Premier League 2025-26: Viktor Gyokeres, Florian Wirtz among 10 new signings to watch

A busy summer of transfers may not be over just yet but as a new Premier League season nears kickoff, some of the division’s most notable teams are already stacked with a handful of fresh talents that are set to make an impact in their first stints in England.

Premier League clubs spent heavily to sign some of the best players in Europe, with Liverpool and Manchester United forking over the biggest transfer fees of the window so far, each time scooping up talent from the Bundesliga. The Reds’ $133 million move for Florian Wirtz is still the summer’s biggest fee – and most exciting move – but United, Manchester City, Arsenal and more were just as eager to land the continent’s buzziest players as they each chart ambitious plans this season. Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers, meanwhile, are among the clubs who looked outside of Europe to find diamonds in the rough who impressed during the first edition of the expanded Club World Cup.

The ceilings of each of these players will likely be different, which makes the next season all the more exciting. Wirtz, for example, feels like he will take to life in the Premier League quickly but that is unlikely to be true for some of the other newcomers, nor is it the expectation for all of them. The thrilling uncertainties around which teams will impress this season is matched equally by the unknowns about which players will play a major role along the way – and which ones might not live up to the billing.

Here’s a look at the 10 Premier League newcomers to watch this season.

Florian Wirtz, Liverpool

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way. There was a reason Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich were all in the mix to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen this season. The 22-year-old is on course to be one of the best players of his generation and is worth every penny the Reds eventually paid for him. Mohamed Salah may still be on Liverpool’s books but the Reds are rightly preparing for life without him and though Wirtz is not a like-for-like replacement, he does not actually need to be. The Germany international is a perfect player to build around for the future in his own right, whatever Liverpool’s future ends up looking like.

Hugo Ekitike, Liverpool

Discussions about Liverpool’s future are not complete without name-dropping Hugo Ekitike, the 23-year-old who left Eintracht Frankfurt for a transfer to Anfield worth around $100 million. He’s flown more under the radar than Wirtz in the past, but arrives in England with plenty of promise as a versatile forward with plenty of goalscoring and playmaking skill. There are questions about how quickly Ekitike will settle in at Liverpool but his goal in the Community Shield means there may not be much of a learning curve, which is very good news for the Premier League champions.

Rayan Cherki, Manchester City

Between City’s spending in the winter and their pre-Club World Cup transfers, Pep Guardiola’s side may be in rebuild mode after a trophyless campaign, but out of all the players they signed in 2025, Rayan Cherki may be the most exciting. The 21-year-old attacker slowly but surely made a name for himself at Lyon, scoring 12 goals in 44 games in his final season with the club and enjoying some impressive outings with France before joining City. Cherki will add some dynamism to City’s attack, making him an entertaining new addition to the Premier League — and perhaps crucial to the team’s hopes of returning to the top of the table.

Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal

After scoring 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting Lisbon, it felt as if someone had to give Viktor Gyokeres the big money move that his goalscoring exploits demanded. Arsenal did just that after a season that revealed their need for an out-and-out striker, giving the Premier League a layered storyline to follow along the way. There is pressure on the Gunners to win the title after three second place finishes and much of which will fall on Gyokeres’ shoulders, all while he has to answer questions about whether his tally with Lisbon is a sign that he is the real deal, or just the beneficiary of the realities of the Portuguese league. Gyokeres’ journey will make for a compelling follow, no matter the answers to those questions.

Benjamin Sesko, Manchester United

Gyokeres is not the only forward who is under some real pressure to perform this season. Benjamin Sesko set off a bidding war between Newcastle United and Manchester United and picked the latter, becoming the latest No. 9 who may just have the weight of the world placed on his shoulders in no time. The 22-year-old has some natural tools that make him one of the game’s more exciting forwards, chief among them a physicality and speed that is covetable in any attacker. Sesko, though, is not the finished product just yet and whether or not United is the right place for him to develop is a big question, with or without the pressures of playing for the Red Devils.

Jeremie Frimpong, Liverpool

True to form, during a summer in which Premier League teams prioritized attack, Jeremie Frimpong joins Liverpool as a right wingback perfectly suited to bolster their goalscoring efforts. He scored 30 goals and notched 44 assists for Leverkusen in 190 matches, a truly impressive output for a wingback and his skills tease the possibility that more will be in store in England. Whether or not he actually is tasked with defensive responsibilities is a question mark, in large part because he was rarely asked to do so in Germany, but that only adds to the inherent entertainment value Frimpong promises.

Martin Zubimendi, Arsenal

Liverpool may have grabbed all the headlines but Arsenal had a sneakily ambitious summer, and not only because Gyokeres is on their books. Martin Zubimendi joins the Gunners after making a name for himself at Real Sociedad as a well-rounded, deep-lying midfielder who will bridge the gap between their impressive defense and an attack that is waiting to kick into high gear. Like Gyokeres, Arsenal will hope Zubimendi is one of the missing pieces in what could be a make-or-break season for manager Mikel Arteta as the trophy chase continues.

Estevao, Chelsea

The new-look Club World Cup has also delivered a first-of-its-kind Club World Cup bump for a handful of players, Estevao included. Chelsea may have signed the 18-year-old before the tournament started but Estevao impressed in his final appearances for Palmeiras and while his rise up the Blues’ ranks might be a slow burn, he may just have the goods to be a capable player at this level. Chelsea have plenty of matches on the schedule this season with domestic and UEFA Champions League responsibilities, which may be good news for Estevao as he begins to settle into life in Europe.

Jhon Arias, Wolverhampton Wanderers

Fresh off landing a spot in the Club World Cup team of the tournament after Fluminense’s surprise run ot the semifinals, 27-year-old Jhon Arias embarked on his first European venture and landed at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The move is a stark reminder that title-chasing teams do not have the market cornered on pressure – Arias will need to make a quick impact on a team that was essentially stripped for parts this summer and could find themselves in the relegation picture. These are perhaps unideal circumstances for a player’s first stint in Europe but if Arias is able to showcase the skill on the wing that earned him a move to Wolves in the first place, it might be one of the Premier League’s more underrated success stories of the season.

Habib Diarra, Sunderland

The task of staying in the Premier League is easier said than done for most promoted sides but Sunderland took a big swing with Habib Diarra, their new record signing after agreeing to a deal with Strasbourg for around $37 million plus add-ons. There is a versatility to his game and the 21-year-old has age on his side, which could make him a nice partner for fellow new signing Granit Xhaka. It is an ambitious plan from the Black Cats as they bid for survival but at the very least, Diarra makes for one half of a surprisingly fascinating midfield pair from a newly promoted side