10 X-factor talents ready to take the Premier League by storm

The curtain lifts on another Premier League season this weekend and there's a fresh-faced cast of protagonists ready to make their mark on the biggest stage of English football.

The Premier League may be turning 30 this year but the 2022/23 campaign is all about the next generation of top-flight ballers.

Read on for an introducrtion to 10 hot Premier League properties ready to showcase their talents, as BT Sport bring you 52 games exclusively live from an historic season.

Eberechi Eze, Crystal Palace

If it weren't for a cruel twist of fate, Eze may be an England regular by now as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar looms large. 

The midfielder was due to be named in Gareth Southgate's provisional squad for last summer's European Championships before suffering an Achilles injury that ruled him out for the majority of last season.

Now the 22-year-old is fit and champing at the bit to make up for lost time, as Crystal Palace look to build on an encouraging first season under Patrick Vieira. 

Former loanee Conor Gallagher's return to Chelsea leaves a significant hole in the Palace midfield but Eze has the poise, technique and temperament to take on the mantle.

Having got the best out of the likes of Gallagher, Marc Guehi and Tyrick Mitchell, expect Vieira to help Eze reach new heights as the Eagles look to take flight this season.

Fabio Carvalho, Liverpool

Amid the frenzied excitement over the capture of Darwin Nunez, Liveprool's cut-price £5m purchase of Fabio Carvalho has slipped under the radar. 

As Harvey Elliott's progress last season showed, Jurgen Klopp is never afraid to throw young gems in at the deep end so expect the 19-year-old to feature prominently.

The Portuguese under-21 international averaged a goal or assist every other game for runaway Championship winners Fulham last season, and his ability to play out wide or as a central attacking midfielder will prove invaluable to a team set to resume their quest for success on four fronts. 

An eye-catching cameo in Liverpool's Community Shield win provided a little taster of what to expect from the pocket-sized playmaker.

William Saliba, Arsenal

Few players have caused such angst among the Arsenal fanbase as William Saliba.

Signed back in 2019 to much fanfare, the defender was sent out on loan three times in as many years leading supporters to fear he would never play for the club.

The saga around Saliba's Arsenal future has been an unwelcome soap opera but the ex-Saint-Etienne prodigy looks set to make his Premier League bow as part of Mikel Arteta's bold new future. 

The Frenchman may be unproven but he has this languid, unruffled aura that suggests Arsenal may have finally found their defensive commander.

The 21-year-old was imperious in the Gunners' 6-0 demolition of Benfica in pre-season to stake his claim for a starting berth at the heart of the Arsenal defence.

Erling Haaland, Man City

Erling Haaland is back in the country of his birth and looking to maintain the devastating goals-per-game ratio from his time at Borussia Dortmund. 

A scandalous miss in the Community Shield helped make it a debut to forget for the striker, but it will take more than that to railroad this Nordic goal machine.

Provided he can stay fit, Haaland's track record shows he is as close to a guarantee of goals as is possible to find.

Nearly every major club in Europe were linked with the 22-year-old but it's testament to how far City have come that he chose to settle at the Etihad. 

This is undoubtedly the club's biggest signing and there's good reason to think it could be their best. 

City routinely create an abundance of chances that Haaland will gratefully gobble up, and on the rare occasions when City's spell-binding passing game isn't baring fruit, the powerful Norwegian has the brute force to bludgeon defences wide open.

Djed Spence, Tottenham

Having been deemed surplus to requirements by former Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock, Djed Spence's move to promotion rivals Nottingham Forest proved a pivotal moment in the young defender's career.

What could have been seen as a backward step, instead helped pave the way for Spence's route to the top flight and a chance to play under one of the greatest modern managers in European football. 

Having wowed Forest fans with his blistering pace, crossing ability and penchant for a shot from distance, Spence was also an integral part of a obdurate backline that kept 17 clean sheets in 39 league games. 

A move to join Steve Cooper's survival mission on a permanent deal was mooted but instead Spence became Spurs' sixth major signing of the season, following the arrivals of Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison and loanee Clement Lenglet.

