Five Premier League stars to watch as new season begins

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Arsenal’s Brazilian midfielder #39 Bruno Guimarães gestures during the pre season football match between Arsenal and Como 1907 at the Emirates Stadium in London on August 8, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /

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The new Premier League season kicks off on Friday, setting the stage for a galaxy of stars to shine in the 2026-27 campaign.

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AFP Sport looks at five players to watch:

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Morgan Rogers (Chelsea)

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Signed for a British record £117 million ($158 million) from Aston Villa, the England midfielder will be expected to lead the Xabi Alonso revolution at Stamford Bridge.

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Rogers is Chelsea’s marquee close-season recruit and must live up to his eye-watering price tag if Alonso is to revitalise the Blues after their dismal 10th-place finish in the Premier League last season.

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The 24-year-old arrives fresh from helping Villa end their 30-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League.

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Rogers’ friendship with Chelsea forward Cole Palmer from their time together in Manchester City’s youth academy will help his acclimation, but Alonso must find a way to harness the talents of two players that operate in similar areas of the pitch.

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Elliot Anderson (Manchester City)

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The 23-year-old held the record as the most expensive British player for just a matter of days before being eclipsed by Morgan Rogers’ move to Chelsea.

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Signed from Nottingham Forest for £116 million, Anderson has the formidable task of replacing the prodigious output of Rodri and Bernardo Silva.

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Spain World Cup winner Rodri has joined Barcelona, while Silva moved to Real Madrid, leaving a huge void in City’s midfield that Anderson must fill for new boss Enzo Maresca to enjoy a successful debut season.

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Anderson’s astute reading of the game, smooth passing and composed demeanour earned the England international his big-money move and a massive pay rise.

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Now he has to justify that huge expense as City try to dethrone champions Arsenal after two years without a Premier League title.

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Bruno Guimaraes (Arsenal)

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The Brazil midfielder was Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta’s consolation prize after missing out on Morgan Rogers.

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The Gunners declined to match Chelsea’s record-breaking offer for Rogers and pivoted to Guimaraes, who makes the champions’ already formidable squad even stronger.

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Arsenal paid £75 million to sign the Newcastle captain and he will slot in alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in midfield.

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“Since the first day he came in, it has been such a natural thing,” Arsenal captain Odegaard said of Guimaraes’ transition.

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“Although we had some big fights with him in the past, he has just come in as a real natural part of the team.

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“He can win the ball, he’s a fighter. But he also has so much quality and is calm on the ball.”

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Sandro Tonali (Tottenham)

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The Italy midfielder took just 10 minutes to agree to become Tottenham’s record signing. Now he must show that rapid decision was the right move for himself and his new club.

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With his relentless work ethic and quality in possession, the 26-year-old was a key figure in Newcastle’s renaissance before their dip last season.

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Looking to take his career to new heights, Tonali was quickly convinced to join Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi’s overhaul of a club that are looking upwards after narrowly avoiding relegation in May.

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“When you are happy after a 10-minute chat, everything is perfect,” said Tonali, who acknowledged the size of his fee brings “a lot of pressure”.

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Jeremy Jacquet (Liverpool)

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Jacquet has been signed to quell the mounting concern about a creaky defence that lacked the authority of Liverpool’s title-winning unit in 2025.

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Now 35, Virgil van Dijk no longer looks impregnable.

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The Liverpool captain’s struggles were exacerbated by the woes of his defensive colleagues last term.

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Ibrahima Konate has joined Real Madrid, while Andrew Robertson moved to Tottenham.

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Jacquet, 21, had to wait for his Anfield move after a £60 million switch from Rennes was agreed in the winter transfer window.

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And Van Dijk acknowledged their nascent partnership at the heart of Liverpool’s defence is a work in progress.

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“It’s pretty clear that you need to form a connection together and that takes a bit of time,” he said.

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“That’s absolutely normal, but hopefully we can get that going as quickly as possible.”

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AFP

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