{"id":62585,"date":"2025-08-06T12:23:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T12:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/62585\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T12:23:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T12:23:10","slug":"eight-premier-league-players-were-excited-to-watch-in-2025-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/62585\/","title":{"rendered":"Eight Premier League Players We\u2019re Excited to Watch in 2025-26"},"content":{"rendered":"

The new Premier
\nLeague<\/a> season is very nearly here, and we\u2019re pumped for it to
\nstart. With that in mind, we\u2019ve selected eight players we\u2019re
\nparticularly looking forward to watching.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the start of the new Premier League season, we have
\nonce again picked out a bunch of players who we\u2019re excited to see
\nin action.<\/p>\n

Last year,
\nwe chose nine players we were planning to keep a close eye
\non<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some of them did very well indeed (step forward Jurri\u00ebn
\nTimber<\/a> and Adam
\nWharton<\/a>). Some of them had less impact (hello Mohammed
\nKudus<\/a>). One spent most of the season injured and did little
\nwhen he was fit (Christopher
\nNkunku<\/a>). And one got relegated (sorry, Leif
\nDavis<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Unperturbed by our mixed showing, we go again for 2025-26.<\/p>\n

You may notice, this isn\u2019t just a list of the best players, or
\nthe players who score the most goals. We haven\u2019t just chosen
\nCole
\nPalmer<\/a>, Bukayo
\nSaka<\/a>, Mohamed
\nSalah<\/a> and Erling
\nHaaland<\/a>. Like last year, we\u2019ve tried to go for some less
\nobvious picks.<\/p>\n

So, grab a cuppa, and join us in getting excited for the new
\nseason. And see you back here next year to reflect on a season of
\nhopefully less mixed results.<\/p>\n

Mart\u00edn
\nZubimendi<\/p>\n

For three years in a row, Arsenal<\/a>
\nhave been the Premier League\u2019s nearly men. They\u2019ve been one of
\nEurope\u2019s most consistent teams over that time, but haven\u2019t won a
\ntrophy. This season, winning something is a must.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s hope that one of their many new signings this summer can
\nbe the final piece in the puzzle to help get them over the line.
\nCould
\nMart\u00edn Zubimendi<\/a> be that man?<\/p>\n

His technical talent and exceptional passing could help get more
\nout of the attackers already at the club, and given how close
\nArsenal have come in the last few seasons, that could be all they
\nneed to finally win the title for the first time in more than 20
\nyears.<\/p>\n

He isn\u2019t a midfield destroyer by any stretch, but he is an
\neffective ball-winner \u2013 as the below graphic shows \u2013 and when that
\nis combined with a typically keen Spanish eye for a pass that pokes
\na hole in the opposition, it\u2019s a dangerous proposition.<\/p>\n

\"Martin<\/p>\n

Despite not being particularly big or imposing, he wins the
\nmajority of his duels, so Arsenal will hope he will not be overawed
\nby the physical challenge of playing in the Premier League.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, he ranked fourth among midfielders in La Liga<\/a> in 2024-25
\nfor line-breaking passes (238) and the three ahead of him all
\nplayed for Real
\nMadrid<\/a> (Luka
\nModric<\/a>,
\nFederico Valverde<\/a> and
\nAur\u00e9lien Tchouam\u00e9ni<\/a>). He also ranked fourth for passes that
\nbroke the opposition\u2019s midfield line (141) and line-breaking passes
\ninto the final third (131).<\/p>\n

If Zubimendi can win the ball back and get it to Saka or
\n
\nMartin \u00d8degaard<\/a> quicker than his predecessors, Arsenal will
\nonly get better. And that might just be a crucial difference.<\/p>\n

Charalampos Kostoulas<\/p>\n

When Brighton<\/a>
\nspend more than \u00a330 million on a teenager, you have to sit up and
\ntake notice.<\/p>\n

