Five Premier League stars to watch this season

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

Here are FIVE players to watch:

Morgan Rogers (Chelsea)

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

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.

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.

Elliot Anderson (Manchester City)

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Bruno Guimaraes (Arsenal)

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Sandro Tonali (Tottenham)

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.

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.

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.

“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”.

Jeremy Jacquet (Liverpool)

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.

Now 35, Virgil van Dijk no longer looks impregnable.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse

Former All Blacks flyhalf Stephen Donald believes New Zealand have made subtle adjustments to their attacking approach ahead of Saturday’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry opener against the Springboks at Ellis Park.

The All Blacks are expected to face a ferocious defensive challenge from the Boks, but Donald says they have not abandoned the attacking philosophy that has underpinned their game under coach Dave Rennie so far.

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Speaking on The Aftermatch with Kirst & Beav, Donald explained that New Zealand are still looking to play with pace and ambition, while accepting that South Africa will attempt to disrupt their rhythm.

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“The All Blacks are still trying to play that up-tempo, brilliant attacking game against defences who are going to try to slow it down, who are going to use every little advantage they can find,” Donald said.

“The All Blacks are still finding a way to create a disjointed defence line to play against. They know they’re not going to have it perfect and they’re not going to have it all on their terms, but they’re still trying to be brave and adventurous.”

Donald believes the Boks will have to take the opposite approach if they are to limit New Zealand’s attacking threat.

“Being able to shut down the line speed is one of the first things,” he said.

“When you think about what the All Blacks are trying to do, the Springboks are going to have to do the opposite. They’re going to have to slow the ruck speed down, which they will.”

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The former Test flyhalf also highlighted the importance of the set-piece and kicking game for the Boks.

“They’re obviously going to come at the All Blacks’ set-piece because if you can come at the set-piece and disrupt the set-piece, then all of a sudden you can win that first collision a lot easier,” Donald said.

“And their kicking game is going to be important. They’re going to try and land kicks on our receivers and get their chase-line at the same time to flood the ruck and slow the All Black defence down.”

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The post Beaver backs All Blacks’ Bok plan B appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

Orlando Pirates defender Lebone Seema has earned widespread praise for his impressive start to the new season.

The 23-year-old centre-back has been a consistent performer since joining the Buccaneers from TS Galaxy last season. He formed a formidable partnership with Mbekezeli Mbokazi at the heart of the Pirates defence before Mbokazi left in January to join Chicago Fire.

With Mbokazi no longer alongside him, Seema has continued to impress. The defender has made several crucial blocks and interceptions while also contributing important goals for the Buccaneers.

His performances previously earned him the Defender of the Season award, although he was unfortunate to miss out on selection for the Bafana Bafana squad for the World Cup.

Orlando Pirates defender gets applauded

Former Kaizer Chiefs winger Junior Khanye believes it is only a matter of time before Seema earns a place in the national team. Khanye has even backed him to become a future Bafana Bafana captain and would like to see him reunited with Mbokazi in defence.

“I can say a future Bafana Bafana player, even captain. I’d love to see that boy paired with [Mbekezeli] Mbokazi at centre-back, with [Khuliso] Mudau and [Aubrey] Modiba on the left-hand side,” Khanye said.

With the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers approaching, the Pirates defender could finally get his opportunity to represent South Africa.

However, breaking into the starting XI will not be straightforward. Bafana have plenty of quality at centre-back, with the likes of Olwethu Makhanya and Ime Okon also competing for places.

A reunion with Mbokazi could nevertheless strengthen Seema’s case, particularly if the pair continue to develop into one of the country’s most promising centre-back partnerships.

For now, Seema’s focus will be on Pirates, who face a demanding campaign across five competitions. If the Buccaneers are to challenge for silverware on all fronts, the young defender is likely to play a crucial role at the back.

How good has Seema been?

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