TEN players who have stood out in pre-season

With the 2024/25 Premier League just days away, football writer Ben Bloom looks at the players who have starred in pre-season and could have a big impact this campaign.

With the clock ticking on the return of Premier League action, all 20 top-flight clubs have been busy readying themselves for the new campaign with the usual plethora of pre-season friendlies spread across the globe.

The busy summer of international football has meant a delayed return for some players, giving others a chance to impress their managers as they look to stake a claim in the starting XI when the league commences on Friday 16 August.

With pre-season now over, we take a look at 10 players who have caught the eye ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.

Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham Hotspur)

After Harry Kane's departure to Bayern Munich last summer, Spurs mainly employed Son Heung-min or Richarlison as their frontman throughout the 2023/24 season.

However, Kulusevski was given a go in that position on the final day of the campaign at Sheffield United and was used in that role in pre-season. It's been an experiment that has worked as Kulusevski has scored three times and assisted three other goals.

Kulusevski's second goal v Bayern Munich

But after the signing of Dominic Solanke from AFC Bournemouth, it is now unlikely that the Swede will be used as a No 9 this season with head coach Ange Postecoglou confirming that Kulusevski is expected to be used as an attacking midfielder or a wide man.

“The good thing about Deki [Kulusevski] is that he can play that attacking midfield. I think the reason for us why we signed Dom [Solanke], and hopefully Richy [Richarlison] should be ready as well, is that we want to have a player through that area who is a bit more accustomed to that role.

“Deki has done a great job for us but I think his strengths and attributes are more in that attacking midfield or wide role.”

Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace)

No player has racked up more minutes for Palace this pre-season than Japan international Kamada, who only signed from Italian club Lazio on a free transfer at the start of July.

The move reunites the midfielder with Oliver Glasner, under whom he scored nine goals in Kamada’s final season at Eintracht Frankfurt, and he has shown how important he could be with two goals and two assists in pre-season.

Kamada's goal v Nantes

Even more importantly, he has proven his versatility, operating both as a No 10 - where he could operate as a direct replacement for the departed Michael Olise - and as a deeper-lying central midfielder.

Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)

Eyebrows were raised when Villa splashed out what could end up being a reported £15million on Rogers from Middlesbrough in the 2024 winter transfer window, but he had a fine end to his first Premier League season, operating either on the left of midfield or behind striker Ollie Watkins.

Rogers has continued to play in the same role in pre-season behind Cameron Archer - with Watkins taking a well-earned rest after his exploits with England at UEFA EURO 2024 - and he has scored in victories over Walsall and Spartak Trnava.

Rogers' goal v Walsall

With Emiliano Buendia and Jacob Ramsey returning from long-term injuries, Villa could be spoiled for choice in the attacking-midfield department.

Amad (Manchester United)

Injuries have disrupted Amad's Man Utd career so far, but after a strong end to last season the Ivorian winger finally looks set to hit the high notes expected of him.

Amad has seized his chance to impress during pre-season, scoring in victories over Rangers and Real Betis days after he professed his desire to stay at the club “all my life”.

Amad's goal v Real Betis

Manager Erik ten Hag said: “He [Amad] is performing well and a good pre-season so far. You could see absolutely he is making an uplift in his game. Also in the defending part with the counter-press but also with the pressing he is doing really well. So I am really pleased with his performance.”

Jacob Murphy (Newcastle United)

Though Newcastle are apparently looking for a new right-winger, Murphy could scarcely have done more to fight for the spot in pre-season, scoring five goals as well as providing three assists.

Murphy might not be seen as a long-term option as Newcastle try to muscle their way back into the top four, but he will certainly have caught Eddie Howe’s eye, earning the tag of pre-season “MVP” from team-mate Anthony Gordon.

Murphy's goal v Urawa

Yankuba Minteh (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Only a season after joining Newcastle, in which he spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Feyenoord, Gambian winger Minteh has been on the move again this summer, joining Brighton for a reported club-record fee of £30million despite never making a first-team appearance for Newcastle.

Despite scoring 10 goals in the Dutch Eredivisie last season, it was a hefty fee for a 20-year-old with so little experience, but Minteh has immediately shown why Newcastle were loathe to lose him.

Minteh scored beautifully taken goals in both of Brighton’s pre-season matches in Japan, putting himself at the top of a relatively long list of potential wing options for new head coach Fabian Hurzeler.

Minteh's goal v Tokyo Verdy

Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea)

Injuries ruined Nkunku’s first season at Chelsea, but the Frenchman has been the club’s standout performer in pre-season, scoring three goals while registering more minutes than any other Blues player.

Despite predominantly operating behind the striker - where he could form a mouth-watering partnership with Cole Palmer when the England international returns - Nkunku has earned the praise of his new head coach Enzo Maresca for his versatility in a variety of attacking positions.

“I loved him before I joined this club,” said Maresca. “In the way we want to play, he is the ideal player. He can play in the pocket, in the nine, on the wing. At this moment we are using him in the pocket and he is doing very well.”

Nkunku's goal v Club America

Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal)

Off the back of an injury-interrupted campaign that saw him lose his starting spot to Kai Havertz in 2023/24 and miss out on Brazil’s Copa America squad, Jesus has worked hard on his fitness this summer. 

“He’s come back in top condition again,” said manager Mikel Arteta. “You can see by the way he looks, the way he’s moving and you can see in his eyes that there’s a spark there.”

Jesus was on the scoresheet as Arsenal beat Man Utd in pre-season as he bids to regain the No 9 spot and show that the club do not need to spend big on a new striker.

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Oscar Bobb (Manchester City)

In the absence of many of their big-name internationals, the star of Man City’s pre-season tour to the United States was Bobb, doing all he can to force his way into the reckoning for a starting berth.

The Norwegian repeatedly showed just how wary opposition full-backs must be when he is in possession on the right wing, scoring two goals and assisting twice with some exciting performances that prompted Pep Guardiola to describe him as “electric”.

He is likely to compete with Savinho and Bernardo Silva on that side of the pitch, while the departure of Julian Alvarez could also see him play centrally if required.

Best of Bobb's pre-season

Rodrigo Gomes (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Gomes, signed from Braga after impressing on loan at Estoril last season, has impressed in pre-season to such an extent that some Wolves fans are already drawing comparisons with his Portuguese countryman and club team-mate Pedro Neto.

While those analogies might be premature, the 21-year-old has certainly caught the eye, scoring twice against West Ham United and then coming off the bench to grab another goal against RB Leipzig.

Gomes' goal v RB Leipzig

Playing on the wide left of a midfield quartet at Wolves, he primarily operated as a wing-back last season and is equally adept on either side of the pitch.