Premier League 2024/25 most improved XI

With the 2024/25 Premier League campaign coming to a close, take a look at our XI of the most improved players from the past season.

GK - Matz Sels

While Matz Sels showed plenty of promise following his arrival at the City Ground, nobody could have predicted he’d be sharing the Premier League Golden Glove with David Raya 18 months later.

Sels was superb between the sticks for Nottingham Forest, helping lead their charge for European football from the back.

Over the course of the season, only Ederson, Jordan Pickford, Alisson and Dean Henderson were responsible for preventing more goals than the Belgian.

RB - Aaron Wan-Bissaka

His performances with Crystal Palace earned Aaron Wan-Bissaka a £50m move to Manchester United that never worked out over the course of five years. After two years, Wan-Bissaka lost his place, and three years later he was allowed to leave for West Ham.

While his one-on-one defending genuinely rivals the best full-backs in the world, Wan-Bissaka was never capable enough with the ball at his feet to succeed at Old Trafford, but even that side of his game has developed significantly at the London Stadium, with Wan-Bissaka assisting more goals (five) than in his final three years at Manchester United combined (three).

CB - Nathan Collins

It feels throughout his still young career that most of the headlines around Nathan Collins has been his surprising transfer fees.

After just 19 Premier League games with Burnley, Wolves signed the Irish centre-back for more than £20m, with Collins on the move again for another £23m a year later.

While Collins looked a good fit upon his arrival in West London, the 24-year-old took his game to new levels last season, becoming the only outfield player to play every minute of the season.

CB - Murillo

Although they ultimately fell short in their quest for UEFA Champions League football, it was a remarkable season for Nottingham Forest, who did qualify for Europe and reached the FA Cup semi-finals.

Naturally, such a season comes with plenty of highs, but one of the highlights of the campaign was tying Murillo down to a new four-year contract.

Aside from being rock solid at the back, Murillo is more than capable with the ball at his feet, and Forest fans will be hoping to keep the Brazilian at the club for as long as possible.

LB - Milos Kerkez

There’s every chance that three-quarters of Bournemouth’s back line aren’t at the club by the time the new season starts, with Milos Kerkez expected to leave for Liverpool.

Signed as a 19-year-old, Kerkez quickly established himself as Bournemouth’s first-choice left-back but his performances last season caught the eye of some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

His relentless work ethic allows him to get up and down the pitch with ease, laying on five assists last term.

CM - Ryan Gravenberch

One of the non-Michael Edwards signings, Ryan Gravenberch was undoubtedly a talented youngster, but one struggling to find a home until the arrival of Arne Slot.

Gravenberch never cracked the Bayern Munich first team and looked out of place under Jurgen Klopp, but Slot’s masterstroke of moving Gravenberch into a holding midfield role was a big factor in their title win.

The 23-year-old brought a maturity and composure to the position that allowed the likes of Mohamed Salah to flourish.

CM - Carlos Baleba

Brighton’s recruitment department strikes again. While Carlos Baleba wasn’t a bargain buy, purchased for in excess of £20m, few English football fans will say they knew much about a teenager who had just six Ligue 1 starts in his career.

Gently introduced to the Premier League in his first season, Baleba became an undroppable member of Fabian Hurzeler’s side and established himself as one of the division’s best defensive midfielders.

CM - Youri Tielemans

To have been around for as long as Youri Tielemans has and still be able to show so much improvement is a testament to how good the Belgian has been.

Tielemans was an excellent signing for Leicester and spent five successful years in their midfield but was unable to separate the duo of Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara following his move to Villa Park.

His second season, however, he’s arguably become Aston Villa’s most important player, acting as the side’s primary playmaker and recording 10 goal contributions while ranking fifth in the league for progressive passes.

RW - Jacob Murphy

There’s something about Eddie Howe that just seems to get the absolute maximum out of players, and when talking about most improved players, few are more improved than Jacob Murphy, who celebrated his 30th birthday last season.

Going from a squad player throughout his four seasons at St James’ Park to one of the first names on the team sheet, Murphy scored eight goals and laid on 12 assists last season.

LW - Antoine Semenyo

Getting better and better ever since his move from Championship Bristol City, Antoine Semenyo has continued his remarkable rise, scoring 11 goals and providing five assists for Bournemouth last season.

Two-footed enough to be deployed on either wing, the 25-year-old is now courting attention from further afield.

CF - Liam Delap

There’s a case to be made that Liam Delap was the most improved player in the Premier League season, partly on account of him not being in the division the year before.

Toiling his way to eight Championship goals in 31 games with Hull, Kieran McKenna took a chance on Delap, who scored 12 goals in his maiden top flight campaign, establishing himself as one of the league’s most in-demand centre forwards, earning an expected £30m move to Chelsea.