The hero of the World Cup, the "new Lukaku" and the dear Englishmen: which EPL newcomers are worth watching

There are almost two weeks left until the end of the transfer window, but even without possible high-profile transfers under the curtain of the summer, the current transfer campaign has already managed to please the fans. We tell you who you should watch with the start of the season. Ousman Diomande, Sporting L ➡️ Nottingham Forest He has the same first name as Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, and the same last name as his teammate and Real Madrid rookie Jan Diomande. However, Nottingham Forest's new signing is unlikely to be marked by goals. Instead, the 22-year-old defender, bought from Sporting for €40m (£34m), became the main transfer in the defense of Oliver Glasner's new team. Glasner had been interested in Diomande during his time at Crystal Palace, and now he finally got the chance to work with him and complete the formation of his back three at the City Ground. The technical director of former club Diomande Midtjylland, Christian Kier, noted his "speed, size, strength, athleticism, as well as the ability to play well with the ball." As part of Sporting, Diomande twice in a row got into the symbolic national team of the year of the Portuguese championship - according to the results of the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons. Morgan Rodgers, Aston Villa ➡️ Chelsea Rodgers is far from a new name for Premier League fans. As for defenders. The 24-year-old has been one of Aston Villa's key players under Unai Emery. He joined the club in 2024, helped them qualify for the Champions League twice in a row and won the Europa League last season. Despite the prospect of European football at Villa Park, he decided to transfer his attacking qualities to Chelsea - for a club record £117 million ($158.3 million). Leaving Aston Villa for the star transfer status of Chelsea's rebuild under Xabi Alonso is a ribroadcaster move. But Rogers is not afraid of risk. He is bold with the ball, defiantly finishes attacks and is entering the best years of his career. He will now play alongside his long-time friend and former Manchester City academy partner Cole Palmer. If Alonso can unlock their tandem to the fullest, this connection could become one of the most formidable in the league. There were also positive signals in Rodgers' debut match against Real Sociedad: he opened the scoring in a 3:1 victory for Alonso's team at Stamford Bridge. Mamadou Sangare, Lance ➡️ Brentford Chelsea's West London neighbors Brentford also broke the club's transfer record this summer. While Rodgers has already proven his ability to change the course of Premier League matches, Mamadou Sangare, who joined from Lance for €48m (£41m), will make his English debut after a brilliant season in Ligue 1. Sangare was one of the key players for Lance, who gave Champions League champions PSG a serious challenge for the French title last season, but ended up falling six points behind. He has now joined Brentford to fill the midfield slot following Jordan Henderson's departure to Chelsea. Sangare is an athletic midfielder who was described as "somewhere between a six and an eight" by the sporting director of his former club Rapid Wien, Markus Katzer. "He is very strong technically, knows how to beat opponents and always finds a solution even in a very, very limited space. And his main advantage is the way he picks up balls," Katser told insider sources. "He was obsessed with wanting to be better, it became an addiction." Sangare is not yet a ready-made footballer, but Brentford's ability to find young players with great potential and play to their strengths makes this transfer promising. Like Rodgers at Chelsea, he also scored last week in Brentford's 7-0 thrashing of Eintracht. Mateus Fernandes, West Ham ➡️ Tottenham After impressive performances at two relegated Premier League sides - Southampton in 2024/25 and West Ham in 2025/26 - the 22-year-old Fernandes was given the chance to take the next step in his career this summer. Tottenham believed in his potential and paid at least £85 million for him. Spurs have leapfrogged Manchester United in the race for the Portugal international, bringing him across London from West Ham as part of a major overhaul of the squad as they look to bounce back from two shock seasons. At West Ham, Fernandes strengthened his reputation as a football player who is not only able to lead the team forward, but also plays effectively without the ball, actively acting in defense. In attack, he let Tottenham fans appreciate his long-range strike with a sumptuous free-kick in a pre-season game against MK Dons. Before the beginning of the summer, Fernandes was Fr