Updated: 22 May 2026 12:59 BST |
6 min read
The 2025/26 Premier League season has been full of surprises.
Nobody expected Liverpool and Tottenham to be as bad as they ended up being. Few could have anticipated that Man Utd would become a powerhouse again under Michael Carrick, or that Man City would mount a serious – but unsuccessful – last-minute title challenge.
The same, of course, also applies to players. Some have massively exceeded expectations, others have come completely out of nowhere, and some have endured hugely disappointing seasons.
Let’s stay positive, though, and take a look at the 10 most improved players of the season…
Method
Our methodology to determine improvement is as follows: Using FootballTransfers’ Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) algorithm, we picked out the Premier League’s biggest ETV risers over the past year. We then whittled that number down to 10 based on three criteria:
• Must have played a minimum of 1,000 minutes in 2025/26
• Must have spent the entire 2025/26 season in the Premier League
• Must have had a positive development in 2025/26 according to data from analytics firm SciSports
The player improvement is, however, not limited to stars who were already in the Premier League last season. We have also included 2025 summer signings and loan returnees to get a more holistic picture of the players who have been pleasant surprises and outperformed expectations.
Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham, €22.7m ETV increase)
It has been a disastrous campaign for Tottenham, but two of their young stars, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, can look back at 2025/26 with their heads held high.
Gray already boasted a very strong ETV last year and currently sits at €58.2 million, while Bergvall’s performances have now seen him move closer to his teammate.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed strong SciSports development over the past year, and this is also reflected in his ETV, which has climbed from €32.6m to €55.3m.
Kevin (Fulham, €23.1m ETV increase)
The first summer signing on this list is tricky Fulham winger Kevin, who joined from Shakhtar Donetsk last year. The 23-year-old hasn’t been a guaranteed starter, and he recently missed several games through injury, but he successfully made the jump from Ukraine to the Premier League.
His ETV has increased from €14.2m to €37.3m, representing a boost of €23.1m. Kevin hasn’t set the world alight, but the Brazilian has adjusted decently well to the English game, with SciSports noting “rapid development” this season.
Nico O’Reilly (Man City, €25.3m ETV increase)
One of the standout performers this season, Man City youngster Nico O’Reilly has become one of the Premier League’s most exciting talents after being converted from midfielder to left-back.
The 21-year-old has also enjoyed “rapid development,” and his ETV has skyrocketed, particularly over the past six months. His value has grown from €27m to €52.3M, a €25.3m increase.
Andrey Santos (Chelsea, €26.1m ETV increase)
Midfielder Andrey Santos faced an uncertain future at Chelsea after returning from an 18-month loan at Strasbourg, but the Brazilian has managed to find his place in the team now as a very good Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez backup.
The versatile midfielder, who had starred in France, has put in some really good performances this season, with SciSports noting “minor development” in recent months. His ETV has risen by €26.1m from €28.4m to €54.5m.
Antoine Semenyo (Man City, €27.9m ETV increase)
Antoine Semenyo was undoubtedly one of the biggest surprises of the Premier League season. To be sure, he was already impressive last term, but he has taken his game to another level in 2025/26.
His 10 Premier League goals at Bournemouth earned him a January move to Man City, and he has continued to perform at the Etihad. The 26-year-old has enjoyed “significant development” and seen his ETV climb from €47.7m to €75.6m. That’s a €27.9m jump.
Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool, €31.5m ETV increase)
There were major question marks over Hugo Ekitike when he joined Liverpool for a whopping €95m last summer. Would this be another instance of a Bundesliga player flopping in England? Would he even get on the pitch with Alexander Isak also having joined?
However, the France international immediately put any doubts to rest. He enjoyed a red-hot start and, even with the goals drying up prior to his recent injury, he has been a successful signing. His ETV has increased by €31.5m from €57.7m to €89.2m.
Rayan Cherki (Man City, €33.1m ETV increase)
The Premier League’s ultimate showman, Rayan Cherki has been a brilliant addition to the English top flight after his bargain €36.5m move from Lyon to Man City last summer. It looked a steal at the time, and it looks even better now.
The 22-year-old has enjoyed “rapid development,” according to SciSports, which has seen his ETV bounce up to a whopping €70.3m. Last year, it stood at €37.2m, so it has almost doubled, increasing by €33.1m.
Cristhian Mosquera (Arsenal, €37.8m ETV increase)
Arsenal pulled off one of the best deals of the season when they snapped up Spain international Cristhian Mosquera for just €15m from Valencia last summer. The young defender, signed as an understudy to William Saliba, has been very impressive when called upon this term.
Unsurprisingly, his ETV has exploded, leaping from €13.9m to €51.7m. This marks an increase of €37.8m and illustrates that he has been a very shrewd pickup by Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta.
Estevao (Chelsea, €44.4m ETV increase)
Brazilian wonderkid Estevao will not be at the World Cup this summer, but he has already shown more than anything to suggest that he will give Selecao and Chelsea fans plenty of joy going forward.
The teenage superstar has effortlessly adapted to Premier League football in his first season in the division and developed “significantly.” This has seen him become one of English football’s most valuable players.
His ETV of €108.6m makes him the fifth-most-valuable player in the Premier League and one of just two Chelsea stars to crack the €100m mark, behind Moises Caicedo with €111.9m. At the start of the season, Estevao’s ETV stood at €64.2m. It has thus increased by €44.4m.
Nick Woltemade (Newcastle, €54.4m ETV increase)
The final name on our list and easily the most controversial, Nick Woltemade has seen the largest ETV increase of any player meeting our criteria, with his value jumping by a whopping €54.4m.
A lot has been said about the 24-year-old. Some have even called him pound-for-pound the worst signing in Premier League history, but this is clearly an exaggeration.
In fact, for a player who was playing in the third tier of German football just three years ago, he has had a very promising first season in England. It is not his fault that Newcastle spent a club-record €75m fee on him without a clear idea of how to use him.
He has scored eight goals in the Premier League and 11 in all competitions despite being an awkward fit for Eddie Howe’s side. Obviously, his fee and long-term contract have inflated his value, which has exploded from €18.2m to €72.6m.
However, he has mostly been fine, and his acclimatisation to the Premier League has actually gone better than many would have expected (Bundesliga tax, etc, etc). Indeed, SciSports notes that he has “developed rapidly.” There is more to come from Woltemade.
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