Africa after Salah: who will become the continent’s new face in the Premier League?
Mohamed Salah’s departure from Liverpool was one of the major events of the summer transfer window in the context of African football. The Egyptian brought his English chapter to an end after nine seasons, during which he became not just the leader of the Merseyside club, but the biggest African star in Premier League history.
Salah leaves behind a colossal legacy. He became the highest-scoring African player in Premier League history with 193 goals, won the Golden Boot four times and spent many years among the leading contenders for individual awards. His era in England is over, and the continent now faces a major question: who can become the next footballer whose name will be synonymous with African football in the Premier League?
The start of the 2026/27 season shows that there is no shortage of candidates. The league features several African players capable of challenging for superstar status.
In this article, we will not be focusing on older, established players such as Yoane Wissa or Alex Iwobi. Nor will we include an entire generation of rising African stars — Ayoub Bouaddi, Malick Yalcouye, Noah Sadiki and Ibrahima Mbaye, for example — who are still waiting to take their first major steps in English football.
I have chosen a different category of players: footballers who already have some Premier League experience, are familiar to English fans and could reach a new level in the near future. Perhaps not all of them will become global stars of world football, but each is capable of developing into a genuine Premier League star and becoming one of the new faces of African football in England.
10. Dango Ouattara — Brentford, Burkina Faso
24 years old, 117 Premier League appearances: 16 goals, 17 assists. Value — €35 million
The 24-year-old Burkina Faso winger has already spent several seasons in the Premier League, and in 2025 he moved from Bournemouth to Brentford for a club-record fee of up to £42 million, including bonuses.
Ouattara is interesting precisely because he finds himself at an intermediate stage between a promising player and an established star. He is already familiar to English fans and has proven himself at Premier League level, but he has yet to become the player around whom one of the leading clubs builds its game. At the same time, the Burkinabe possesses all the qualities of a modern wide player — pace, athleticism, directness and the ability to consistently create danger.
If he can improve his consistency and increase his output over the next few seasons, the next step could take him to a higher-level club. For now, Ouattara remains one of the African footballers capable of gradually becoming a prominent face of the modern Premier League.
9. Nicolas Jackson — Aston Villa, Senegal
25 years old, 68 Premier League appearances: 24 goals, 10 assists. Value — €40 million
Jackson remains one of the best-known Senegalese forwards in English football. At Chelsea, he was given a huge platform, although his London career featured both brilliant spells and periods of criticism.
Now, Jackson’s priority is to find consistency while on loan at Aston Villa. The Senegalese forward must turn his physical qualities and pace into a steady supply of goals. If he manages that, Jackson could once again become one of the most talked-about African forwards in the Premier League, having already found the net in the Champions League.
8. Iliman Ndiaye — Manchester City, Senegal
26 years old, 70 Premier League appearances: 15 goals, 4 assists. Value — €55 million
Iliman Ndiaye stands apart on this list. The Senegalese is no longer a young talent waiting to be discovered by the English public, but he is now taking the most important step of his career.
The newly signed Manchester City winger is particularly intriguing because of his versatility. He can play on either flank or through the middle, is comfortable with both feet, possesses excellent technique and enjoys taking opponents on one-on-one.
Ndiaye now faces an entirely new challenge. At Everton, he was one of the key attacking players, whereas at Manchester City he will have to compete for a place in the team and adapt to considerably higher demands. The club, however, is counting on his attacking potential and sees the Senegalese as part of Enzo Maresca’s revamped side.
7. Yankuba Minteh — Brighton, Gambia
22 years old, 66 Premier League appearances: 9 goals, 8 assists. Value — €45 million
Minteh represents the next generation of African players. The Gambian winger plays for Brighton, a club traditionally committed to developing young footballers.
For Minteh, this is an especially important environment. He has the chance to develop in a team that is not afraid to use young players and plays on the front foot. It is too early to describe him as Salah’s direct successor, but players like him could move into the spotlight over the next few seasons.
6. Carlos Baleba — Manchester United, Ghana
22 years old, 92 Premier League appearances: 3 goals, 1 assist. Value — €55 million
Baleba is interesting because he represents an entirely different type of African star. The Cameroonian operates in central midfield and can influence a match through more than just goals and assists. His progress at Brighton did not go unnoticed, with Manchester United paying almost €76 million for him last summer.
At Brighton, Baleba was an important part of the mechanism that allowed the team to transition quickly from defence to attack. In Manchester, they hope the midfielder will continue to develop and become a long-term anchor in the heart of the team.
A move to a top club at such a young age underlines the player’s enormous potential. Now everything depends on him, although Baleba has yet to make his debut for his new team as he continues to recover from injury.
