Who uses academy players most in Premier League - and does it matter?
City have used seven academy players in the Premier League in 2025-26 - more than any other side. Chelsea 's graduates, meanwhile, have accumulated the most minutes, with 5,673. Manchester United 's tradition continues - their ongoing run of naming at least one home-grown player in a matchday squad dates back to 1937.
They have used six this season, although their combined minutes (1,264) are well short of Chelsea and City (5,162). Across the Premier League, there are players from top-flight academies now at other teams. Some players moved clubs during the season and others moved from one academy to another before making a senior appearance, the most notable example being Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea to Liverpool .
There has been an undoubted shift in the role of home-grown players. It is more competitive than ever to sign the finest rising stars, and in turn, having players further on in the system having an impact makes for compelling case studies. A Dowman does wonders when you have a pathway to sell.
Post-Brexit regulations since 2021 also mean all players moving to England from overseas must be at least 18 years old and qualify for entry through a points-based system. "Over the last few years, the academies have changed slightly," Vaughan, who went on to become head of academy recruitment and player pathways at Everton , continued. "You see a lot more players getting pushed a lot earlier through the system.
I think that's down to clubs wanting to keep the players. "Brexit has had a big impact. Players are becoming more valuable early on because clubs don't want to lose them, and with that comes an element of having to give players the belief they can make it into the first team.