Best Forwards in the Premier League 2025/26
Per-90 performance rankings · Rising Transfers DNA Analysis · 25 players ranked
Based on per-90 statistics across 25 Premier League forwards in 2025/26, Erling Haaland leads the ranking as a Poacher with a composite score of 1.10. Charalampos Kostoulas (Prolific) ranks second at 1.02, followed by Jaydon Banel (Dribbler) at 0.91. All rankings are calculated using Rising Transfers' 47-dimension per-90 analysis methodology.
Methodology: Per-90 stats explained · DNA matching
Erling Haaland
21 games · Norway
Charalampos Kostoulas
22 games · Greece
Jaydon Banel
15 games · Netherlands
Full Premier League Forwards Rankings
| # | Player | Style | Goals/90 | Ast/90 | Shots/90 | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erling Haaland | Poacher | 0.82 | 0.26 | 3.79 | 21 |
| 2 | Charalampos Kostoulas | Prolific | 0.60 | 0.07 | 4.49 | 22 |
| 3 | Jaydon Banel | Dribbler | 0.24 | 0.08 | 5.00 | 15 |
| 4 | Igor Thiago | Target Man | 0.64 | 0.03 | 2.43 | 31 |
| 5 | João Pedro | Target Man | 0.54 | 0.19 | 2.45 | 31 |
| 6 | Yoane Wissa | Poacher | 0.58 | 0.12 | 2.33 | 35 |
| 7 | Raúl Jiménez | Target Man | 0.41 | 0.14 | 2.82 | 30 |
| 8 | Antoine Semenyo | Inside Forward | 0.50 | 0.15 | 2.45 | 20 |
| 9 | Matheus Cunha | Complete Forward | 0.30 | 0.09 | 3.16 | 28 |
| 10 | Harry Wilson | Inside Forward | 0.39 | 0.24 | 2.46 | 29 |
| 11 | Mohamed Salah | Inside Forward | 0.25 | 0.30 | 2.82 | 22 |
| 12 | Tammy Abraham | Prolific | 0.50 | 0.07 | 2.30 | 18 |
| 13 | Bukayo Saka | Inside Forward | 0.27 | 0.18 | 2.83 | 19 |
| 14 | Dominic Calvert-Lewin | Target Man | 0.42 | 0.04 | 2.53 | 28 |
| 15 | Cody Gakpo | Complete Forward | 0.25 | 0.13 | 2.92 | 29 |
| 16 | Bryan Mbeumo | Inside Forward | 0.37 | 0.12 | 2.49 | 26 |
| 17 | Jean-Philippe Mateta | Target Man | 0.37 | 0.00 | 2.54 | 24 |
| 18 | Tom Watson | Inside Forward | 0.29 | 0.00 | 2.65 | 21 |
| 19 | Igor Jesus | Target Man | 0.15 | 0.15 | 2.74 | 30 |
| 20 | Jarrod Bowen | Complete Forward | 0.26 | 0.19 | 2.17 | 31 |
| 21 | Dilane Bakwa | Forward | 0.21 | 0.29 | 2.10 | 30 |
| 22 | Nick Woltemade | Complete Forward | 0.38 | 0.16 | 1.68 | 27 |
| 23 | Anna Johanna Rytting Kaneryd | Complete Forward | 0.20 | 0.20 | 2.19 | 17 |
| 24 | Evanilson | Complete Forward | 0.24 | 0.00 | 2.42 | 29 |
| 25 | Kevin Schade | Complete Forward | 0.28 | 0.12 | 1.91 | 28 |
KP = Key passes · F3rd = Passes into final third · TW = Tackles won · Int = Interceptions · Clr = Clearances · GC = Goals conceded
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best forward in the Premier League right now?
Based on per-90 data in 2025/26, Erling Haaland is the top-ranked forward in the Premier League. Erling Haaland is classified as a Poacher by Rising Transfers' DNA analysis system.
How are Premier League forwards ranked on Rising Transfers?
Rising Transfers ranks forwards using a composite per-90 score across key performance dimensions specific to the position. All statistics are normalised per 90 minutes of play to allow fair comparison between players with different minutes. Only players with 450+ minutes are included.
What does the DNA archetype mean for forwards?
Each player is assigned a DNA archetype (e.g. Creator, Ball-Winner, Pressing Forward) based on their playing style vector — a 768-dimensional representation of their per-90 performance across 47 metrics. The archetype describes how the player plays, not just their position.
How often is the Premier League forward ranking updated?
Rankings are recalculated weekly as new match data is processed into Rising Transfers' DNA pipeline. The underlying per-90 statistics are sourced from live match data across the Premier League season.
Forwards Rankings in Other Leagues
Other Positions in the Premier League
Rankings are generated by Rising Transfers using per-90 statistics from the 2025/26 Premier League season. Only players with 450+ minutes are included. Scores are computed using a position-specific composite formula across 47 performance dimensions. Data is refreshed weekly. Learn more about our methodology →