Riccardo Calafiori, Joshua Zirkzee, Savinho and Niclas Fullkrug (from left to right) are Premier League rookies
The new Premier League season is just around the corner and while that means the return of some familiar faces, there will also be players looking to make their mark in the competition for the first time.
Some clubs have been busier than others in preparing for the 2024-25 season.
BBC Sport has selected, in no particular order, ten players who want to stand out in England’s top flight.
Riccardo Calafiori, Arsenal (defender)
Riccardo Calafiori played 33 games for Bologna across all competitions last season
Arsenal will be looking to beat Manchester City in the battle for the Premier League title again this season and have strengthened their defensive options with the signing of Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori.
The 22-year-old completed his £42 million move from Bologna at the end of July.
The versatile left-footer only joined the Serie A team last summer for £3.3m but has quickly become a key player there, attracting interest from clubs across Europe after being a standout figure for Italy in their disappointing Euro 2024 campaign.
Joshua Zirkzee, Manchester United (striker)
Joshua Zirkzee struggled to get playing time in the first team at Bayern Munich before moving to Italy
Another new signing in the Premier League via Bologna: Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee joined Manchester United this summer for £36.54 million.
The former FC Bayern Munich player scored 12 goals in 37 appearances in Italy last season and will wear the number 11 jersey for the Red Devils next season.
Savinho, Manchester City (Striker)
Savinho has played for two of City’s partner clubs
Manchester City paid £30 million to sign Brazilian winger Savinho from Troyes in July.
The 20-year-old spent last season on loan at Spanish club Girona, who finished third in La Liga. He made his Brazil debut against England in March and has since won a further six caps.
City football director Txiki Begiristain said: “He will play a big role for Manchester City this season and beyond. We are completely confident in his ability.”
Niclas Füllkrug, West Ham (striker)
Niclas Fullkrug is a striker from the past who West Ham hope will be successful
New West Ham head coach Julen Lopetegui has signed several players as part of his plans to reshape the team for the coming season, but the best of all could be Niclas Füllkrug.
The 31-year-old German striker joined the Hammers from Borussia Dortmund for £27 million.
In the 2023/24 season, he scored 15 goals in 46 games and finished runner-up in the Champions League. He also scored two goals as hosts Germany reached the quarter-finals of the 2024 European Championship, despite not starting a single game.
Daichi Kamada, Crystal Palace (midfielder)
Daichi Kamada has attracted attention in Germany and Italy
Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner has opted for a player he already knows well by signing Japanese midfielder Daichi Kamada this summer.
The 27-year-old joined on a free transfer from Italian club Lazio after a year in Serie A and previously played under Glasner at Eintracht Frankfurt, where the pair won the Europa League together in 2022.
Kamada played 33 international matches. In 179 appearances for Frankfurt, he scored 40 goals and provided 33 assists before moving to Lazio.
Lucas Bergvall, Tottenham (midfielder)
Teenager Lucas Bergvall is already a senior international for Sweden
Tottenham have invested in youth with the signing of 18-year-olds Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, and the former in particular has a good chance of being in the starting eleven in the new season after an extremely impressive pre-season.
Midfielder Bergvall joined from Swedish club Djurgarden for a transfer fee of almost £8.5 million.
The Swede stood out for his creativity and ball control and delivered a particularly impressive performance when he came on as a half-time substitute in a 2-1 friendly loss to Bayern Munich.
Jake O’Brien, Everton (defender)
A year in Ligue 1 has given Jake O’Brien valuable experience
Jake O’Brien is returning to the Premier League after the former Crystal Palace defender joined Everton from Ligue 1 side Lyon this summer.
The Irish international did not make a league appearance for Palace but returns to England with top-flight experience, having made 27 appearances in France last season.
The 23-year-old will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow Toffee player Jarrad Branthwaite, who enjoyed an impressive Premier League season after playing abroad last season.
Nikola Milenkovic, Nottingham Forest (defender)
Nikola Milenkovic ended a long collaboration with Fiorentina to try his luck in England
Nottingham Forest are hoping to turn things around this season after struggling at the bottom of the table last season and have bolstered their defence with the signing of Serbian international Nikola Milenkovic.
The 26-year-old came from the Italian club Fiorentina, for whom he played 264 games and scored 17 goals.
Milenkovic has made 56 international appearances for Serbia and played in all of the Group C matches at Euro 2024, including the 1-0 defeat to England.
Liam Delap, Ipswich (Striker)
Liam Delap hopes for regular Premier League games
Ipswich are entering their first season back in the Premier League after two consecutive promotions and will have to rely on the performance of their new signings if the team is to avoid relegation.
Striker Liam Delap was signed from Manchester City in a deal that could be worth up to £20 million.
The 21-year-old has played in two Premier League games during his time at City, but after a number of loan spells in the Championship, he is determined to make his mark in the top flight this season.
Dean Huijsen, Bournemouth (defender)
Dean Huijsen stood out last season when he played for Roma
Bournemouth has invested in a promising young player and signed 19-year-old defender Dean Huijsen from top Italian club Juventus.
With an initial fee of £12.8 million, Huijsen became the Cherries’ fourth summer signing when he arrived on the south coast on July 30.
In the second half of last season, he played 13 games for Roma on loan.
