Five Premier League Stars to Watch This Season
Record transfers, new faces at big clubs, and expectations for the 2026/27 season
Record transfers, new faces at big clubs, and expectations for the 2026/27 season
The new Premier League season kicks off on Friday, with England's elite entering the 2026/27 campaign with big ambitions and even bigger investments. AFP Sport has picked out five players worth keeping a close eye on, including some of the most expensive signings in the history of British football.
Morgan Rogers became the most expensive British player in history after Chelsea paid a record £117 million ($158 million) to Aston Villa for him. The English midfielder (24) arrived as the headline signing of the summer transfer window and is expected to lead coach Xabi Alonso's revolution in London.
Chelsea finished last season in a disappointing 10th place, and Rogers arrives with a winning reputation-he helped Villa end a 30-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League. His friendship with Cole Palmer from their days together in Manchester City's youth academy should speed up his adaptation, although Alonso will need to figure out how to get the best out of two players who operate in similar areas of the pitch.
Elliot Anderson (23) held the record for the most expensive British player for just a few days before being overshadowed by Rogers' transfer. Manchester City paid Nottingham Forest £116 million for the midfielder, who now has a daunting task-replacing Rodri and Bernardo Silva.
Rodri, the Spanish World Cup winner, moved to Barcelona, while Silva joined Real Madrid, leaving a huge void in City's midfield. Anderson will have to fill it if new coach Enzo Maresca is to have a successful debut season. City are trying to dethrone champions Arsenal after two years without the Premier League title.
Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes was a consolation prize for Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta after the Gunners dropped out of the race for Rogers. Instead of a record bid for Chelsea's Englishman, Arsenal paid £75 million to Newcastle for their captain.
Guimaraes will join Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in the champions' midfield. "From the first day he came in, it was so natural. Although we've had big battles with him in the past, he just came in as a real natural part of the team. He can win the ball, he's a fighter. But he also has a lot of quality and is calm on the ball," said Odegaard, Arsenal's captain.
Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali took just 10 minutes to agree to become Tottenham's record signing. Now he must show that quick decision was the right one for him and the club. The 26-year-old was a key figure in Newcastle's revival with his work ethic and quality in possession, and now coach Roberto De Zerbi is leading him into a club that is looking up after narrowly avoiding relegation in May.
"When you're happy after a 10-minute conversation, everything is perfect," said Tonali, admitting that the size of his transfer brings "a lot of pressure."
Jeremy Jacquet (21) was brought in to ease growing concerns about a defense that has lost the authority of the 2025 title-winning team. Virgil van Dijk (35) no longer looks impenetrable, and the captain's problems have been compounded by the departures of Ibrahima Konate to Real Madrid and Andrew Robertson to Tottenham.
Jacquet arrived at Anfield from Rennes for £60 million. Van Dijk admitted that their new partnership at the heart of Liverpool's defense is still a work in progress. "It's pretty clear you need to build a connection together and that takes a bit of time. That's absolutely normal, but hopefully we can get that going as soon as possible," said the Reds' captain.
