Which stars need to shine this season: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Man Utd, PSG

All eyes will be on the transfer window as clubs scramble to find the missing pieces, either in the starting lineup or to complete the squad.

The mega signings of the European summer saw England international Elliot Anderson switch Nottingham Forest for Manchester City and Ivory Coast’s Yan Diomande swap RB Leipzig for Real Madrid.

Rumours are rife that Rodri may be heading out of City with Barcelona poised.

It seems, however, as though it has been a quieter period on the transfer front, with perhaps one of the more settled summer squads across the continent than in previous years.

So, Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at which players are most crucial to their teams’ success in the leagues across Europe – and why statistics back that up.

After an underwhelming World Cup, Declan Rice will be desperate to renew his importance to Arsenal. The 27-year-old, who arrived in North London from West Ham, was central to the Gunners’ defensive set up, ball retention and, crucially, their extraordinary set-piece threat last season. The Gunners scored a league-high 24 goals from set-pieces, with eight coming from Rice deliveries and three producing direct assists. The arrival in midfield of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle, should lighten the load for Rice, but it will not diminish his importance to the title defence.

The heartbeat of Manchester United since he joined the club, Bruno Fernandes may perhaps be the player hardest for any of the clubs on this list to replace should he sustain a long-term injury. The attacking midfielder was arguably the best player in his position in the world last season, as he produced a remarkable 21 Premier League assists – a single-season record – while also ranking first for chances created and through balls. His 45 chances created were also the most in the division, while his expected assists ranked second. Fernandes is not simply contributing goals and assists; he is creating a huge proportion of United’s attacking opportunities. If United are to challenge consistently, maintaining that level will be key. His workload in midfield may be affected by the departure of Brazilian midfielder Casemiro – how United fill that void is likely to influence the performance of Fernandes.

Cole Palmer’s importance to Chelsea is ultimately about attacking output and he will be boosted by the arrival of Morgan Rogers to help him in that department. Palmer’s breakthrough 2024/25 campaign produced extraordinary numbers, with the attacking midfielder directly involved in 29 Premier League goals. Chelsea’s structure has increasingly been built around his creativity and ability to operate between the lines. His influence is particularly significant because he can contribute both as a scorer and creator rather than relying exclusively on one dimension of his game. After a less productive 2025/26 season, the statistical challenge is clear: Chelsea need Palmer back closer to his elite production levels if they are to compete with England’s best.

Erling Haaland’s importance to Manchester City can be reduced to one extraordinary statistic: 27 Premier League goals in 2025/26, enough to win his third Golden Boot. That means City possess a striker capable of converting their possession and territorial dominance into points. Haaland’s numbers are particularly important because Manchester City frequently create large volumes of attacking situations – his job is to finish them. His presence also forces defenders to remain deep and devote multiple players to control him, creating space elsewhere. For City, the equation is straightforward: if Haaland scores at this level, their chances of winning the league rise dramatically. Creating goals off his own back is the one criticism levelled at the Norwegian and with the likely loss of the midfield maestro, Rodri, that may come into sharper focus this season.

Dominik Szoboszlai was a key part of Liverpool’s title winning side in 2024/25 and his contributions helped lift a woeful 2025/26 campaign. The Hungarian was among Liverpool’s leading creators last season, producing seven assists while recording 78 chances created and 68 key passes, according to the Reds’ season statistical breakdown. He also led the team for final-third successful passes, highlighting how frequently Liverpool relied on him to move possession into dangerous areas. His versatility added another layer: Szoboszlai was even used at right-back during the season, demonstrating his value beyond attacking numbers. For Liverpool, his combination of chance creation, progression, pressing and versatility makes him almost irreplaceable in the Reds’ current squad, influencing the overall balance of the team.

Kylian Mbappe’s performance this season is likely to set the tone for whether Real Madrid can stop Barcelona from winning a third successive La Liga title. The French forward finished the 2025/26 season with 25 goals and five assists in 31 appearances, winning the Pichichi Trophy – for the league’s top scorer – for the second consecutive season. Across all competitions, he scored 42 goals in 44 matches and finished as the Champions League’s leading scorer with 15. The problem for Real has not been Mbappe’s goals, but rather the ability to get the best out of the players around him, most notably Jude Bellingham, who in his debut season in Madrid would often run into the spaces since occupied by Mbappe. If anyone can solve that problem, it will be the new manager, Jose Mourinho.

With each season the importance of Lamine Yamal to Barcelona continues to grow, mostly because time has been against their previous talisman, Robert Lewandowski for a number of seasons. Yamal finished the last campaign with 16 goals and 11 assists, meaning he directly contributed to 27 league goals despite making just 28 appearances. The 19-year-old’s ability to create chances and beat defenders forces opponents to alter their defensive structure accordingly. Barcelona’s domestic treble was underlined by his influence.

As the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, Ousmane Dembele needs little introduction nor explanation as to why he would be crucial to any side in the world. The French forward’s combination of goals, creativity and involvement across the attacking structure gives PSG great versatility. When it comes to breaking down well structured opposition defences, see Arsenal’s woes in last season’s Champions League final, despite their formidable back line. In the 2024/25 season, Dembele scored 35 goals with 51 goal involvements in total. In the last campaign he had a more interrupted time, with 10 goal involvements in eight Champions League matches and 17 in 22 Ligue 1 games.

Harry Kane’s move to Bayern Munich has turned the England international from a prolific striker into an outright goal machine. In the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign, he scored 36 goals in 31 appearances and added five assists, averaging a goal every 66 minutes. He won the Bundesliga’s Golden Boot for the third consecutive season and became the first player to finish as the division’s top scorer in each of his first three Bundesliga campaigns. His 36 goals were also the highest league tally by any player in Europe during 2025/26. In the Champions League, he netted 14 times. For the German champions, Kane provides something almost priceless: virtually guaranteed goals every season.

The last player on the list could be the most influential wherever he ends up. Marcus Rashford spent last season on loan at Barcelona, where he instantly returned to form after a downturn to his Manchester United career. Seemingly out of favour under Ruben Amorim, Rashford was reduced to a bit-part role at his childhood club. All was forgotten once he linked up with Barca’s esteemed attack. It is not clear, however, where Rashford will play his football next season. It could be back at Old Trafford should the now permanent replacement for Amorim, Michael Carrick, try to resurrect the forward’s career. In his 32 La Liga appearances at Barcelona last season he scored eight goals, but his play was clearly approaching its levels of years past. Wherever Rashford goes next year, if he returns to the peak of his powers, his teammates will look on in awe at his pace and skill, while opposing defences will once again be fearful of his threat