The 2026-27 English Premier League season will kickoff this weekend with Arsenal set to defend their league title against 19 other teams, including three newly promoted sides, over the course of the next few months.
During the summer, several African players made the big leap to the league, joining the growing number of players from the continent to ply their trade in one of Europe’s most competitive leagues and will be hoping to hit the ground running instantly.
Here are five African footballers to keep a close eye on in the 2026-27 season.
Zadok Yohanna (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Nigerian teenage sensation Zadok Yohanna joined Brighton in June in one of the most surprising transfer moves this summer.
The 18-year-old had only moved abroad from Nigeria in 2025 when he joined Swedish side AIK but a series of impressive performances for the club saw him become one o the most sought after players.
However, Brighton eventually beat the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Real Madrid to his signature, and he will be in contention to make his official debut against Aston Villa on Sunday.
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Yoane Wissa (Newcastle United)
DR Congo striker Yoane Wissa is another African player who will be looking to make a huge statement in the upcoming EPL campaign. The former Brentford striker endured a difficult debut campaign last season after making the move to Newcastle United.
Wissa struggled for form and consistency, but he showed that he has the talent to thrive during the 2026 FIFA World Cup when he scored three times for his country.
With Newcastle in a period of rebuild, the 29-year-old could lead them into the season and finally show why they splashed huge cash on him last summer.
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Taiwo Awoniyi (Coventry City)
Super Eagles forward Taiwo Awoniyi joined newly promoted side Coventry City in a surprise move from Nottingham Forest last weekend and will be aiming to make an instant impact when they kickoff their campaign at Arsenal on Friday night.
Awoniyi showed his quality during his time at the City Ground and will now look to replicate that form under Frank Lampard.
The 29-year-old has scored three goals against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and will be hoping to add another goal to that tally this weekend.
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Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City)
Ghanaian star Antoine Semenyo heads into his first full season at Manchester City and will be eyeing a key role under Enzo Maresca, who replaced Pep Guardiola as head coach in the summer.
The 26-year-old had a good start to his career at the club and scored the only goal that gave them victory in the 2026 FA Cup final over Chelsea.
Semenyo will be hoping to play a major role in attack alongside Norwegian striker Erling Haaland as Manchester City look to challenge for the EPL title amid other trophies over the course of the campaign.
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Amad Diallo (Manchester United)
Ivorian star Amad Diallo completes this list and will be looking for a major impact in the 2026-27 season in Michael Carrick’s first full season at Manchester United.
The 24-year-old saw his form dip in the second half of last season but showed class for Ivory Coast at the World Cup tournament earlier in the summer.
He will be looking to continue that form, as Manchester United begin their campaign against newly promoted Hull City away from home on Saturday.
