Premier League clubs looking to EFL for next Semenyo & Eze

What the report says

Premier League clubs are increasingly turning to EFL and Scottish academies to strengthen their under-21 and B-team squads, according to BBC Sport Football. The article says the trend reflects a desire to find promising domestic players earlier, before they establish themselves in senior football, and to develop them within Premier League structures.

BBC Sport highlighted Manchester City’s £12.5m move for Leicester teenager Jeremy Monga as a prominent example of the market. Arsenal also wanted the 17-year-old winger, who had already made senior history at Leicester before the transfer. The piece places that deal alongside the rise of players such as Antoine Semenyo, Ollie Watkins, Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze, whose careers were shaped outside the top flight before they became major Premier League figures.

The report said BBC Sport research identified 14 players recruited from EFL or Scottish Premiership academies for Premier League development squads so far this summer, matching the total for the full 2025-26 season to date. It noted that 11 of those recruits were 18, and that League One clubs accounted for seven of the moves. Several transfers were listed as free deals or undisclosed fees, suggesting the strategy can be relatively low-cost compared with buying established first-team players.

BBC Sport also pointed to wider structural factors, including Brexit-related work permit rules that make it harder to recruit young players from Europe. The article said these conditions have made domestic academy talent more attractive, while also raising concerns for EFL clubs about retaining their best prospects.