As 2025 draws towards a close, Telegraph Sport has been assessing the top 30 players in Britain across the biggest sports this week.
Here is our list of the best men’s footballers in Britain, based on performances this campaign. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
30. Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United)
Newcastle paid £35m to sign Thiaw from AC Milan and he has been perhaps their most consistent performer this season. His signing went under the radar compared to Newcastle’s other transfer business but Thiaw has proven himself to be perfectly capable of adapting to the demands of the Premier League. “He has a little bit of everything in his game,” said Eddie Howe.
29. Pau Torres (Aston Villa)
Torres came back into Villa’s starting line-up in early October and his return has coincided with their remarkable surge up the Premier League table. On top form, the Spaniard is one of the league’s best ball-playing central defenders.
28. Robin Roefs (Sunderland)
Roefs is the only goalkeeper on our list this year, thanks to his brilliant start to life at Sunderland. Few expected Sunderland to be so far away from the relegation zone and Roefs has played a major role in their fantastic campaign so far. The 22-year-old is already a cult hero at his new club.
27. Pedro Neto (Chelsea)
Neto has gradually become Chelsea’s most effective attacking player. The winger has impressed in recent weeks and is comfortable in a number of different positions in Enzo Maresca’s team. Neto has always been a thrilling runner with the ball but there are signs this season that his end product is improving.
26. Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United)
United’s recruitment efforts have been hugely disappointing in recent years but there can be no denying that Mbeumo has improved the team following his arrival in the summer. To step up from Brentford to United is a significant task but Mbeumo has shown he is capable of making a real difference at Old Trafford.
25. Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)
Szoboszlai is one of the few Liverpool players to have enhanced his reputation this season. While his team-mates have struggled for much of the past few months, the Hungarian has impressed fans with his work rate and versatility. Szoboszlai never stops running and is one of the best long-range shooters in Europe.
24. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Everton)
Dewsbury-Hall hardly played for Chelsea in the league last season but he has been liberated by his move to Everton, where he has been allowed to express himself in midfield and rediscover his confidence. At the age of 27, he is probably at the peak of his powers. An England call-up could be on the horizon.
23. William Saliba (Arsenal)
Saliba is usually the Arsenal defender who receives the most praise from pundits and supporters, but this year he has largely played second fiddle to his good friend Gabriel Magalhães. Still, the Frenchman is fundamental to Arsenal’s formidable defensive record: he is extremely quick, impressively strong and usually secure on the ball.
22. Rayan Cherki (Manchester City)
In terms of pure technical skill, Cherki is perhaps the most gifted player in the entire division. His flicks, tricks and vision make him one of the most enjoyable attacking attackers to watch. Hopefully he will retain these maverick qualities as he continues to adapt to Pep Guardiola’s system.
21. Danny Welbeck (Brighton)
Welbeck is still going strong at the age of 35 and is on course for his best scoring season in the Premier League (his previous best season was last season, at the age of 34). Is it too late for Welbeck to find his way back into the England squad before the World Cup? You would not rule it out.
20. Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool)
Of all the big-money strikers who arrived in the Premier League this summer, Ekitike has been the most impressive – despite Liverpool’s struggles as a team in recent months. The French forward appears to have every ingredient you could want as a modern-day forward player.
19. Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Palace are enjoying another wonderful season, despite their European commitments, and Wharton continues to stand out with his passing range in midfield. Wharton always seems to play the ball forward and his defensive awareness is improving. He is getting better and better.
18. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
As a calendar year 2025 has been an occasionally difficult for Saka, who has battled with fitness issues, but the England winger remains one of the league’s most impactful attacking players for club and country. So much of Arsenal’s attacking play flows through Saka on the right wing.
17. Iliman Ndiaye (Everton)
Ndiaye is one of the league’s most entertaining players, with his creativity and exceptional dribbling ability, but he also works hard for his team without the ball. Such is Ndiaye’s talent, team-mate Idrissa Gueye has tipped him to one day win the Ballon d’Or.
16. Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace)
The tireless Muñoz continues to influence matches at both ends of the pitch for Palace. The wing-back is perfectly suited to Oliver Glasner’s tactical system and his eye for goal makes him one of Palace’s most effective attacking players. He cost only £7m in January 2024, which makes him one of the best value-for-money signings in recent Premier League history.
15. Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest)
Anderson has become one of the Premier League’s most complete talents, and it is no surprise that the biggest clubs in the division are looking closely at him. Now an England regular, the 23-year-old is a true all-rounder in midfield. He appears to be destined for the highest levels of the game.
14. Boubacar Kamara (Aston Villa)
Kamara remains one of the most underrated players in the Premier League, although not at Villa. The French midfielder is regarded by many supporters as the club’s most important player and he continues to drive the team forward with his intelligence, passing and physicality.
13. Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace)
Lesser players than Guéhi would have struggled to produce their best form after the late collapse of a transfer to the Premier League champions. The England centre-back though, has arguably become even better this season. Guéhi is the defensive rock upon which the Palace system is built.
12. Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal)
If Gabriel had not suffered an injury in mid-November, he would probably be in the top five of this list. In the first few months of this season, no other player had such an impact in both penalty boxes. The Brazilian is Arsenal’s defensive leader and also an enormous threat when attacking set-pieces.
11. Igor Thiago (Brentford)
Thiago endured an injury-plagued first season at Brentford, making only eight Premier League appearances, but is more than making up for lost time this year. The Brazilian has produced an array of different finishes already this season, from poacher’s goals to thumping strikes. Will he be the next Brentford player to attract interest from bigger clubs?
10. Jurrien Timber (Arsenal)
It speaks volumes of Timber’s quality that he has managed to overtake Ben White in the pecking order at right-back at the Emirates Stadium. For much of the past few seasons, White has been almost undroppable. Timber has stood out this season for his ultra-aggressive defending and his ability to take possession in any situation.
9. Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth)
Semenyo was perhaps the best player in the division in the first few months of the campaign, when he scored six goals in his opening seven Premier League games. His form has dipped since then but, with his two-footedness and remarkable physical power, he remains a defender’s nightmare. Sources believe a January transfer is almost guaranteed.
8. Jérémy Doku (Manchester City)
After an inconsistent first two seasons in English football, Doku has found his rhythm this season and is now causing serious problems for every defence he faces. The Belgian winger has always had the speed and trickery – but now he is influencing matches and combining with his team-mates far more effectively.
7. Reece James (Chelsea)
Whether he is playing at right-back or in central midfield, a fully fit James is an almost unique footballing force. He has all the physical and technical ingredients one could ever need, and he is also maturing as a leader at Chelsea. His fitness is always the issue but James is on course to make more league appearances this season than in any campaign since 2022.
6. Granit Xhaka (Sunderland)
Probably the best signing of the Premier League season. Xhaka cost an initial £13m but has arguably had a bigger impact at his club than any other summer arrival in the division. The 33-year-old was made captain almost immediately after his arrival and he has more than justified that decision with his leadership, match intelligence and passing range. He is the key to Sunderland’s success.
5. Phil Foden (Manchester City)
After his struggles last season, many wondered when (or indeed if) Foden would ever again reach the heights of 2023-24. He is not quite back to those levels, but he is getting close. His performances since November have provided a reminder of his supreme technical ability.
4. Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
The Premier League’s most devastating and thrilling runner, Rogers is a one-man wrecking ball. His performances for England this season have proven what the Villa fans already knew: that this is a player who is capable of defining games at the highest level. After a slow start to the campaign, he has found his best form in recent weeks.
3. Moisés Caicedo (Chelsea)
Caicedo’s blend of aggression and positional intelligence has made him one of Europe’s standout players. His defensive awareness and tackling ability is second to none in the Premier League and there can be no doubting his importance to Chelsea. He continues to improve with each season at Stamford Bridge.
2. Declan Rice (Arsenal)
It takes a special player to justify a £105m transfer fee and Rice has not only done that, but also exceeded expectations at Arsenal. A force of nature in midfield, he has added new layers to his game under the guidance of Mikel Arteta. Few players in world football can match Rice for consistency, physicality and game-defining personality.
1. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
What more is there to say about the deadliest forward in the division? Haaland has returned to his best this season after a mediocre campaign (by his extraordinary standards) in 2024-25. Now 25, he has become a genuine leader at City. Probably the greatest goalscoring machine the Premier League has ever seen.