Premier League clubs pivot to EFL and Scottish academies amid recruitment shifts
BBC Sport analysis reveals 14 high-profile moves this summer, with League One emerging as a key talent source as top-flight sides secure developing players for under-21 squads.
Premier League clubs are increasingly targeting players aged 18 from English Football League and Scottish academies to bolster their under-21 and B-team structures. According to research by BBC Sport, 14 such transfers have been identified this summer, a figure that matches the total for the entire 2025-26 season and represents a significant shift in recruitment strategy.
The profile of these recruits highlights a specific focus on late adolescence and lower-division talent. Of the 14 players identified, 11 are 18 years old, a marked increase from the five 18-year-olds in the equivalent sample last season. League One has become a particularly fertile ground for these moves, providing seven of this summer’s recruits, up from just two in the previous campaign.
Specific moves include Blade Earley’s transfer from Cambridge United to Aston Villa, while Brighton has secured Valentin Joseph from Blackburn Rovers and George Munday from Cambridge United. Chelsea have signed Harrison Bettoni from Wigan Athletic, and Tottenham have recruited Maxwell Adedeji from Leicester City. These acquisitions are designed to integrate developing talent into top-flight development pathways at a lower cost than established first-team players.
The financial mechanics of these deals favour the Premier League clubs, with nine of the 14 identified moves listed as free transfers. The remaining five were for undisclosed fees. This approach offers a risk-mitigated model where clubs spread modest sums across several promising teenagers, with the potential for significant value if even one player develops into a Premier League regular.
This trend is largely driven by post-Brexit immigration restrictions, which have drastically reduced the pool of eligible foreign players. Analytics FC estimated that the number of European players potentially available to British clubs fell by approximately 92% under the Governing Body Endorsement system. Consequently, domestic pathways have become more attractive, as seen with Liverpool’s Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who joined from Austria Vienna but remains ineligible for competitive matches due to work permit restrictions.
The strategy also intersects with Premier League efforts to increase the proportion of club-trained players. CIES figures for 2025-26 show Manchester City leading with 16.2% of minutes played by club-trained players, followed by Chelsea at 15.5% and Brighton at 12.5%. In contrast, Tottenham recorded just 0.1%, while Bournemouth, Brentford, and Burnley reported zero. Recruiting an 18-year-old from an EFL academy allows a club to begin the three-season registration period required to classify a player as club-trained.
While the total number of transfers is not unprecedented, the concentration on 18-year-olds and League One sources suggests a more precise targeting of the market. For EFL clubs, this raises questions about retaining top talent, while Premier League sides view these moves as a way to secure the next generation of established stars before they break into senior football.