At \u00a331.4m, Charalampos Kostoulas became the second-most
\nexpensive signing in Brighton\u2019s history after
\nGeorginio Rutter<\/a> despite only turning 18 at the end of May and
\nhaving racked up just 22 Greek Super League appearances \u2013 nine of
\nthem as a substitute \u2013 in his career so far. Given Brighton so
\noften get their transfers right, this looks like a deal worth
\npaying attention to.<\/p>\n

Kostoulas earned his promotion to Olympiakos\u2019 first team last
\nyear after shining as a centre-forward in the youth teams, but he\u2019s
\ngenerally played off the front man for the senior side. He has also
\nplayed in a few other positions all over the pitch, as the below
\ngraphic shows.<\/p>\n

\"Charalampos<\/p>\n

He has dealt with both the step up and the inconsistency in his
\nposition admirably, unfazed by suddenly playing in Greece\u2019s top
\ntier and the Europa League, where he made eight appearances as
\nOlympiakos made it as far as the last-16 stage. It is typical of
\nBrighton to sign a player who is as adaptable as Kostoulas clearly
\nis.<\/p>\n

However, he is most at home in the opposition\u2019s box, where he is
\na real physical presence despite being so young, while he also has
\nclever movement to lose his man. Of players to play at least 1,000
\nminutes in the Greek Super League last season, Kostoulas ranked top
\nfor shots from inside the penalty area (3.2) and shots on target
\nfrom inside the penalty area (1.6) per 90 minutes played.<\/p>\n

He scored seven goals, all of which came from inside the box,
\nand he ranked third in the league among the same group for
\nnon-penalty goals per 90 (0.52) and fifth for non-penalty expected
\ngoals<\/a> per 90 (0.43).<\/p>\n

He has a great touch and is happy coming deep to link play, too.
\nHe also works extremely hard, winning possession in the final third
\nmore times per 90 than any other player in the Greek top flight
\nlast season (1.4).<\/p>\n

The step up to the Premier League will be a big one, but
\nKostoulas could be ready for it.<\/p>\n

Marcus
\nEdwards<\/p>\n

Since his last game for a Premier League club, Marcus
\nEdwards<\/a> has been on a fascinating journey.<\/p>\n

His sole first-team appearance for Tottenham came in an EFL
\nthird-round tie in September 2016, the day after the
\nthen-17-year-old\u2019s manager Mauricio Pochettino had compared him to
\na young Lionel Messi. Now, nine years on, he\u2019s set to finally play
\nsome Premier League football, having this summer made his move to
\nBurnley<\/a>
\npermanent.<\/p>\n

In that time, he has played for Norwich, Excelsior (in the
\nNetherlands), Vit\u00f3ria de Guimar\u00e3es and Sporting CP (both in
\nPortugal), taking in competitions from the Championship<\/a>
\nand the Champions
\nLeague<\/a> to the Under 19 European Championship and the Europa
\nLeague.<\/p>\n

He does his best work affecting games in the final third. In his
\nmost prolific season at Sporting in 2022-23, he scored seven league
\ngoals and added five more assists, averaging 2.1 shots and 2.7
\nsuccessful dribbles per 90.<\/p>\n

After joining Burnley last season, he wasn\u2019t quite as effective,
\nregistering just one goal and one assist in 12 starts in the
\nChampionship, but that time playing regularly in the second tier
\nwill only help with his adjustment to the Premier League. He had
\n1.7 shots per 90 and completed 2.1 successful dribbles per 90,
\ndisplaying how much confidence he has in himself.<\/p>\n

This season, then, is Edwards\u2019 big opportunity to prove he is
\nnow ready for the Premier League, and maybe even show Spurs what
\nthey are missing out on. Burnley\u2019s first game of the new season is
\nat the Tottenham
\nHotspur<\/a> Stadium, where Edwards has already scored once, doing
\nso for Sporting in a Champions League clash in 2022.<\/p>\n

