Top 5 South American stars to have graced the Premier League
The continent of South America has always been a vast storehouse of hidden footballing gems, several of whom have gone on to gain cult status in the beautiful game ever since its infancy.
However, the English top-flight and South American footballers haven’t always been a match made in heaven and there is enough reason as to why professionals arriving on the English shores from that part of the world are somewhat viewed with skepticism by the fans and the media.
Given the obvious climatic and cultural differences, as well as the stylistic differences in how football is played in the United Kingdom, several South American footballers have struggled to make their presence felt in the Premier League.
Despite being truly excellent players in their own right, stalwarts like Juan Sebastien Veron, Diego Forlan, Afonso Alves, Robinho and several others have failed to live up to the expectations in the English top-flight over the years.
To that end, though, the Premier League fans have been lucky enough to witness the prime of a plethora of South American stars who have graced the English top-flight with their footballing brilliance.
Here are 5 top South American stars to have featured in the Premier League:-
1. Sergio Aguero
A 4-time Premier League winner with Man City and the recipient of the 2014-15 Premier League Golden Boot award, there is hardly anyone better than Sergio Aguero when it comes to the list of South American footballers to have taken the English top-flight by storm.
Not many strikers with a 5ft. 8-inch stature manage to thrive, leave alone score goals for fun, in the rough and tough nature of the English game, but Aguero continues to be a living inspiration to all budding South American starlets that the physicality of the Premier League can, indeed, be overcome with footballing intelligence, technical brilliance and sheer hard work.
Currently in his ninth season at the Etihad, Aguero is still going strong at the age of 31 and an eye-watering tally of 244 goals and 71 assists in 354 appearances for Man City lie testament to his status as one of the best strikers of his generation.
2. Luis Suarez
The Uruguayan plied his trade with Liverpool for only three-and-a-half seasons before completing a big-money move to Barcelona in the summer of 2014 but that was enough for him to leave his legacy behind in the Premier League.
Suarez made an immediate impact at Anfield following his move from Ajax while his world-class finishing and a devastating eye for goal were something for the fans to savor as well.
The recipient of the 2013-14 Premier League Golden Boot award, the Uruguayan international also bagged back-to-back Player of the Season awards at Liverpool and a tally of 82 goals in 133 appearances meant that he left with his head held high.
3. Carlos Tevez
The stranglehold of South American strikers continues in the list, and up next is Carlos Tevez, who graced the English top-flight while plying his trade with West Ham United, Man United and Man City.
Tevez initially made his move to England with the Hammers in 2006, where he scored 7 goals in 29 appearances before completing a controversial switch to Man United in 2007.
The Argentine’s spell at Old Trafford proved to be a fruitful one, as he racked up an impressive tally of 34 goals and 14 assists in 99 appearances for the Red Devils while also bagging a host of silverware, including back-to-back Premier League titles, UEFA Champions League crown and the FIFA Club World Cup.
The path to United’s bitter crosstown rivals Man City isn’t a commonly trodden one, but in 2009, Tevez completed a transfer to the Etihad for a club-record fee.
The transfer proved to be an excellent move for the Argentine, who went on to win the Premier League Golden Boot in 2010-11 and also added an FA Cup title and a third Premier League crown to his collection of laurels on English soil.
Tevez slipped down the pecking order following the arrival of his compatriot Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid and eventually moved on to Juventus in 2013.
4. Alexis Sanchez
Currently on loan an Inter Milan from Man United, Alexis Sanchez has suffered a significant fall in grace over the past eighteen months but the two-time Copa America winner with Chile was a truly sensational talent at Arsenal during his prime years.
Sanchez’s first season at Arsenal following his move from Barcelona back in the summer of 2014 saw him rack up 25 goals and 12 assists in 52 appearances for the Gunners, a tally that guided the club to the FA Cup title and earned him the 2014-15 Player of the Season award.
The Chilean repeated that feat once again in the 2016-17 campaign, guiding Arsenal to yet another FA Cup triumph and finishing the season with a tally of 30 goals in all competitions. Sanchez went on to plunder 80 goals and 45 assists in 166 appearances for the Gunners and became a firm fan favourite for his magical displays down the flanks.
Things have gone downhill for him since a winter transfer to Man United but the diminutive Chilean’s legacy in North London will always remain unscathed.
5. Antonio Valencia
Man United haven’t always had a lot of luck with their South American recruits but the Ecuadorian international, who initially made his mark with Wigan Athletic in the Premier League, went on to enjoy resounding success over the course of nine seasons at Old Trafford.
A jet-heeled operator down the right-hand side of the pitch, Valencia played both as a winger and as a right-back under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson and continued to be one of the mainstays of United’s first-team even after his departure.
Valencia went on gain legendary status at Man United, having clocked up a staggering 339 appearances and contributed with 25 goals and 62 assists in all competitions prior to his departure in the summer of 2019.
The Ecuadorian won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, 2 League Cups and the UEFA Europa League crown during his illustrious stint at Old Trafford.
