Five new players to watch in the Premier League 2025/26

Written by Bradley Gibbs.

We’re now close to the start of the new Premier League season, meaning that the next campaign is not far away, and also that a good chunk of business has already been done.

In this article, I’ll be going through a handful of top-flight newcomers, pinpointing some interesting moves and players to look out for.

Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad to Arsenal)

We’ll start with a big one. In what is easily one of the biggest off-season moves, Martin Zubimendi has joined Arsenal, with the Spanish midfielder being highlighted as a key acquisition as the Gunners look to end their wait for silverware.

A key player for Spain in the last year of so, Zubimendi will arrive in North London having pulled the strings for Real Sociedad for some time.

Known primarily for his ability to break up play and dictate from deep, the 26-year-old is also capable of getting forward and making a difference in the final third, as he recently showed by scoring for Spain in the final of the UEFA Nations League.

Adrian Truffert (Rennes to AFC Bournemouth)

Joining AFC Bournemouth from Rennes in France’s Ligue 1 is Adrian Truffert. A left-back by trade, Truffert has both defensive and offensive qualities, chipping in with five goals and assists in all competitions last term.

With his fondness for delivering crosses, the man who has so far been capped just once by France should fit nicely into Bournemouth’s attack-minded system. Interestingly, last season, Truffert was the fourth-best player in Ligue 1 for crosses into the penalty area.

Truffert is also no stranger to getting forward and pulling the trigger, shooting more times than all but four Rennes players in Ligue 1 last season. It will be interesting to see how well the 23-year-old fills the boots of the now departed Milos Kerkez, who was superb for Bournemouth last season.

Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge to Brighton)

Another eye-catching full-back addition to the Premier League is Maxim De Cuyper, who has joined Brighton from Belgian side Club Brugge.

Over the last year or so, De Cuyper has become a key part of the Belgian national team, scoring three goals in just ten appearances from full back. In all competitions for Club Brugge last season, the 23-year-old contributed seven goals and assists, averaging an eye-catching 0.38 expected goals and expected assisted goals per 90 minutes.

Given Brighton’s record with similar signings, he’ll likely do well on the south coast.

Jaka Bijol (Udinese to Leeds)

When Leeds were last in the Premier League, they got it all wrong defensively. This time around, they’ll be keen to avoid making the same mistakes, which is probably why they’ve signed a hard-hitting defender who comes off the back of a very sturdy campaign in Serie A.

The Slovenian central defender helped Udinese to easily avoid a relegation battle last season, which is what Leeds will be looking for this season.

Only two teams in Serie A’s bottom half conceded fewer goals than Udinese, and Bijol played a big part in that relative success, ranking fourth in all of Serie A for clearances.

A strong tackler, the 26-year-old also received the joint-most bookings in Serie A last season, so don’t be surprised if he quickly gets a reputation in England. A good prospect for ‘most booked player’ when betting on the EPL next season?

Fer Lopez (Celta Vigo to Wolves)

Last but certainly not least, in an attempt to fill the void left by the departures of Rayan Ait Nouri and Matheus Cunha, Wolves have brought in exciting Spanish prospect Fer Lopez, who impressed towards the back end of last season for Celta Vigo in LaLiga.

Lopez didn’t feature much during the first half of the previous campaign, but he did start to get more minutes after Christmas, scoring a few important goals, averaging 0.27 goals per 90 minutes, as well as a decent 0.37 xG per 90 minutes.

The 21-year-old looked hungry on several occasions, adopting a positive approach that saw him create plenty of chances, especially during the last few weeks of the season, a season that he ended with an average of 0.62 expected goals and expected assisted goals per 90 minutes. If he’s given time to settle and gets on the pitch often enough, Fer Lopez could easily become a regular for Wolves, who very much need what he brings to the table.