5. Mohammed Kudus — Tottenham, Ghana
26 years old, 87 Premier League appearances: 15 goals, 18 assists. Value — €50 million
Kudus remains another potential candidate to become the next African star. The Ghanaian has already made a name for himself in the Premier League through his performances for West Ham and is now trying to rediscover his best form at Tottenham.
Kudus’s main weapon is his individual skill. He can beat opponents one-on-one, carry the ball forward and create chances for his teammates, as reflected by his higher number of assists than goals. That is particularly important for Tottenham given their attacking problems at the start of the season.
Kudus still has to prove that he can turn eye-catching moments into consistent numbers. He certainly has the potential, while the London club provides him with a major stage. Above all, he must avoid the injuries that have so far prevented Mohammed from fully unlocking his potential.
4. Amad Diallo — Manchester United, Ivory Coast
24 years old, 70 Premier League appearances: 11 goals, 14 assists. Value — €45 million
Diallo remains one of Manchester United’s most exciting young African players. The Ivorian is already familiar to English football fans, but the new season offers him another chance to establish himself at the highest level.
Alongside Mbeumo, he forms part of the Red Devils’ African attacking contingent. Diallo possesses technique, pace and the ability to play in several positions. His main problem is competition for a place in the starting XI. Manchester United have plenty of attacking options, so after recovering from injury, Diallo will need to make the most of every opportunity.
In terms of potential, this player is certainly capable of becoming a superstar, as he has already shown at international level. At 24, Diallo is one of the leaders of his national team and has even scored at the World Cup.
3. Omar Marmoush — Tottenham, Egypt
27 years old, 40 Premier League appearances: 10 goals, 5 assists. Value — €50 million
If you are looking for a player who could potentially continue Egypt’s legacy after Salah, it is impossible to overlook Marmoush. However, his situation changed in the summer of 2026, when Omar joined Tottenham on loan from Manchester City.
Marmoush differs from Salah stylistically. He is a more versatile attacking player, capable of operating closer to the centre and using his pace to exploit space. His move to Tottenham gives the Egyptian the opportunity to become one of the key players in his new team.
Spurs offered the Egyptian a place in the starting XI, something he struggled to secure in Manchester. He has yet to register a goal contribution for his new club, which is hardly surprising given that Tottenham have not scored a single goal in the current Premier League campaign. Nevertheless, Marmoush retains significant potential and could flourish under De Zerbi.
2. Bryan Mbeumo — Manchester United, Cameroon
27 years old, 173 Premier League appearances: 55 goals, 33 assists. Value — €75 million
Mbeumo also took a major step forward in the summer of 2025 by joining Manchester United. The Cameroonian had already built a strong reputation through his performances for Brentford, but he has now arrived at a club where the scrutiny on every match and every player is far greater.
The Red Devils have endured a difficult period in recent years, and for Mbeumo that represents both a problem and an opportunity: when a team struggles in attack, the role of its most productive players becomes even more important.
The Cameroonian forward has already become one of Manchester United’s leading figures. His pace, work off the ball and ability to operate both from the flank and closer to the centre allow him to be used in a variety of tactical scenarios. Alongside Sesko and Cunha, Mbeumo is one of the most expensive players in the squad.
1. Antoine Semenyo — Manchester City, Ghana
26 years old, 122 Premier League appearances: 37 goals, 15 assists. Value — €80 million
Antoine Semenyo currently looks like one of the strongest candidates to become the Premier League’s next African star. The Ghanaian forward has progressed from a promising Bournemouth player to a Manchester City footballer. Moving to one of England’s strongest clubs has dramatically increased his profile while also presenting him with a new challenge — proving that he can be effective not only in a team built around several key attacking players, but also at the very highest level of competition.
Semenyo enjoyed an impressive spell in the 2025/26 season, and after moving to Manchester City became the team’s top scorer in the second half of the campaign, scoring seven goals and providing one assist. Semenyo combines physical power, pace and the ability to attack space. If he maintains his scoring form at Manchester City, he could move beyond the status of a strong club player and establish himself as one of the leading representatives of African football in Europe.
Who will become Africa’s new face?
After Salah, African football has lost its biggest icon in the Premier League. Now, a new generation of players will compete for that status, with plenty still to prove at the highest level. At the same time, several Premier League clubs are packed with potential stars from the African continent.
But replacing Salah in the literal sense will be virtually impossible. The Egyptian leaves behind an immense legacy and an exceptionally high statistical benchmark. Most likely, the next era will belong not to one footballer, but to an entire group of African stars.
Semenyo looks like the leading candidate to be the first of that group to reach superstar status. However, Mbeumo, Marmoush and several others are close behind — and the coming months could significantly reshape the picture.
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
