The 2026-27 Ligue 1 season once again combines established stars, high-upside young players and arrivals from other major European leagues. With the summer window now closed, these are five names particularly worth following in a campaign where Paris Saint-Germain remains the reference point but several rivals have strengthened their squads.
5 players to keep an eye on this Ligue 1 season
From last season’s leading scorer to some of the summer’s most intriguing arrivals, these are five players who could become major storylines during the 2026-27 Ligue 1 campaign.
Lepaul enters the new season after finishing as Ligue 1’s top scorer in 2025-26 with 21 goals. His breakthrough was one of last season’s biggest stories, and staying at Stade Rennais gives him the chance to prove that level can be sustained over another full campaign. He has already made an early statement, scoring twice against Le Mans on Matchday 2. At 26, his movement inside the penalty area and finishing make him one of the league’s most intriguing strikers.
Maghnes Akliouche – Paris Saint-Germain
Akliouche’s move from Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain makes him one of the championship’s major storylines. The 24-year-old attacking midfielder signed through 2031 after making 139 appearances for Monaco. Able to operate wide, as a number ten or in deeper midfield positions, his profile appears well suited to Luis Enrique’s fluid system. The main question is not whether he has the talent, but how large a role he can earn in an extremely competitive attacking squad.
Ferran Torres – Paris Saint-Germain
Ferran Torres also moved to Paris this summer, signing through 2031 and taking the number nine shirt. The 26-year-old Spain international can play centrally or from either flank, giving PSG another flexible attacking option. His Ligue 1 adaptation began emphatically: he scored twice on his league debut. In a squad with intense competition for minutes, that versatility could make him especially valuable across a long season.
Giovanni Reyna – RC Strasbourg Alsace
RC Strasbourg Alsace made Giovanni Reyna one of the headline additions to another young squad. The 23-year-old United States international signed through 2031 after spells with Borussia Dortmund, Nottingham Forest and Borussia Mönchengladbach. He arrives in France with 43 senior caps for the United States after a season in Germany in which playing time was limited. The challenge is to turn his technical ability and creativity into consistent performances and a stable club role.
Ayase Ueda – LOSC
LOSC ended the window by adding a proven goalscorer. Ayase Ueda, 28, joined from Feyenoord on a contract through 2030 after finishing as the 2025-26 Eredivisie top scorer with 25 goals. He became the first Feyenoord player to win that scoring title since Nicolai Jørgensen in 2017. His finishing and aerial ability give the Lille club a new focal point in attack.
A reigning Golden Boot winner, two major PSG arrivals, an American creator looking for continuity and the Netherlands’ latest scoring champion give Ligue 1 five very different individual stories to follow throughout 2026-27.
