Bundesliga
Newly promoted Hamburg and Cologne both have a wealth of talent at their disposal, but which of their stars could set the Bundesliga alight in 2025/26? Meet six players to keep an eye on this coming season...
If now-departed striker Davie Selke - the 2024/25 Bundesliga 2's top goalscorer - was HSV’s poster boy last season, Dompé was his right-hand man. The Frenchman featured in all but two of Hamburg’s league outings and was the most consistent member of their impressive attack, playing 2,404 minutes; the most of any forward player at the club.
It's easy to see why. The No.7 finished as the division's joint-top assist provider in 2024/25 with 12 (level with Nuremberg’s Julian Justvan), while he was also HSV's fourth-top scorer with nine goals.
Not only that; the Frenchman also fired in the second-most crosses from open play of anyone in the second division, registering 125 in total.
With attacking the only thing on his mind when receiving the ball to feet, there’s every reason to believe Dompé can terrorise defences in the coming season as he makes the step up to Germany’s top flight.
2) Eric Martel
Perhaps the biggest unsung hero in Cologne’s successful 2024/25 campaign was none other than 23-year-old defensive midfielder Martel. The former Leizpig academy graduate was ever-present for the Billy Goats, playing 3,071 minutes of football over the course of the season; the most of any Cologne player, including the goalkeepers.
Serving to anchor the midfield to the backline, Martel brought composure and solidity beyond his years to a dynamic and constantly rotating midfield - things which he also brought to the Germany U21s side which reached the European Championship final over the summer.
Furthermore, Martel covered a team-high 352.3 kilometres in Bundesliga 2 last season, with his superhuman work-rate meaning he won the second-most duels in the division (420) and the seventh-most in the air (120).
He is tidy in possession too, successfully completing 91.26 per cent of his passes. A real leader-by-example in Cologne’s midfield, coach Lukas Kwasniok will no doubt be hoping for more of the same from his No.6 in the big step-up to the Bundesliga.
3) Miro Muheim
Although the only defender included on this list, it could be argued that fully capped Swiss international Muheim epitomises HSV boss Merlin Polzin’s dynamic attacking football philosophy more than any of his teammates.
Predominantly deployed at left-back, but also comfortable operating in midfield, the Swiss defender's versatility, willingness to get forward, and set-piece delivery culminated in an impressive 11 league assists.
His formidable partnership down the left with Dompé only served to further his attacking output, as Dompé’s tendency to cut inside afforded Muheim more space to create chances out wide.
However, it wasn’t just his attacking output that earned Muheim plaudits in 2024/25, but also his willingness to get stuck in and to not shirk his defensive duties.
The Swiss won 340 duels last campaign: the most of any HSV player. Such tenacity helped an attack-minded Hamburg side stay solid at the back, as well as allowing Muheim to act as his side’s instigator, always looking to launch counter-attacks as soon as possession was won.
4) Ragnar Ache
Technically speaking, Ache wasn't promoted but so impressive was he at Kaiserslautern that Cologne made him their marquee signing of the summer.
Watch: A selection of Ache's best goals in 2024/25
Ache managed to find the net 18 times in 30 appearances, which put him in joint-third alongside Elversberg’s Fisnik Asllani. Additionally, he led the way in the second division’s shots tally, recording 106, of which five hit the woodwork.
The former Frankfurt forward isn’t just adept with his feet either. Standing at 6’,0" Ache can more than hold his own the air, which he demonstrated by winning 131 aerial duels.
Thanks to these numbers, Ache was a serious contender for Bundesliga 2 player of the season, and despite losing out to Selke, Cologne’s new talisman should be no less one to watch in 2025/26.
Similarly to Ache for Cologne, Philippe was not part of HSV's successful promotion bid; rather he spent 2024/25 battling for survival with former side Eintracht Braunschweig, where he gained many admirers.
Watch: A selection of Philippes best goals in 2024/25
Despite Braunschweig scoring just 38 goals - the third-fewest in the division, only ahead of relegated Jahn Regensburg and Ulm - Philippe impressed up front, netting 13 times (joint-eighth in the league) and providing six assists. With a direct hand in 50 percent of Eintracht's goals and the fourth-most shots recorded league-wide (87), it's clear why HSV moved to sign him.
A scorer of memorable goals, the Frenchman was on the scoresheet for the Lions in the second leg of their relegation play-off against Saarbrücken. However, it's probably his three goals in two games against Hamburg last term that sealed the deal for Polzin as Braunschweig did the league double over HSV.
6) Linton Maina
Maina's is a name that Bundesliga fans may well remember considering the attacking midfielder spent two seasons with the Billy Goats in the top flight before their relegation at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
A canny operator in the forward channels, Maina doesn't just bring Bundesliga experience to this young Cologne side, but goal contributions as well.
The 26-year-old set his teammates up 11 times last outing - the joint-third most of any player in the division and the outright most of any in the Cologne camp. His three goals, whilst not quite as impressive, should hopefully be subsidised by Ache's output as part of an attacking partnership that Cologne fans will have been dreaming of.
Additionally, at 5'8'', Maina has a very low centre of gravity and is a supremely technical dribbler. He's also blessed with explosive pace and is statistically the fastest player at the Billy Goats' disposal, having recorded the 11th quickest sprint in the division last season (35.87 km/h).