Six years after Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane helped Liverpool win their first league title in 30 years, the Egyptian’s era as Africa’s leading Premier League star has ended following his move to Trabzonspor in Turkey.
Salah, 34, leaves Liverpool after nine Premier League seasons in which he scored 191 goals and provided 93 assists in 308 appearances. He departs as the fourth-highest scorer in the competition’s history.
His successor will have an exceptionally high standard to meet. Several established forwards, ambitious new signings and emerging talents are now hoping to become the continent’s next headline star in English football.
Antoine Semenyo – Manchester City
Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo appears the strongest candidate to take over from Salah.
His path to the top has been anything but straightforward. As a teenager, he was rejected by Arsenal, Tottenham and Crystal Palace, and he did not make his Premier League debut until February 2023.
Three years later, Manchester City paid £65m for a player whose energy, physical strength and finishing ability had made him one of the league’s most promising attackers.
Semenyo, who takes his Christian faith seriously, scored 17 league goals last season – the best return of his career. That total was still some distance behind Manchester City team-mate Erling Haaland and Brentford’s Igor Thiago.
If his rapid improvement continues, the 26-year-old could establish himself among the biggest names in world football this season.
Omar Marmoush – Manchester City
If Africa is to have another “Egyptian King”, Omar Marmoush is the obvious candidate.
The difficulty for the 27-year-old has been finding regular opportunities while playing alongside Haaland. Since joining Manchester City from Frankfurt, Marmoush has made 22 Premier League starts across a season and a half. He scored only three league goals in 2025-26.
He did, however, make an impressive start to pre-season by scoring twice against Atletico Madrid, giving new Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca an early reminder of his ability.
Marmoush’s best chance to become a leading figure may come elsewhere, with Tottenham in talks to sign him. A move away from Etihad Stadium could give the Egypt forward the regular football he needs.
Bryan Mbeumo and Ismaila Sarr
Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo became one of the Premier League’s most reliable attackers during his time at Brentford, recording 27 goal involvements in his final league season before moving to Manchester United for £65m.
Mbeumo, 27, managed 14 goal involvements in his first Premier League campaign at Old Trafford. His form improved markedly after he returned from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), as Manchester United recovered some of their former confidence under Michael Carrick.
Having missed out on the World Cup, Mbeumo will hope a summer away from international football allows him to make a quick start.
Ismaila Sarr has been linked with a move to Manchester United to join Mbeumo. The Senegal forward enters the new season with considerable momentum after equalling African legend Roger Milla’s record of four goals at a single World Cup.
Sarr, 28, also enjoyed the most prolific campaign of his career last season, scoring 21 goals in all competitions as Crystal Palace won the Uefa Conference League.
Challengers hoping to break through
Mohammed Kudus missed the World Cup after a long-term hamstring injury prevented him from being included in the Ghana squad. The 26-year-old will hope his fitness problems are finally behind him as he competes for a starting place in Roberto de Zerbi’s Tottenham rebuild.
Kudus possesses outstanding skill and imagination, although producing those qualities consistently has been the main challenge.
Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye offers another eye-catching option. Only Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku completed more dribbles in the Premier League last season.
Following his second World Cup campaign, Ndiaye has attracted interest from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. Manchester United and Arsenal have also been linked with the forward, whose supporters call him “Skilliman”. A move to a Champions League club could provide the 26-year-old with a platform to turn his dribbling ability into trophies.
At Newcastle United, Yoane Wissa missed the first half of last season because of a knee injury and was also absent from Afcon. He returned to score three goals for DR Congo at the World Cup and is expected to play a central role as Newcastle rebuild.
Could the next star be a defender?
Benjamin Fredrick has signed a four-year contract and been promoted to Brentford’s first-team squad.
He is a rare example of a player joining a Premier League club directly from Nigeria. Fredrick had been enjoying a productive loan spell in Belgium last season and was expected to start for the Super Eagles at Afcon, but suffered a knee injury shortly before the tournament.
Brentford manager Keith Andrews sees “a lot of potential” in the 21-year-old centre-back.
New arrivals with a chance to shine
When Salah joined Chelsea from Basel in 2014, few people knew what to expect from him. Brighton’s new signing Zadok Yohanna may be in a similar position after the club paid £21.5m for the winger in June.
The Nigerian is a left-footed player who operates from the right, like Salah.
Newcastle’s £43m signing Bazoumana Traore plays on the opposite flank and has already impressed during pre-season. Coventry City midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi also attracted attention with a series of high-quality performances for Ghana at the World Cup, including a late winner against Panama. Coventry paid a club-record £23m for the 20-year-old.
The eventual successor to Salah may not yet have arrived in England. Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi is reportedly on his way to Manchester City, with the 10-time league winners negotiating with Lille for the 18-year-old.
Bouaddi displayed notable confidence in Morocco’s opening match against Brazil despite his age.
Another possibility is Victor Osimhen, who has been repeatedly linked with a move to England. The 27-year-old striker is hugely popular in Nigeria and scored 29 goals in all competitions last season.
With Salah now in Turkey, Osimhen’s potential move from Galatasaray to the Premier League would help fill the gap left by Africa’s former leading star.