What a place to start his Premier League career.<\/p>\n

Rayan
\nCherki<\/p>\n

In Rayan
\nCherki<\/a>, Manchester
\nCity<\/a> appear to have signed a creative midfielder so maverick
\nit\u2019s almost as though he belongs in a different era. A player so
\nconcerned with getting on the ball and making things happen in the
\nfinal third that he can be \u2013 and sometimes is \u2013 accused of
\nrenouncing his defensive responsibilities.<\/p>\n

In the modern game, nobody can do that (except maybe Lionel
\nMessi). This isn\u2019t the era of Juan Rom\u00e1n Riquelme or Mesut \u00d6zil,
\nwhen playmakers could get away with doing too little defensive work
\nbecause they made so much difference with the ball.<\/p>\n

His numbers for Lyon last season suggest there is some truth in
\nthe view that he doesn\u2019t work hard enough off the ball. His 17.7
\npressures in the final third per 90 put him 68th in the list of 89
\nattacking\/wide midfielders and forwards to play at least 1,000
\nminutes in Ligue 1. And the explanation can\u2019t be that he was just
\nplaying in a team that didn\u2019t press, because in
\nGeorges Mikautadze<\/a>\u00a0(32.0),\u00a0Alexandre
\nLacazette<\/a>\u00a0(28.9) and\u00a0Malick
\nFofana<\/a>\u00a0(23.0), Lyon had three attackers who made
\nsignificantly more final-third pressures than him.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no way that Cherki would be allowed to waltz around the
\npitch under Pep Guardiola whenever City lose the ball, so we\u2019ll
\npresumably see a more hard-working version of Cherki in
\nManchester.<\/p>\n

And whatever we see of the Frenchman in terms of off-the-ball
\nwork, we will be treated to watching one of the most talented and
\neffective creative midfielders in the world right now, working and
\nimproving under the best tutor there is.<\/p>\n

\"Cherki<\/p>\n

Among all players in Europe\u2019s top five leagues, Cherki created
\nchances at a faster rate (3.7 per 90) than anyone in all
\ncompetitions last season (1,500+ minutes played), while he also
\ncame out on top for chances created from open play (2.9 per 90)
\nand expected
\nassists<\/a> (0.53 per 90). Yes, that was in Ligue 1 and the Premier
\nLeague will be a step up from there, but he was also playing for
\nthe sixth-best team in France. At City, we could see even more from
\nhim.<\/p>\n

Cherki could prove one of the most fun Premier League imports
\nthere\u2019ve been in years.<\/p>\n

Amad
\nDiallo<\/p>\n

The 2024-25 season will probably be remembered as the worst in
\nliving memory for Manchester
\nUnited<\/a>, as they recorded their lowest Premier League finish
\n(15th) with their fewest points in a top-flight season (42) since
\n1977-78 (also 42).<\/p>\n

But amid all the doom and gloom, there was another player beyond
\nBruno
\nFernandes<\/a> who finished the campaign with his reputation not
\nonly intact but enhanced.<\/p>\n

Amad
\nDiallo<\/a> was a ray of light for United. The weight of expectation
\nat the club just didn\u2019t seem to register with the young winger. He
\nwas so positive and purposeful on the ball; only centre-back
\n
\nLisandro Mart\u00ednez<\/a> (19.4) averaged more carries \u2013 movements of
\nat least five metres with the ball \u2013 than Amad (18.2) among United
\nplayers in all competitions, though the Ivorian led the way for
\nprogressive carries that moved the ball 10m closer to goal
\n(5.5).<\/p>\n

\"Amad<\/p>\n

He\u2019d frequently drive at players as he showcased his bravery and
\nintent to make a difference, while his tireless work out of
\npossession led to several goals.<\/p>\n

Related to that, he was genuinely influential in attack. Among
\nplayers to feature for at least 1,500 minutes in the Premier League
\nlast term, only 11 averaged more non-penalty goal involvements on a
\nper-90 basis than Amad (0.66).<\/p>\n

