Who will be the next Italian star to win the Premier League? | OneFootball

Several Italian players will be involved in the race for the Premier League title in 2025-26, especially after Gianluigi Donnarumma’s move to Manchester City on deadline day.

Mario Balotelli and Federico Chiesa are the only Italian players to have won a Premier League winners’ medal, as other Italian champions in England, Federico Macheda, Carlo Cudicini and Massimo Taibi didn’t reach the minimum number of appearances for the award.

Which Italians have won the Premier League?

Liverpool winger Chiesa became the second Italian player to receive a Premier League winners’ medal in 2024-25 after Balotelli at Manchester City in 2011-12.

Chiesa made six Premier League appearances last term, enough to receive the award that other compatriots had previously missed out.

Manchester United’s Macheda and Taibi, and Chelsea’s Cudicini had also won the Premier League, but didn’t receive the piece of silverware because of an insufficient number of league appearances.

During the 2025 summer transfer window, many other Italian players have moved to the Premier League, including Chiesa’s new Liverpool teammate Giovanni Leoni, new Manchester City goalkeeper Gigio Donnarumma, and Brighton’s Diego Coppola.

There will be plenty of chances to see Italy players in England’s top flight this season, including Sandro Tonali at Newcastle, so if you are flying to the UK, make sure you compare Premier League ticket options on Hellotickets to see the Azzurri stars in action.

Riccardo Calafiori’s Arsenal will likely battle Chiesa and Leoni for this season’s Premier League title, but Gigio Donnarumma’s Manchester City will also be among the leading contenders.

All the Italian players in the Premier League in 2025-26

UDINE, ITALY – OCTOBER 14: Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Italy and Israel at Stadio Friuli on October 14, 2025 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

There will be 11 Italian players in the English Premier League this season: Tonali, Destiny Udogie, Guglielmo Vicario, Donnarumma, Calafiori, Wilfried Gnonto, Leoni, Michael Kayode, Chiesa, Nicolò Savona and Coppola.

Donnarumma, the Italy captain, signed for Manchester City on deadline day and has a bonus tied to Premier League victory in his five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium.

“I’ve always trained well and I couldn’t wait to join City because they really wanted me, the coach really wanted me, and that made me proud,” Donnarumma said at a press conference attended by Football Italia in September.

“To be wanted so strongly by the best club in the world makes me proud, but also very emotional and happy.

“When you are wanted so strongly by a club like City, it means you’ve worked well, and being wanted by one of the strongest coaches in the world like Guardiola is an indescribable emotion.”

With Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City among the favourites to win the Premier League this term, it is highly likely that another Italian international will be crowned English champion with his club in 2025-26.