McEachran, Suso, and the benefits of the new under-21 PL

The Premier League is about to undertake a drastic overhaul of the English youth football set-up and it couldn't have come at a better time for some of the most promising young footballers in the country.

The result would mean that two new competitions for both Under-21 and Under-18 players will be set up, providing more competitive football for talented youngsters struggling to gain first team action and languishing for unnecessarily long periods of time in the reserves. We take a look at five young stars from top Premier League sides who could benefit from the new setup...

Name: Lucas Piazon

Club: Chelsea

Position: Forward

Chelsea's Young Player of the Year has a lot of potential, but with a host of new stars coming to Stamford Bridge this summer, his chances of first-team action are slimming by the minute. Playing for the reserves will do little to improve him at this stage, so the chance to play at a competitive level is timely for the Brazilian. Piazon has looked sharp during Chelsea's pre-season, scoring his first goal for the senior side against PSG, so it would be a terrible waste if he wasn't given an opportunity to test himself in the near future. The new league could be a good compromise for the forward.

Name: Suso Fernandez

Club: Liverpool

Position: Midfielder

Fresh from a pivotal role in Spain's European Under-19 European Championship win, Liverpool youngster Suso produced another solid display for the Reds against Roma this summer. Some aspects of his game still need polishing before he's ready to become a fully fledged member of the Reds' first team squad, however, and dropping him in at the deep end in a Liverpool side that's going through a period of readjustment could be damaging. Vying for the first ever Under-21 League title against other players on the cusp of breaking through could serve him well until Liverpool find their form.

Name: Josh McEachran

Club: Chelsea

Position: Midfielder

If there's one footballer that embodies the notion of being stuck between a rock and a hard place it's Josh McEachran. The young playmaker is often touted as one of the future stars of English football, but after struggling to find any significant opportunities to play at Chelsea, he was dealt an even harsher blow after being given the same treatment during a loan-spell at Swansea. There's a feeling that McEachran is at a pivotal moment in his career and the new Under-21 league could be a way out of purgatory for him, allowing him to prove to his club once and for all that he should be part of their plans.

Name: Ross Barkley

Club: Everton

Position: Midfielder

Ross Barkley's debut for Everton's first team against QPR was as impressive as they come, but after only managing nine appearances in all competitions last season, he doesn't look likely to start for the Toffees any time soon. Barkley has all the raw talent needed to make it at the top-level, with Martin Keown predicting he'll be "one of the best players we'll ever see in this country", but if he's ever going to reach his potential he'll need regular, competitive and challenging football. Yet another player whose career could be drastically altered by the new league.

Name: Denis Suarez

Club: Manchester City

Position: Forward

Manchester City spent a small fortune to sign Denis Suarez from Celta Vigo, but he's hardly been given a sniff at a City team that prefers to sign established stars over promoting youngsters. Like Suso from Liverpool, Suarez was another of the top players for Spain in their Under-19 European Championship win this summer, so he'll be desperate to keep improving and would love the chance to impress Roberto Mancini in the under-21 league.