\"Amad<\/p>\n

We actually included Amad in this article ahead of the 2024-25
\nseason, but he was initially used sparingly. Once Erik ten Hag was
\nout the door, however, his opportunities increased considerably,
\nand he quickly became one of the first names on the teamsheet under
\nRuben Amorim.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately for him and United, Amad missed two and a half
\nmonths of action in the second half of the season. His vibrancy and
\nunpredictability were sorely missed.<\/p>\n

But he heads into 2025-26 in a far stronger position than he
\nbegan 2024-25, even if there is a little uncertainty about where
\nhe\u2019ll play. Ordinarily last term, he\u2019d line up as the right-sided
\nnumber 10, but with Bryan
\nMbeumo<\/a> arriving this summer, Amad may have to split his time
\nbetween that position and the right wing-back berth, which he took
\nup a few times last season and during this pre-season.<\/p>\n

Either way, he\u2019s fast becoming a fan favourite at Old Trafford
\nfor his dynamism, skill and playful style of play. If he stays fit,
\nhe\u2019ll be a huge asset to United and Amorim in 2025-26.<\/p>\n

Florian
\nWirtz<\/p>\n

The most expensive signing in Premier League history at a
\nreported \u00a3116 million if add-ons are included, every neutral must
\nbe excited to see Florian
\nWirtz<\/a> in action for Liverpool<\/a>
\nthis season.<\/p>\n

At Bayer
\nLeverkusen<\/a>, Wirtz developed into one of the world\u2019s best
\nattacking midfielders as a key cog in Xabi Alonso\u2019s excellent team,
\nhelping them win the 2023-24 Bundesliga<\/a>
\nwithout losing a single match.<\/p>\n

They also reached the Europa League final and won the DFB-Pokal
\nthat season, with Wirtz recording 18 goals and 19 assists in 47
\ngames across all competitions. That made him the only player from
\nthe top five European leagues to get at least 16 goals and 16
\nassists in 2023-24.<\/p>\n

While neither he nor Leverkusen quite hit the same heights in
\n2024-25, his haul of 16 goals and 14 assists in all competitions
\nremains a pretty impressive return. In fact, 12 of his assists were
\nfrom open play, a tally only Mohamed
\nSalah<\/a> (18) and Lamine
\nYamal<\/a> (13) could better among players from the top five
\nleagues.<\/p>\n

\"Florian<\/p>\n

Chiefly a number 10, Wirtz offers a goal threat, creativity and
\nexceptional technical skills, with the Germany international rarely
\nneeding a second invitation to get on the ball and run with it.<\/p>\n

But he\u2019s also become renowned for his work rate. In 2024-25,
\nWirtz averaged 1.25 high turnovers (winning possession in the
\nattacking third) per 90, the most among all Bundesliga players
\n(1,500+ mins), while his overall figure for that metric over the
\npast two seasons (71) was 15 more than anyone else.<\/p>\n

\"Florian<\/p>\n

Wirtz is on a trajectory to being a superstar, if he isn\u2019t
\nalready. Seeing how he links up with Salah, Hugo
\nEkitik\u00e9<\/a> and potentially even Alexander
\nIsak<\/a> promises to be truly fascinating.<\/p>\n

Rom\u00e9o
\nLavia<\/p>\n

The 2025-26 season will be Rom\u00e9o
\nLavia<\/a>\u2019s third at Chelsea<\/a>;
\nwill it be the campaign that he finally explodes?<\/p>\n

Lavia\u2019s time at Stamford Bridge has been difficult until now,
\nmissing practically all of his first season due to injury and then
\nalso sitting out a significant chunk of 2024-25.<\/p>\n

The chart below shows how much football he\u2019s missed over the
\npast couple of years, compared to his teammate Mois\u00e9s
\nCaicedo<\/a>. Lavia has barely been available to play in the last
\ntwo seasons.<\/p>\n

