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Nigerian youngsters Zadok Yohanna and Calvin Okike have been identified among the Premier League’s brightest emerging talents, earning places on a list of 20 players expected to make significant breakthroughs during the 2026/27 season.
The duo featured in BBC Sport’s selection of the most promising youngsters across England’s top-flight clubs, highlighting their growing reputations ahead of the new campaign.
Brighton & Hove Albion winger Yohanna emerged as one of the standout names after completing a £21.5 million move from Swedish side AIK Stockholm earlier this summer.
The 19-year-old winger impressed during his time in Sweden, registering five goals and four assists in 18 league appearances to attract interest from several leading English clubs.
Brighton ultimately won the race for his signature, beating competition from Chelsea and Newcastle United.
Former Brighton midfielder Warren Aspinall praised the club’s recruitment, describing Yohanna’s arrival as a major success.
“It’s a little bit of a scalp because two other big clubs in England were chasing him, Chelsea and Newcastle, so they got ahead of them, which is very good,” Aspinall said.
Hull City defender Calvin Okike also secured a place on the list after an impressive rise through the Championship club’s academy.
The 18-year-old centre-back signed his first professional contract this summer following an outstanding youth campaign and a productive loan spell at National League side Hartlepool United.
Okike made an immediate impact during that loan spell, scoring within a minute of his senior debut before returning to Hull with enhanced first-team credentials.
His performances earned him Hull City’s Academy Player of the Year award for the 2025/26 season, while his involvement in pre-season preparations has strengthened his chances of making his Premier League debut.
The BBC Sport list also includes several of Europe’s most highly rated prospects, among them Arsenal’s Max Dowman, Chelsea forward Dastan Satpaev, Liverpool midfielder Trey Nyoni and Manchester United attacker Shea Lacey.
With Premier League clubs increasingly placing greater emphasis on youth development, Yohanna and Okike will be aiming to establish themselves among England’s elite and become the latest Nigerian stars to shine in the world’s most competitive domestic league.
