The English Premier League is the most watched domestic football league in the world, and although it’s difficult to imagine anything that can top last season’s drama and surprises, this season promises to be as exciting as ever.
There are some huge new names in the league, and some players are always the centre of attention wherever they go. We’ve made a shortlist of ten players who are likely to be in the spotlight this season for reasons, both good and bad.
10) Paul Pogba
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Paul Labile Pogba is now the most expensive football player in the history of the sport. With a tag like that, it is literally impossible to avoid the spotlight. Every move that the Frenchman makes at Manchester United will be watched closely, analysed and then overanalysed.
Having cost the club an initial fee of £89.25 million, the 23-year-old will be expected to put in performances of the highest calibre on a regular basis. Manchester United have taken a bit of a gamble in paying a world record fee for the youngster. Though he is quite brilliant, he is not yet the finished article.
The club splashed the money on him based on his potential ability. If he goes on to fully realise that potential, he will be well worth the money. However, if he fails to live up to expectations, this could be a signing that can come back to haunt Manchester United. Either way, there will be eyes on him and everything he does.
9) Theo Walcott
Theo Walcott is a name that frustrates Arsenal fans. He joined the Gunners almost eleven years ago as a promising young winger with pace to burn and was touted as the next big thing, England’s greatest talent, and all the usual stuff that is said about young, over-hyped English players.
He most definitely showed promise, but fast forward eleven years, the man still hasn’t nailed down a starting spot in the Arsenal team. For years on end, all he could do was sprint down the flank and blindly cross the ball in, hoping a teammate would get to it.
Then he came out and publicly said he wanted to play as a centre-forward. He got his wish, as Arsene Wenger decided to try him out as a striker. More disappointment followed. Recently, however, Walcott seems to have had a change in fortunes. He had a great run in the preseason games and has been somewhat impressive in the opening games of the season so far.
Whether this is just another false dawn or whether Walcott can actually have a properly fruitful run in the side is yet to be seen, but he has given us reason to watch him this season.
8) Alvaro Negredo
Newly promoted side Middlesbrough have assembled a rather good team, and one of the biggest names in their squad is none other than the former Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo. The Spaniard is the man to lead their attack, and the outcome of the club’s season will be heavily influenced by the striker’s form in front of goal.
It will also be interesting to watch the forward as he returns to the Premier League with a point to prove. He managed to score only 9 goals in 32 appearances in the Premier League with Manchester City, which is a very average goal return for a striker of his calibre.
Negredo will want to show what he is capable of, and he has the right platform to do it with Middlesbrough. He is the main man at the club and won’t have to play second fiddle to anybody. Watch out for Negredo.
7) Jamie Vardy
After the spectacular 2015/16 season that Jamie Vardy had with surprise champions Leicester City, he was always going to be under the spotlight this season. The Englishman finished the season with 24 goals to his name, second only to his fellow national team striker Harry Kane, who had 25 (yes, the top two scorers were Englishmen - truly a crazy season).
All eyes will be on Leicester City to see how they fare this year in their title defence, and the man tasked with charging their attack will be Vardy. Everybody knows the story of Vardy’s meteoric rise, and people will be looking to see if he can continue his form from last season or if he’ll turn out to be a one-season wonder.
That’s a lot of pressure on the 29-year-old, and it remains to be seen whether he will flourish or crumble under it.
6) Marouane Fellaini
Manchester United’s towering midfielder Marouane Fellaini has a reputation that precedes him, and it’s not a flattering one. The Belgian is known for playing dirty and using his elbows more than his feet on the football pitch. He isn’t afraid to put his physicality to use in both defence and attack.
Jose Mourinho is a man who will do whatever is necessary for the win, so it’s not too difficult to imagine him encouraging the 28-year-old to get a little overly physical and make use of his stature and weaponised elbows.
Having already been suspended for three games last season for a vicious blow to Robert Huth’s face, expect a bit of an uproar when the Belgian inevitably decides to wipe the sweat off an opponent’s face with his sleeve again.