\"Chelsea<\/p>\n

With that in mind, Lavia\u2019s solitary year with Southampton<\/a>
\nremains his only full season of senior football. But he\u2019s shown
\nenough promising flashes that, despite Chelsea\u2019s transfer
\nmerry-go-round, his future has seemed fairly secure.<\/p>\n

But how much longer will that be the case if he doesn\u2019t kick on
\nthis term?<\/p>\n

Lavia has such a broad range of abilities that it\u2019s easy to
\nunderstand why some consider him to potentially be one of the best
\ndeep-lying midfielders around.<\/p>\n

For starters, he\u2019s tough. Among all nominal central and
\ndefensive midfielders (1,500+ mins) in 2022-23, Lavia\u2019s success
\nrate in ground duels (57.1%) saw him rank eighth, putting him in
\nesteemed company.<\/p>\n

But then he also possesses considerable technical skill and
\nability, boasting the highest completion rate for dribbles among
\nall Chelsea players (900+ mins, 12+ dribble attempts) across all
\ncompetitions since he joined the club (66.7%).<\/p>\n

That talent helps make Lavia press-resistant, and this can be
\nfurther highlighted by looking at his effectiveness under
\npressure.<\/p>\n

In 2022-23 with Southampton, Lavia completed 79.8% of his passes
\nin the Premier League that were considered to be made with an
\nopponent pressing him within two metres; that was a respectable
\nfigure, putting him joint 14th out of 71 players who played at
\nleast 900 minutes.<\/p>\n

Last season, his output was even better. Granted, he only played
\n801 minutes, but among nominal central and defensive midfielders
\n(800+ mins) in the Premier League, only five could improve on
\nLavia\u2019s 90.4% pass accuracy while under high pressure.<\/p>\n

\"Romeo<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no question about the ability Lavia possesses. Hopefully
\nwe get to see a bit more of it this season.<\/p>\n

Chris
\nRigg<\/p>\n

Of the three promoted teams, Sunderland<\/a>
\nare arguably the side who have captured the imagination of neutrals
\nmost with their transfer dealings this summer, acquiring several
\nhigh-potential talents plus the experienced Granit
\nXhaka<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\nYour next read:\n<\/p>\n

But one of their existing players will be worth keeping tabs on
\njust as much.<\/p>\n

Chris
\nRigg<\/a> only turned 18 in June but has already played 72 matches
\nin all competitions for Sunderland, including 45 in the
\nChampionship (with play-offs) last season en route to
\npromotion.<\/p>\n

In an August 2023 EFL Cup clash with Crewe Alexandra, Rigg
\nbecame the club\u2019s youngest ever goalscorer aged 16 years, 51 days
\nold. Then, less than a month later, he netted in the Championship
\nagainst Southampton, breaking Sunderland\u2019s record for their
\nyoungest goalscorer in league competition (16y, 76d). Jimmy
\nHamilton had previously held that since September 1971.<\/p>\n

During Rigg\u2019s fledgling career, he\u2019s been used in a number of
\ndifferent roles and this does heavily impact his statistical
\noutput, but the eye test provides lots to be excited about.<\/p>\n

\"Chris<\/p>\n

A silky and skilful midfielder, Rigg is blessed with close
\ncontrol, a low centre of gravity and the bravery to run with the
\nball on his tidy left foot.<\/p>\n

Playing in the Premier League promises to be a real litmus test,
\nhowever. Some have concerns about Rigg\u2019s physical stature, and he
\ndoesn\u2019t exactly possess blistering pace.<\/p>\n

So, will his technical ability on the ball be good enough to
\nhelp him thrive in the top flight? Some will argue he mostly
\nthrived even at a tender age in the Championship, which certainly
\nisn\u2019t forgiving from a physical point of view, meaning he\u2019s well
\nprimed to make the step up.<\/p>\n

If he adapts well, 2025-26 could be the making of him. He\u2019s
\ncertainly one to watch.<\/p>\n

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