If he can quickly adapt to Antonio Conte's demands, then there's no reason why Spence cannot thrive as a right-sided wing-back in the Italian's 3-5-2 system.

Brenden Aaronson, Leeds United

The subject of Leeds' biggest outlay so far this summer, Brenden Aaronson is a technical playmaker who may take some time to adjust to the pace of the Premier League. 

If he can hit the ground running, the American has all the attributes to thrive in compatriot Jesse Marsh's swashbuckling system. 

For all his work-rate, energy and diligent pressing, will Aaronson be able to stand out in a league where his trademark attributes are the norm?

The midfielder is more than just a runner though and his fine technique and speed of thought made him an integral part of RB Salzburg's domestic dominance in recent years.

American boss Marsh knows him well and can get the best out of him alongside fellow United States star Tyler Adams.

Brennan Johnson, Nottingham Forest

All eyes will be on Brennan Johnson as the 21-year-old prodigy looks to make the step up to the big time. 

Johnson registered 16 goals and 10 assists in the Championship last season and Forest likely only managed to keep hold of him because of their Premier League promotion. 

A regular for Wales, he is afforded a free role in Steve Cooper's system and is comfortable as both a winger and as part of a front two. 

Expect Johnson and new signing Taiyo Awoniyi to link up on the counter-attack as much as possible.

Awoniyi, signed from Union Berlin in the summer, could prove the perfect foil for Johnson and help boost the Welshman's productivity further. 

Bruno Guimaraes, Newcastle

Fast becoming a cult hero on Tyneside, Newcastle’s Brazilian playmaker Bruno Guimaraes could be set for a sensational season in the north east if his post-January form was anything to go by.

Guimaraes was made to wait before making an impact, with Toon boss Eddie Howe opting to ease his man slowly into life in the Premier League, but once the former Lyon midfielder had his feet under the table he quickly proved his quality.

Five goals - including match-winning strikes against Southampton and Leicester - from his 17 Premier League appearances were an unexpected return from a player who managed only three during his two-year tenure in France.

But goals were only a fraction of Guimaraes’ influence on a new-look Newcastle in the second half of last season.

The Brazilian breathed life into a previously stodgy midfield, showing bravery and flair in abundance to the delight of the St James’ faithful.

With a full pre-season under his belt and Howe having a whole summer to shape the approach of his rejuvenated Newcastle, Guimaraes looks set to kick on and become one of the breakout stars of the new campaign.

Lisandro Martinez, Man Utd

Voted Ajax's player of the year for his role in their Eredivisie title triumph last season, Manchester United fought off stiff competition from Arsenal to sign Martinez in a £56.7m deal.

At 5 feet 9 inches tall he will be the smallest centre-back in the Premier League - but despite his slight stature the Argentina international is deceptively strong in the air and boasts a formidable leap.

Last season he made more headed clearances than any other player and won 71% of his aerial duels, putting him second only to Harry Maguire among Manchester United's current defenders.

“He’s a warrior and I think the fans will admire him. He has an attitude, fighting spirit,” manager Eric ten Hag told the club's website.

“He brings aggressiveness in the game, in a good way. I think we need that.”

Indeed Martinez's fiery attitude may prove his greatest asset as United look to claw their way back to English football's top table.

Julian Alvarez, Man City

Erling Haaland may be the most talked-about player in the Premier League right now, but in 22-year-old Argentinian forward Julian Alvarez, City have a more natural successor to club record goalscorer Sergio Aguero's throne.

The diminutive marksman stole Haaland's limelight by scoring on debut in the Community Shield and, with all the fanfare surrounding the big Norwegian, he will be champing at the bit to prove he can be City’s main man.                                                                   

It’s not inconceivable to foresee a scenario where Haaland makes a slow start, allowing Alvarez more game time as this season sees the return of five substitutions per game.

Any kind of significant goal drought could see Pep Guardiola turn to the former River Plate man, whose six-goal haul in a Copa Libertadores tie earlier this year proved he knows his way around the penalty area.

The Premier League begins on Friday 5 August and you can watch every televised match from the English top flight live on BT TV.