Chelsea top TGG’s Academy Rankings for third straight year

The Rankings are the only publicly-available resource of their kind in the UK. Weighting is given according to the level at which a player featured (playing in the Premier League is worth more than in the National League). And if a player came through more than one Academy, points are shared between them.

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Manchester United dominated the first three editions of the Rankings, finishing top in 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2020/21, but Chelsea have taken over since 2021/22.

The Blues have retained top spot thanks largely to producing the most players at the highest levels. Eighteen of their graduates appeared in the Premier League and other Big Four European leagues in 2024/25. 

Six of their graduates featured for Chelsea’s first team in the Premier League last season. 

There is the same top three of the Rankings as in 2023/24, with Arsenal second and Manchester United third. Notable risers are Everton, up four places from eighth to fourth.

Two of their Academy graduates, Roman Dixon and Harrison Armstrong, made Premier League debuts for the Toffees last season, but their real success was in producing players who forged professional careers elsewhere.

Merseyside rivals Liverpool remain in seventh spot, but had a notable season, giving more Premier League minutes to their own Academy graduates than any other club.

Once again, Category One clubs dominate the upper echelons of the rankings. The top 20 most productive Academies are all Category One, with the honourable exception of Category Two Sheffield United, who retain 10th place. 

The biggest risers are Category Two Wigan Athletic, up 11 places from 49th to 38th. 

The two biggest fallers in the Rankings are Category Two Ipswich Town and Category Three Cambridge United, who are both down 16 places (Ipswich from from 26th to 42nd and Cambridge from 46th to 62nd). 

Crewe Alexandra, who were ninth in the 2021/22 Rankings, continued their recent slump as they fell nine places from 25th to 34th, while Charlton Athletic, another club long associated with youth development, dropped from 12th to 23rd.

Newcastle United went down seven places from 18th to 25th. 

The Addicks were the second highest Category Two Academy in the table though, behind Sheffield United. Birmingham City jumped from 30th to 24th to become the third-best ranked Category Two club. They are the only three clubs in the top 26 in the Rankings not to have a Category One Academy.

Exeter City were the highest-ranked Category Three club in 27th place, with Huddersfield Town, who only reopened their Academy at the beginning of the 2023/24 season, next in 31st and Bolton Wanderers in 36th.

Brentford, another club who closed and then reopened their Academy – in their case in 2022 – were 61st, making them the lowest Premier League side in the 86-club list.

Accrington Stanley, whose Academy suddenly closed in May, were 72nd – two places higher than in the previous season’s list.

Stoke City climbed from 47th to 37th, although they remain the lowest-placed Category One Academy. Wolves rose from 32nd to 29th but were the lowest-ranked Premier League Category One club.