Chelsea Stars Annick Buurman and Alyssa Thompson Nominated for PFA Young Player Award
Chelsea’s new generation is already reshaping the awards landscape.
Two of the club’s breakout stars, Annick Buurman and Alyssa Thompson, have been shortlisted for the PFA’s Young Player of the Year prize after eye-catching debut seasons in blue, earning the respect – and votes – of their fellow professionals.
This is not a token nod to potential. It is a reward for impact.
Buurman’s Journey
Buurman’s route to the shortlist has been anything but straightforward. The Dutch youngster officially joined Chelsea in September 2024 before heading straight back to PSV on loan, her development carefully managed rather than rushed. Last summer, she finally walked through the doors at Cobham as a full member of the first-team squad. She stayed there.
Twenty-four appearances later, across all competitions, she has become part of the fabric of the side. Her first Chelsea goal arrived with the kind of timing players dream about – in an FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur, and in some style. On a big stage, in a pressure game, she delivered.
Thompson’s Impact
If Buurman’s story is one of delayed arrival, Thompson’s has been a full-throttle introduction.
Signed last summer from Angel City, the 21-year-old barely missed a beat in her first campaign in English football. She featured 33 times in the 2025/26 season, the joint-highest appearance tally in the squad alongside the ever-present Erin Cuthbert – a statistic that underlines how quickly she earned her manager’s trust.
Thompson didn’t just play. She produced. Nine goals in all competitions made her Chelsea’s second-highest scorer behind Sam Kerr, a remarkable return for a young forward adjusting to a new league, a new country and a new level of scrutiny. When Chelsea needed energy, she ran. When they needed end product, she often supplied it.
PFA Recognition
The recognition from the PFA places both players among elite company. A third of the six-player shortlist carries Chelsea’s badge, a clear sign of where the club’s recruitment and development are pointing.
Chasing the same honour are Laura Blindkilde Brown of Manchester City, Freya Godfrey of London Lionesses, Tottenham Hotspur’s Toko Koga and Arsenal’s Olivia Smith. It is a list that reflects the depth of young talent across the English game, but also one in which Chelsea’s influence is impossible to ignore.
The verdict will come at the PFA’s annual awards ceremony at the Manchester Opera House on Tuesday 25 August. One of these six will leave with the trophy.
Whether or not Buurman or Thompson hear their name called that night, the message of this shortlist is already clear: Chelsea’s future isn’t waiting in the wings. It has arrived, and the rest of the league can see it.
