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Matchday One threw up plenty of surprises in the curtain-raiser for the 2026/27 season, with sides like Hull City, Brighton and Manchester City picking up three points to start their seasons in the best way possible.
With eight days still left in the window, more than £2 billion has been spent in the league, bringing many new faces to England’s Premier division.
After many of these players made their debuts last weekend, who impressed the most in their new strips?
Tarik Muharemović- Leeds United
Slovenian-born stalwart Tarik Muharemović joined Daniel Farke’s Leeds in a £34.1 million deal, the third most expensive signing in the club’s history, the most expensive departure in Sassuolo’s history and the second most expensive Bosnian of all time- a historical deal no matter the angle you view it from.
The former Juventus youngster looked assured in possession, completing 89% of his passes, three of which went directly into the final third. This is something he became well known for in Serie A last season, playing 191 long passes, the 11th most of any outfield player in the division.
Saturday’s strong first impression adds another great chapter into the 23-year-old’s career, which has seen him go from strength to strength in the last 12 months, following on from his marvellous first season of top flight football last season.
Emersonn- Ipswich Town
For the second time on three years, Ipswich Town are a Premier League side once more, and have certainly backed new boss Gary O’Neill to make sure they remain one in 2027. On net spend, they rank third in the league, spending over £130 million on fresh additions.
Brazilian striker Emersonn has had a fascinating career so far, despite just turning 22 in July. In his first season in Europe, he returned two goals in 17 games with Turkish side Goztepe, before joining Toulouse, where he netted a marginally better six in 28.
On paper, it seems strange that the tractor boys made him their record signing- before they signed Julio Enciso 40 days later to break that record- but if his debut against Sunderland is anything to go by, it was certainly worth the investment.
Opening the scoring on 24 minutes, Emersonn gave Luke O’Nein and Dan Ballard a tough time containing him, using his lean 6”1 frame to help get his side forward.
Mamadou Sangaré- Brentford
Since making his debut on Saturday night against Tottenham, and winning POTM as his side emphatically dispatched of De Zerbi’s side, Mamadou Sangaré has been on the lips of plenty of Premier League fans after a stellar introduction to the league.
The Mali international joined in a club-record deal from RC Lens, playing a crucial role in Les Sang et Or’s historic season, where he helped them win their first Coupe de France and an impressive 2nd place finish.
Against the Lilywhites, Sangaré completed 16 defensive actions, the 3rd most of any player on the pitch. Despite being a terrific all-rounder, this is where 24-year-old excels the most, as shown last season in Ligue 1 where he averaged 8.01 possession regains per 90, the third highest across Europe’s top five leagues (only behind Eliot Anderson and Ezequiel Palacios).
Signed for around a reported £41 million, it’s no wonder why some fans and pundits have already started touting him for big money moves in the future.
Cover Image credit: Mat Fascione via Wikimedia Commons
