The 10 best Spanish players in Premier League history (ranked) | OneFootball

Highlights

The Premier League has been home to many superb footballers over the years from an array of different nationalities, from the depths of Europe to the well-known nations across both South and North America. Today, we are most interested in those of the Spanish persuasion. There have been several players – from the top of the pitch to those who are deployed between the sticks – to have graced the Premier League turf since its inception in 1992.

While they haven’t been as influential as their French counterparts, Spanish players make up some of the best in the Premier League and the current crop of players is no different. Rodri has become an ever-influential part of an imperious Manchester City side, Stefan Bajcetic is emerging as the hot prospect, while Thiago Alcântara is among the Liverpool ranks.

And, although none of the aforementioned trio are included, ranking the top 10 is certainly far from easy. That notion begs a series of questions. Where does David Silva rank? Do the likes of Pepe Reina and Cesar Azpilicueta make the cut? Without further ado, let’s take a trip down memory lane as we, GIVEMESPORT, rank the 10 best Spanish players to ever play in England’s top tier, factoring in their success on English soil and their overall impact on their teams.

1 David Silva

Games: 309, Goals: 60, Assists: 93

As already mentioned, David Silva was central to the majority of silverware the Citizens have claimed over the past 12 years. Starting off as a majestic winger and becoming a controlling midfielder, Silva reinvented himself on several occasions.

Ranked as the top division’s fifth-best passer ever, the Spaniard was a genuinely world-class talent throughout his time with City as opponents were often powerless to deny his dazzling brilliance – and with all club bias aside, any Premier League fan would at least have Silva in the top two of a list such as this. Silva lifted four Premier League titles during his decade with the club, while playing a vital role throughout his time in England. There is no doubt that he is up there, standing tall and firm, as the best Spaniard to have ever graced a Premier League pitch.

2 Cesc Fàbregas

Games: 350, Goals: 50, Assists: 111

Two stints in the league with two fierce London rivals saw Cesc Fàbregas mark his place in history. A young, energetic midfielder at Arsenal then became a more cultured and reserved ballplayer at Chelsea. Contributing plenty of goals and assists for both sides, he is remembered fondly by both sets of fans. He has provided the second most assists in the league's history with 111, only behind Ryan Giggs.

The league’s seventh-youngest goalscorer, the midfielder managed to fit a few years at Barcelona in between the two English clubs, and still holds this impressive record. He formed a strong relationship with Diego Costa as both players moved to Stamford Bridge to win the league in their debut campaigns. But more on the Spanish striker later...

3 Fernando Torres

Games: 212, Goals: 103, Assists: 12

Although his move to Chelsea is ranked as one of the worst ever in football history, the first couple of seasons Fernando Torres had at Anfield were truly special and propelled him into being viewed as an iconic figure in the league's history. He scored 33 goals in all competitions in the 2007/08 season after moving from Atlético Madrid.

The main reason behind Liverpool's failure to secure their first Premier League trophy in the following campaign was due to the injury issues Torres suffered. Had he been available on a more regular basis, there is a good chance the Reds would have lifted the title at the end of the season.

Tall, fast and strong, he was an absolute handful on his day for any defender. His spell at Chelsea - after making a £50 million move in 2011 - was not as notable despite winning the Champions League in 2012. The goal he scored at the Camp Nou will always be remembered - if not only for the noises emanating from Gary Neville on commentary.

4 Xabi Alonso

Games: 143, Goals: 14, Assists: 18

The first player on the list that performed brilliantly in the Premier League, but actually had his best years elsewhere. Known well for scoring during the 2005 Champions League win for Liverpool and finding the back of the net from his own half on two different occasions, Xabi Alonso was supremely talented.

He is still viewed by many Liverpool fans as the second most talented midfielder the club have had in the past two decades despite the recent success of the team. Now showing his intelligence for the game as manager of high-flying Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso won multiple league titles and Champions League trophies during spells at Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. It is unlikely to be a coincidence that his departure saw an immediate and dramatic drop-off from Liverpool but now, from a managerial standpoint, he has been mooted as a potential Pep Guardiola successor.

