Argentina is a country renowned for producing football talent and we have taken a look at the five best players to have graced the Premier League that also hail from the South American country.
A total of 71 players from Argentina have played in the Premier League since Horacio Carbonari and Juan Cobian made their respective debuts for Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday on August 15, 1998.
Some players on that list have gone to become Premier League greats, but for every Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez there have also been some questionable imports from Argentina, does anyone remember the masked celebrations of former Fulham striker Facundo Sava or Ignacio Scocco’s goalless stint at Sunderland?
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero are among the seven Argentinians currently plying their trade in the English top flight, but do any of them make that list? Find out below.
Sergio Aguero – Appearances 275 Goals 184
Not many people would argue against former Manchester City star Aguero being the greatest Argentine to ever grace the Premier League.
The 33-year-old is not only the fourth-highest scorer in the division’s history, but he has also netted more goals than any non-English player, while out of all the players to have struck more than 100 goals in the Premier League, only Thierry Henry boasts a better ratio.
Aguero won five Premier League titles and one Golden Boot during a decade-long stay with City, while he is also responsible for the most iconic moment in the league’s history….. AGUEROOOOOOOOO anyone?
Carlos Tevez – Appearances 202 Goals 84
Another striker that made a big impact on the Premier League was Tevez, who after almost single-handedly saving West Ham United from relegation in 2007, went on to win league titles at both Manchester United and Manchester City.
Ever the colourful character – you need to be to swap United for City – Tevez ended his stay in England having won everything there is to win, while he remains second behind Aguero as the highest-scoring Argentinian to have played in the Premier League.
Now 38, Tevez is without a club after ending his third spell with Boca Juniors last summer. He has not officially retired so who knows, maybe he could even return to the Premier League at some stage.
Pablo Zabaleta – Appearances 303 Goals 9
Another player that enjoyed huge success in England was the versatile Zabaleta, who joined Manchester City in a low-key deal as a midfielder in 2008, but left nine years later as an acclaimed fullback.
Zabaleta lifted two Premier League titles with City before enjoying a three-year stint with West Ham at the end of his career that preceded his retirement in 2020.
The now 37-year-old has made more appearances in the Premier League than any other Argentinian, a record that does not look like being broken anytime soon.
Leonardo Ulloa – Appearances 96 Goals 19
When Ulloa made the step up to the Premier League with Leicester City in 2014 he was seen as something of a journeyman striker. By the time he left the division four years later, he was a title winner and part of one of the greatest shocks in sporting history.
After playing a major role in Leicester’s escape from relegation in 2015 – he was the club’s leading scorer with 11 goals – Ulloa was then part of the Foxes side that defied their 5000-1 odds by winning the Premier League title the following year.
Ulloa contributed six goals during that title success and proved the perfect foil for the likes of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.
The 35-year-old spent two more seasons at the King Power Stadium, alongside a loan spell with former club Brighton and Hove Albion, before he left in 2018. He was most recently with Rayo Vallecano, helping them to La Liga promotion last season.
Manuel Lanzini – Appearances 161 Goals 25
The only current Premier League player to make the list is West Ham attacking midfielder Lanzini, who has spent the last seven years in East London, initially joining on loan in 2015 before making the move permanent the following year.
Lanzini’s time in England has been solid if unspectacular, with his longevity seeing him sit behind only Aguero and Tevez as the leading Argentinian scorer in the Premier League, while he is sixth on the list when it comes to most assists.
The 29-year-old has also played his part in West Ham’s transformation from a struggling side into European contenders under David Moyes over the last two seasons.
It has to be said Lanzini also has an eye for the dramatic and spectacular, as proved by his memorable 94th-minute equaliser against Tottenham last season, a goal that completed West Ham’s comeback from 3-0 down to draw 3-3.