5) Eden Hazard
Another Belgian who will have eyes on him this season. After blazing his way to glory with Chelsea and winning their best player of the year award in two successive seasons, Eden Hazard became a mere shadow of himself in the 2015/16 season.
He failed to score even a single Premier League goal for his side until April when he bagged himself a brace against Bournemouth. With those goals, he brought to an end a goal drought that lasted 355 days and 29 Premier League games.
Hazard ended the season with just four goals to his name, but towards the closing of the season, he looked more like himself - assured, threatening, eager and deadly. The Chelsea faithful will be desperately praying for their wide man to get back to his best this year, rather than a repeat show of the hopeless and ineffective player that he was for most of last season.
4) Daniel Sturridge
There can be little doubt that Daniel Sturridge is one of the most talented strikers in the Premier League. The man has a left foot sculpted by the gods themselves, and they gave him the brain to utilise it as well. The Englishman has scored 55 goals in just 95 appearances in a Liverpool jersey.
The sticking point when it comes to Sturridge is his fitness record. Since arriving at Anfield in 2013, the 26-year-old has spent a shocking 432 days sidelined by injury, missing 76 games for Liverpool in the process. Clearly, Sturridge should come with a ‘handle with care’ tag, but when he is fit, he is one mean striker.
Jurgen Klopp looked to Divock Origi to lead the line in the absence of Sturridge, and the Belgian performed brilliantly. However, now that Sturridge is fit again, it will be interesting to see who Klopp will prefer.
There have been many reports of unrest on Sturridge’s part after being left on the bench a few times despite being fit, and he will be watched closely this season to see how the battle plays out (and whether he can remain fit through the season).
3) Claudio Bravo
Manchester City’s new man between the sticks Claudio Bravo has a big season ahead of him. Pep Guardiola made it clear to everybody that despite being a part of the Etihad Stadium for ten years, there is no place for Joe Hart in his plans for the Citizens.
Hart was a fan favourite and was part of the Manchester City team that won two English League Cups, an FA Cup, and most importantly, two Premier League titles. He had become somewhat of a cult hero among the Manchester City fans.
While Claudio Bravo is by no means a poor goalkeeper, he will have to earn the appreciation of the City fans with his performances. The Chilean stopper will surely get a fair chance to impress the club’s followers, but if he fails to live up to expectations, he won’t be the only one affected. Pep Guardiola will be judged on the success or failure of the new keeper.
2) Diego Costa
Diego Costa is a magnet for controversy. The Spaniard has made the headlines on a number of occasions, and rarely for positive reasons.
There was the time he was found guilty of violent conduct for stamping on Emre Can. Then there was that time he got a three-match ban for lashing out at Laurent Koscielny. Seamus Coleman surely isn’t a fan of the striker, after Costa made a point of going and celebrating the Everton man’s own goal in front of his face.
Nobody is safe from Costa’s antics, not even his own teammates. We all remember reading reports about a bust-up between Diego Costa and Oscar during a Chelsea training session. The list can go on and on, but the point is made. Costa attracts attention, and he loves playing the role of the villain which the media has branded him with.
1) Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Wherever Zlatan goes, the spotlight follows - simply because he is Zlatan. The man is a living legend, and he has the larger than life personality to go with it perfectly. The media love him, and it’s no surprise since everything he says makes for a great sound bite.
Much like Nicklas Bendtner and Mario Balotelli, Ibrahimovic talks a big game, but where he differs from the others is that he backs it up with goals. Lots of them. If he’s not scoring them, then he’s creating them. Zlatan’s signing was a great piece of business by the Manchester club, picking him up on a free transfer, and it most certainly excited the fans - as was evidenced by those who were frothing at the mouth after his announcement.
Many people will be hoping to see the striker bang in goals regularly, and many others will pray for him to become a spectacular flop, but one thing is for damn sure - everybody will be watching Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