Manchester United parted ways with the man who has occupied the space between the sticks for the past 12 years in the summer of 2023 in order to head in a new direction. David de Gea was the last remaining member of the United squad to have won the league title back in 2013, in Sir Alex Ferguson's final campaign in management. Despite some shaky seasons along the way, the Spaniard - ranked as the sixth-best goalkeeper in Premier League history - was always a world-class shot-stopper for the Red Devils and even won the Golden Glove award in his final season at the club. Keeping 17 clean sheets is impressive as this meant the goalkeeper denied his opponents from scoring in almost half the games he played in the league.

We’re not talking about the 2023 version that struggled to make any impact at all on the league here. Instead, the post-2014 version of Diego Costa was an animal, and perhaps the hardest striker in the league to deal with at that time.

Linking up with a fellow Spaniard already named on this list, Costa was a key part in a title-winning campaign during his first year at the club. In his three years at Stamford Bridge, the forward found the back of the net on 52 occasions in only 89 appearances, becoming the 11th quickest Premier League star to reach the 50-goal milestone.

Averaging more than a goal every two games puts him up there with the best strikers in the league's history. Two league trophies later, and Costa moved back to Spain after a falling out with Antonio Conte, which could have always been expected with the two fiery personalities.

7 Santi Cazorla

Games: 129, Goals: 25, Assists: 36

Injuries and being part of an inconsistent Arsenal team are all that hold Santi Cazorla back from finishing higher in this list. In terms of talent, the little midfielder was a sensation with incredible technical ability, and he is in a very exclusive bunch of top flight players to have notched four assists in one game.

He was so talented that you could not convincingly say which was his weaker foot, and that can't be said for some football players. Despite his smaller frame and lack of pace, he was able to dominate games from the middle of the pitch and even chip in with some goals and assists.

A total of eight surgeries on an ankle injury slowed down his career significantly, with fears that he may never walk properly again. He did fight through this and got himself back on the pitch, but was never quite the same again, understandably. However, Cazorla remarkably played on and currently finds himself back at his boyhood club, Real Oviedo.

8 Juan Mata

Hailed as one of the cleverest footballers of all time, Juan Mata endured a strange time during his career in England. Moving over from Valencia to Chelsea, he took the league by storm immediately. The bulk of his success came in a blue shirt despite the majority of his years being played in the red of Man United.

He lifted the Champions League at the end of his first year at Chelsea, and the Europa League in the 2012/13 season. Being named the club's Player of the Season in both 2012 and 2013 shows just how much quality he possessed with stars such as Eden Hazard and Didier Drogba being at the club. Again, the move to United saw an initial impact before things slowed down a lot in his last few years. Having lost any pace he previously held, the playmaker found himself out of favour even though he was still one of the most talented squad members.

9 Cesar Azpilicueta

Games: 349, Goals: 10, Assists: 41

One player who moved on from the English game in the summer of 2023 is the former Chelsea captain. Cesar Azpilicueta, who arrived at Stamford Bridge in their best summer of the Premier League era, made more than 500 appearances for the Blues, playing in all positions across the back line.

The 33-year-old moved to Chelsea from Marseille in 2012, and went on to win two league titles, one Champions League and two Europa Leagues. He even scored 17 goals during his time at Stamford Bridge, but he called time on his days in London during the summer of 2023 when he decided to make the move to Atlético Madrid. A calm and composed figure on the pitch and a leader off it, he goes down as a legend in the blue half of London.

10 Pepe Reina

Games: 297, Goals Conceded: 267, Clean Sheets: 136

The longest and most fruitful spell of the goalkeeper's career was spent at Liverpool from 2005 to 2014 after his compatriot, Rafael Benitez, signed him from Villarreal on the back of the club winning the Champions League. Jerzy Dudek - the hero of that European final - was quickly forced to take a seat on the bench as Pepe Reina took over as the number one. There was never any danger that he would lose that place in the team for almost his whole time at Anfield with some sensational displays.

Not only was Reina a brilliant shot-stopper, but he was also very good with his feet as he set up counter-attacks for his side on a number of occasions. Liverpool fell marginally short of winning the league in 2008/09 in what was his best personal season, possibly in his whole career.

The departure of Benitez from the club saw a downturn in form for the keeper, as he struggled to ever re-capture his best. Brendan Rodgers' appointment in 2012 was the beginning of the end to a brilliant Premier League career for Reina, with him earning a spot .