Five of the most improved players in Europe this season | OneFootball

The ambition each season is to improve on the last and several stars have taken a steep upward curve this campaign.

From last season’s underperformance to standout displays this time around, we’ve looked at five of the most improved players in European football this season.

Five of the most improved footballers in Europe this season

Mateo Retegui (Atalanta)

Atalanta agreed a €28m deal to sign Mateo Retegui from Genoa last summer but it’s fair to say the Bergamo-based outfit have seen even their own expectations exceeded. Signed as a replacement for the injured Gianluca Scamacca, it’s possible Atalanta would not have entered the market for a striker had that injury not occurred.

Retegui has not only replaced Scamacca but fired Atalanta into the Scudetto chase. The Argentine-born frontman has 20 goals in just 22 league appearances for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side to lead the chase for the Capocannoniere award as the league’s leading scorer.

Having netted just seven times for Genoa in his first season in Italy, the 25-year-old has exploded in Atalanta colours.

Raphinha (Barcelona)

When Raphinha saw mock-ups of prospective Barcelona signing Nico Williams wearing his number 11 shirt in the summer, it’s fair to say the winger (insert Michael Jordan meme) took that personally.

Raphinha was linked with being the casualty of Barcelona’s pursuit of Williams, but the club’s failure to sign the Spaniard has instead transformed the former’s career in Catalonia. The Brazil international has not only been an integral figure for Barcelona but arguably Europe’s best so far this season.

Raphinha has 24 goals and 15 assists in just 35 appearances this season, form that has placed the 28-year-old in the Ballon d’Or conversation. It’s been an astonishing renaissance.

Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)

Ryan Gravenberch’s forgettable first season at Liverpool passed with the midfielder on the fringes of the first team. He made just 12 league starts under Jurgen Klopp as the Reds failed to see the best of the Dutchman.

In another sliding-doors transfer market moment, Liverpool’s failure to sign Martin Zubimendi handed Gravenberch an unexpected chance to impress. Arne Slot trialled the 22-year-old in a defensive midfield position and Gravenberch has not looked back.

He’s played almost every minute of Liverpool’s Premier League and Champions League campaigns, emerging as an integral part of their challenge for both trophies. His ability to turn away from traffic and win duels at the base of midfield could make him the long-term fixture as the Reds’ number six.

Moise Kean (Fiorentina)

It’s taken some time but Moise Kean is beginning to fulfil the potential that made him Juventus’s youngest-ever debutant and the first player born in the 2000s to play in one of Europe’s top four leagues.

A difficult spell at Everton and an underwhelming return to Turn followed, before a summer switch to Fiorentina.

Snapped up for just €13m, La Viola are reaping the rewards of their investment. Kean has scored 19 goals in 28 appearances across all competitions and sits second for Serie A goals. Still just 24, he will hope this season is the springboard to a prominent role with the Azzurri.

Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain)

Is this the season it has all come together for Ousmane Dembele?

A terrific talent has been hindered by injuries during Dembele’s career, but he’s in the midst of a scintillating run of form right now.

Having scored just six times last season, the 27-year-old has 21 goals in 27 games for Paris Saint-Germain in 2024/25. Recent hat-tricks against Stuttgart and Brest have swelled his total with the Dembele in career-best form.

He’s the leading scorer in Ligue 1 and has helped fill the void of Kylian Mbappe’s exit at the Parc des Princes. Alongside Bradley Barcola and new arrival Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, PSG have one of the most exciting forward lines in European football.

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