Top 10 Portuguese Players to Play in the Premier League
The Premier League’s best Portuguese players
There has been an abundance of Portuguese exports to the Premier League since its inauguration in 1992!
From footballers who have been crucial in title victories to some of the greatest players to ever grace a football pitch, Portuguese players are some of the best, and many of those in this list helped Portugal win the European Championship in 2016.
In this post, read about the 10 best Portuguese players to play in the Premier League.
10. Joao Cancelo
The versatile fullback has been a revelation for Pep Guardiola’s side. Playing as an inverted fullback, he has provided endless creativity, as well as cover for the advanced midfielders for Manchester City.
Joao Cancelo has won two Premier League titles in his first three seasons with Manchester, recording 11 assists. He is certainly one of the greatest Premier League players originating from Portugal.
9. Joao Moutinho
Joining the Wolves in his 30s, the midfield orchestrator adapted instantly and has been vital for the Midlands under two different managers.
He joined the Premier League late in his career and yet he is still making a huge impact on the game.
8. Diogo Jota
Jota initially joined the Wolves in the Premier League, where he impressed fans by scoring 16 goals over two seasons.
However, he has significantly improved his game since Jurgen Klopp added him to his Liverpool side for £40 million.
He has scored 24 goals already in over 1000 minutes less than he played for the Wanderers. Jota will certainly rank much higher in future.
7. Luis Boa Morte
Luis Boa Morte is often deployed in the front line or as a forward-thinking midfielder. He often provided goals for all of his clubs.
The Fulham assistant manager is a legend of the club, but one of his most impressive achievements was becoming the first Portuguese player to win the Premier League with Arsenal in 1998.
Boa Morte recorded 29 goals in his Premier League career.
6. Bruno Fernandes
Despite experiencing a dip in form this season, Bruno has been crucial for Manchester United ever since making the move from Sporting Club.
His goalscoring record from midfield is nothing short of sensational. The 27-year-old has recorded 36 Premier League goals over three seasons. Half of these goals were scored in the 2020/21 season and earned him an appearance in the PFA Team of the Year in 2021.
5. Paulo Ferreira
Ferreira followed Jose Mourinho from Porto, where he won the UEFA Champions League with the legendary coach.
Paulo was ever reliable for Mourinho’s Chelsea. He is an exquisite defender and he has made 141 appearances for Chelsea, rarely making an error.
Paulo was a part of the exceptional Chelsea defence in 2004/05.
4. Nani
Nani was a magician on the football pitch, and he was explosive and skillful from either wing!
Due to inconsistency in his game, Nani failed to reach his true potential. Nevertheless, he won four Premier League titles in seven years at Old Trafford and earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year in 2011.
There’s no doubt that Nani is a Portuguese great of the league.
3. Bernardo Silva
Silva’s skill on the wing was phenomenal for Guardiola, and he boasts exceptional technical ability regarding his close control dribbling, passing and press resistance. He is also invaluable off the ball, tireless in his pressing.
The four-time Premier League winner was Manchester City’s Player of the Year in his 2nd title win in 2019.
2. Ricardo Carvalho
One of the best defenders to ever play in the Premier League, Carvalho was another vital asset to Mourinho’s Chelsea team.
In 2004/05, a partnership between Ricardo Carvalho and John Terry shipped just 15 goals in 38 games, which remains a Premier League record to this day.
Carvalho complimented the English defender perfectly, as he brought composure and exceptional reading of the game to proactively defend.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is perhaps the greatest player of all time, besides Lionel Messi. A young Ronaldo fresh from Lisbon lit up the Premier League, winning the competition three years running from 2007 to 2009.
In 2007/08, he recorded his best season in a Manchester United shirt, winning the Champions League and going on to win the first Ballon d’Or of his career.
Ronaldo rejoined the Premier League at the beginning of the past season and has recorded 18 league goals.
This has cemented his place as the greatest-ever Portuguese player to play in the top tier of English football, and one of Manchester United’s greatest-ever players.
