Most improved Premier League players so far in 2024-25 – Top FIVE

Top five most improved Premier League players so far this season, as players spend time away with their respective countries for international games.

Seven games into the 2024-25 season and as expected, things has happened. Players have started leaving impression on fans, and not all has been positive. Some have lost the trust of their manager, and paid the price with their place in the team.

Some others have turned around their poor past and are now thriving in the light of the new season. Also, a number of the customary players have taken their places at the top, while a few others are still struggling to find their feet.

There are world class players who are bound to deliver. Even when critics think their performances have been questionable, the numbers still prove otherwise. Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland fall in this category.

There are the consistent ones, who have been doing it since the past few years and you want to know whether they are still able to continue doing it, or maybe are showing the slight improvements that can be seen in their games, or the otherwise.

Here is where the likes of Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, and a few others fall. The latter has not been his usual self so far but that is no topic of concern for this article.

Then there are those who broke into the headline in the past season. Given they’ve only had one impressive full season, you also want to know if they are able to pick-up where they left off. This is the category Cole Palmer finds himself.

However, just how good can these player become for the rate of their improvement from the past season to be measured ? They are overlooked here, in favour of fringe players, some of whom delivered questionable performances last season but have turned things around so far.

From Ryan Gravenberch to Rico Lewis, we take a look at the top five most improved Premier League players, those who have taken their games to a whole new height so far this campaign.

Top FIVE most improved Premier League players in 2024-25

5. Rico Lewis of Manchester City

19-year-old Rico Lewis has steadily played himself out of being just a squad player at Manchester City and becoming a regular in the starting XI and gets into our list of most improved Premier League players.

The English teenager has started in all his six Premier League appearances this season, and has also started the two UEFA Champions League games for the Cityzens.He has also been making notable contributions to the team’s play, and only Erling Haaland has more than his four goal involvement so far.

His improvement has also been noticed by England national team coaches, as even after the departure of Gareth Southgate who gave him his first cap, he has still been called up by interim manager Lee Carsley.

Lewis has become an important player at City due to his improvement, and will become even more important as the season ages, with Rodri Hernandez already ruled out for the remainder of the season due to an ACL tear.

4. Brennan Johnson of Tottenham Hotspur

Brennan Johnson had a slow start to the season but things took a turn after he was attacked by Tottenham Hotspur fans on IG, which forced him to deactivate his account due to the nonstop abuses and curses. He has become so good that a place in our most improved Premier League players became inevitable.

Since then, the Welshman has scored in every game played across all competitions. He had only scored five times in his first 38 games since signing for the Londoners from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2023 but Johnson now has six goals in his last six games.

In his form, fans can be optimistic of the chances of getting back on track under Ange Postecoglu, even so with a set of winnable league games scheduled after the international break, before the next one in November.

Johnson, 23, will look to extend his hot streak to the international games, when he lines up for The Dragons against Iceland and Montenegro in the UEFA Nations League in the coming days.

Top FIVE most improved Premier League players in 2024-25

3. Luis Diaz of Liverpool

Luis Diaz is this good, but he had not been this good for Liverpool. Talk of one of the most surprising player so far this season and his name is up there amongst the top ones and he takes his deserved place in our top five most improved Premier League players.

Those who watched him at FC Porto knew there’s a baller in there, and those who didn’t would have wondered why Liverpool paid €45 million to sign him in the January window of 2022.

Diaz, 27, has hit the ground running since the opening weekend, when he wasn’t even on the scoresheet in a 2-0 win over newly promoted Ipswich Town.

So far, the Colombian has scored five and assisted one in seven Premier League games, all goals from open play, only Erling Haaland has more in the competition this season. Diaz is gradually fulfilling the vision Liverpool had when they signed him, which was to succeed Sadio Mané.

2. Andre Onana of Manchester United

Where would Manchester United have been if not for their goalkeeper ? The Cameroonian had a shaky start to his career in England, albeit he wasn’t that unimpressive but under too much pressure, even the best ones is left vulnerable.

Andre Onana struggled last season, conceding record breaking goals between the sticks for the club but so far this season, he has been much more impressive to thwart the unimpressive numbers, and very decisive in games for Erik Ten Hag’s side.

The former Ajax goalkeeper has four clean sheets from seven games, the most of any goalkeeper in the Premier League so far. He has also rescued United in all the games, including the double-save to deny Eddie Nketiah and Ismaila Sarr in the goalless draw the Selhurst Park last month.

Onana has stepped up his game so far this season, and is justly nominated as one of the most improved Premier League players after seven games.

1. Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool

How fast things quickly change in a short time. Liverpool would have been looking to cut their loss on Ryan Gravenberch after the Dutch midfielder was unable to justify his signing in a €45 million move from Bayern Munich last summer. He sits at the top of our list of most improved Premier League players.

Jurgen Klopp had high hopes of him but he failed him. In the end, Gravenberch appeared in 26 league games last season, starting just 12 as Endo Wataru, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai make up the midfield thre for the Reds.

However, Gravenberch has turned a new leaf under his countryman Arne Slot, and has arguably been the best central midfielder in the Premier League so far.He has made the position his own, completely taking it from Endo Wataru, who was also very impressive on his debut season last. Gravenberch’s tenacity has been a useful tool for Slot’s side to dominate their opponent and break up play.

He is by far top of the list of the top five most improved Premier League players, given what was seen from him last season.

These are the top five most improved Premier League players so far. Although a lot of other names also deserve recognition, but only five is considered in this context.

Hassan Afolabi