Top 10 South American Footballers in Premier League History

Since its formation in 1992, the Premier League has quickly established itself as the best division in the world and players from overseas are often keen to ply their trade in it. As such, over the years we've seen a plethora of South American players in England's top flight and some have gone on to cement themselves as club legends.

GIVEMESPORT has now taken a look at the 10 best South American footballers in Premier League history, while it's important to note that each player will be ranked on the following factors:

• Impact in the Premier League
• Longevity
• Trophies

10. Javier Mascherano

Javier Mascherano joined West Ham United in 2006 off the back of an impressive showing with Argentina at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The defensive midfielder played seven times for the Hammers before completing a loan move to Liverpool which would eventually become a permanent one worth £18m. Mascherano spent three and a half years in Merseyside and established himself as one of the best players in the world in his position.

9. Philippe Coutinho

Philippe Coutinho was simply unplayable at times during his career in the Premier League, most notably at Liverpool. The Brazilian play-maker joined The Reds from Inter in an £8.5m move in January 2013 and went on to make 201 appearances with the club, scoring 54 goals whilst laying on 45 assists. Coutinho was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2014/15 season and was awarded Liverpool's Players' Player of the Season and Player of the Year awards the following term.

8. Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez is widely considered one of the greatest strikers in the history of the sport but his spell in the Premier League was fairly brief, which is why we've ranked him in eighth. There is no doubt had he remained in the Premier League for longer he would've been battling it out for the number-one spot but he was at Liverpool for two and a half years before completing a £75m move to Barcelona in 2014.

7. Alexis Sanchez

Alexis Sanchez left Barcelona in favour of a move to Arsenal in 2014 for a fee in the region of £35m. The Chilean forward enjoyed a fruitful three and a half years with the Gunners, scoring 80 goals whilst laying on 45 assists across 166 appearances. Sanchez picked up the PFA Fans' Player of the Season award in his debut campaign and won Arsenal's Player of the Season twice during his stay in north London.

6. Ederson

Ederson joined Manchester City in a deal worth £35m from Benfica in 2017 and since arriving in the Premier League, the 25-cap Brazil international has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers on the continent. The 30-year-old is incredibly comfortable with the ball at his feet and is pivotal to the way City play out from the back. Ederson has won a whopping five Premier League titles during his time at the Etihad Stadium and played a key role in the treble-winning 2022/23 season.

5. Alisson Becker

Alisson Becker made a world-record £66.8m switch from Roma to Liverpool in the summer of 2018, becoming the most expensive goalkeeper in history. Since arriving in Merseyside, the Brazilian has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers on the planet and picked up the first-ever Yashin trophy in 2019 at the Ballon D'or award ceremony.

4. Carlos Tevez

Carlos Tevez joined West Ham United in 2006 off the back of the World Cup, where he impressed many. The prolific forward spent one season at the Hammers and inspired his side to Premier League safety, scoring seven goals and providing three assists. Tevez's final-day winner away at Old Trafford retained West Ham's top-flight status and sure enough, he joined United that summer on a two-year loan deal.

3. Roberto Firmino

Roberto Firmino was a real trailblazer during his time at Liverpool. The Brazilian wasn't really a striker, nor a No. 10, but more of a false nine, which provided great fluidity and success for the Merseysiders. Having made a £29m switch from Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim in 2015, Firmino scored 10 goals in his debut campaign and laid on eight assists, evincing that his game was about much more than goals.

2. Fernandinho

Manchester City outlaid £30m to sign Fernandinho from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013 and the Brazilian midfielder went on to enjoy a glittering nine-year stay with the club. The five-time Premier League winner established himself as one of the best midfielders in the division and seemed to raise his game to a new level under the stewardship of Guardiola.

1. Sergio Aguero

Sergio Aguero is the most prolific South American in Premier League history, having scored a remarkable 184 goals across 275 appearances. The 101-cap Argentina international joined Manchester City from Atletico Madrid in 2011 for a club-record fee worth a reported £38m and went on to top the club's all-time top scorer charts. Only four players in Premier League history have scored more than Aguero and he is without doubt one of the greatest strikers in the history of the sport.