14 players in the equivalent sample were 18.

League One has also become fertile ground, providing seven of this summer’s 14 recruits, compared with just two last season.

Among the youngsters to have moved so far this summer are Blade Earley from Cambridge United to Aston Villa, Valentin Joseph from Blackburn Rovers to Brighton, George Munday from Cambridge United to Brighton, Harrison Bettoni from Wigan Athletic to Chelsea and Maxwell Adedeji from Leicester City to Tottenham.

Monga is not part of BBC Sport’s 14-player sample because he had already broken into Leicester’s first team. His fee, however, illustrates how quickly the equation can change once a teenager proves himself at senior level.

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The 18-year-old sweet spot?

At 18, players have already received years of professional coaching but remain young enough to spend time in an under-21 or B-team environment before decisions are made over loans or first-team opportunities.

The financial outlay can also be relatively small. Nine of the 14 moves identified this summer are listed as free transfers, with the other five for undisclosed fees. Eight of last season’s 14 were also listed as free transfers.

For clubs accustomed to paying tens of millions for established first-team players, spreading comparatively modest sums across several promising teenagers offers obvious appeal. Only one needs to develop into a Premier League regular for the strategy to potentially generate significant value.

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The economics of academy recruitment have also become a wider issue. The Premier League has approached the EFL over potentially capping compensation paid when young players move between academies.

Clubs losing youngsters can receive training compensation alongside future appearance-related payments and sell-on entitlements, while unresolved cases can be referred to the Professional Football Compensation Committee.

A market reshaped by Brexit

Another factor is Brexit.

Before freedom of movement ended, English clubs could scout a vast European market without having to consider whether EU players were eligible to work in the UK.

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Analytics FC estimated in a 2022 report with immigration specialists Fragomen that about 60,000 professional players in Europe had potentially been available to British clubs before Brexit.

Under the Governing Body Endorsement system it estimated only about 5,000 would be likely to qualify for a permit – a reduction of roughly 92%.

The restrictions are especially relevant to younger players.

Liverpool’s Ifeanyi Ndukwe is a good example. The 18-year-old centre-back joined from Austria Vienna and impressed during pre-season but cannot play competitive matches for the Reds because he does not qualify for a work permit. A loan abroad is expected to help him build the experience required to become eligible.

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A teenager already progressing through an English academy presents no equivalent immigration obstacle.

Brexit has also affected players moving the other way. Analytics FC found Premier League 2 produced more British transfers to EU clubs than any other English division before Brexit, but those moves had halved by 2021-22.

That does not prove Brexit directly caused Premier League clubs to target EFL academies, but it changed the environment in which young players are recruited and developed.

No single Premier League model

There is no uniform approach to youth development among Premier League clubs.

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International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) figures for 2025-26 show club-trained players accounted for 16.2% of Manchester City’s Premier League minutes, followed by Chelsea on 15.5% and Brighton on 12.5%.

CIES defines a club-trained player as someone registered with their current club for at least three full seasons, or 36 months, between the ages of 15 and 21. That means an 18-year-old recruited from an EFL academy can still go on to qualify as club-trained if he spends the next three seasons with his new Premier League club.

At the other end of the scale, Tottenham’s club-trained players accounted for just 0.1% of league minutes, while Bournemouth, Brentford and Burnley were all at zero.

Recruiting from EFL and Scottish academies therefore offers another way of building that development pipeline.

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Rather than relying solely on players who have been with a club since childhood, a Premier League side can identify somebody developed elsewhere, bring them into their under-21 structure at 17, 18 or 19 and take responsibility for the final stages of their development.

The numbers do not yet show a relentless increase. There were 18 such moves in 2023-24, meaning this summer’s 14 cannot be described as unprecedented.

But the concentration of 18-year-olds and League One players suggests clubs are becoming increasingly precise about the market they are targeting.

For EFL clubs, that raises questions over how long their best youngsters can realistically be retained.

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For Premier League clubs, the calculation is different. The next Watkins, Eze, Wharton or Semenyo may already be somewhere further down the pyramid. The challenge is finding them before everybody else does.