South American Players With the Most Premier League Appearances for Every Big Six Club
South America has produced some of the most electrifying players in Premier League history. Argentina and Brazil lead the way, dominating the lists of South American appearance-makers across the Big Six. Here are the ten South American players with the most Premier League appearances for each of the Big Six clubs.
This list overlaps with Club Ten's 19 August daily puzzles across all six clubs, spoiler warning if you haven't played those yet.
Arsenal's South American players with the most Premier League appearances
Arsenal's South American contingent is almost entirely Brazilian, topped by Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhães, two pillars of Mikel Arteta's title-challenging sides. Chile's Alexis Sánchez, fourth with 122 appearances, remains one of the most gifted South Americans to play for the club. Gilberto Silva, who anchored the Invincibles midfield, sits third.
| # | Player | Nation | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabriel Martinelli | Brazil | 191 |
| 2 | Gabriel Magalhães | Brazil | 189 |
| 3 | Gilberto Silva | Brazil | 170 |
| 4 | Alexis Sánchez | Chile | 122 |
| 5 | Denílson | Brazil | 96 |
| 6 | Gabriel Jesus | Brazil | 84 |
| 7 | Edu | Brazil | 79 |
| 8 | Sylvinho | Brazil | 55 |
| 9 | David Luiz | Brazil | 53 |
| 10 | Gabriel Paulista | Brazil | 46 |
Chelsea's South American players with the most Premier League appearances
Chelsea's South American list is more diverse than most, with Argentina represented by Enzo Fernández and Hernán Crespo alongside Brazil's long list of contributors. Willian leads the club's list outright with 234 appearances, while Moisés Caicedo of Ecuador is a reminder that South American talent extends beyond the continent's two giants.
| # | Player | Nation | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Willian | Brazil | 234 |
| 2 | David Luiz | Brazil | 160 |
| 3 | Ramires | Brazil | 159 |
| 4 | Oscar | Brazil | 131 |
| 5 | Enzo Fernández | Argentina | 118 |
| 6 | Thiago Silva | Brazil | 113 |
| 7 | Moisés Caicedo | Ecuador | 106 |
| 8 | Alex | Brazil | 86 |
| 9 | Juliano Belletti | Brazil | 54 |
| 10 | Hernán Crespo | Argentina | 49 |
Liverpool's South American players with the most Premier League appearances
Liverpool's South American list is led by Roberto Firmino, the Brazilian who became one of the most beloved players in the club's modern era despite never being the obvious star. Luis Suárez (Uruguay) sits sixth, a reminder of one of the most compelling and controversial players the Premier League has ever seen. Argentina's Alexis Mac Allister and Javier Mascherano, and Colombia's Luis Díaz, broaden the mix.
| # | Player | Nation | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roberto Firmino | Brazil | 256 |
| 2 | Alisson | Brazil | 255 |
| 3 | Lucas Leiva | Brazil | 247 |
| 4 | Philippe Coutinho | Brazil | 152 |
| 5 | Fabinho | Brazil | 151 |
| 6 | Luis Suárez | Uruguay | 110 |
| 7 | Alexis Mac Allister | Argentina | 105 |
| 8 | Luis Díaz | Colombia | 103 |
| 9 | Javier Mascherano | Argentina | 99 |
| 10 | Fábio Aurélio | Brazil | 87 |
Manchester City's South American players with the most Premier League appearances
Manchester City's South American list is split evenly between Brazil and Argentina, the two nations who have defined City's dominance. Ederson and Fernandinho lead the Brazilians; Sergio Agüero and Pablo Zabaleta are Argentina's contribution, with Zabaleta's 230 appearances across nine seasons making him one of the most durable outfield players the club has had. Carlos Tevez and Julián Álvarez, two very different generations of Argentine forwards, both feature.
| # | Player | Nation | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ederson | Brazil | 276 |
| 2 | Sergio Agüero | Argentina | 275 |
| 3 | Fernandinho | Brazil | 264 |
| 4 | Pablo Zabaleta | Argentina | 230 |
| 5 | Gabriel Jesus | Brazil | 159 |
| 6 | Nicolás Otamendi | Argentina | 136 |
| 7 | Carlos Tevez | Argentina | 113 |
| 8 | Fernando | Brazil | 101 |
| 9 | Julián Álvarez | Argentina | 67 |
| 10 | Elano | Brazil | 62 |
Manchester United's South American players with the most Premier League appearances
Antonio Valencia of Ecuador leads United's South American list, a converted winger who became one of the club's most reliable right-backs. The Brazilian contingent of Fred, Casemiro, Rafael and Anderson accounts for the bulk of appearances. Argentina's Alejandro Garnacho, Lisandro Martínez and Marcos Rojo represent a different era of South American input at Old Trafford.
| # | Player | Nation | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antonio Valencia | Ecuador | 241 |
| 2 | Fred | Brazil | 139 |
| 3 | Casemiro | Brazil | 111 |
| 4 | Rafael | Brazil | 109 |
| 5 | Anderson | Brazil | 105 |
| 6 | Alejandro Garnacho | Argentina | 93 |
| 7 | Lisandro Martínez | Argentina | 76 |
| 7 | Marcos Rojo | Argentina | 76 |
| 9 | Carlos Tevez | Argentina | 63 |
| 9 | Diego Forlán | Uruguay | 63 |
Tottenham's South American players with the most Premier League appearances
Spurs' South American list is headlined by Argentina's Erik Lamela, a cult figure at White Hart Lane whose rabona goal against Arsenal in the 2021 North London derby remains one of the most audacious in Premier League history. Cristian Romero has become a key figure in Tottenham's defence. Colombia's Davinson Sánchez and Argentina's Mauricio Taricco, a full-back from the club's late-1990s sides, round out a list that spans three different decades.
| # | Player | Nation | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erik Lamela | Argentina | 177 |
| 2 | Lucas Moura | Brazil | 152 |
| 3 | Davinson Sánchez | Colombia | 143 |
| 4 | Mauricio Taricco | Argentina | 130 |
| 5 | Cristian Romero | Argentina | 123 |
| 6 | Rodrigo Bentancur | Uruguay | 110 |
| 7 | Richarlison | Brazil | 102 |
| 8 | Heurelho Gomes | Brazil | 95 |
| 9 | Gus Poyet | Uruguay | 82 |
| 10 | Sandro | Brazil | 81 |
Who leads each Big Six club?
Gabriel Martinelli leads Arsenal, Willian leads Chelsea, Roberto Firmino leads Liverpool, Ederson leads Manchester City, Antonio Valencia leads Manchester United, and Erik Lamela leads Tottenham.
Brazil's outsized share
Add up all sixty slots across these six lists and the split is stark: 35 are Brazilian, 16 Argentine, and just 9 spread across every other South American nation combined, Uruguay, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador and the rest sharing what's left. Arsenal's list is nine-tenths Brazilian. Liverpool's is six of ten. Only Manchester City comes close to an even split between the continent's two footballing giants. Between them, Brazil and Argentina account for 51 of the 60 places across the six lists, an extraordinary 85%, from a continent of ten countries.
The smaller nations that broke through anyway
Ecuador supplies just two names across all sixty slots. Antonio Valencia leads Manchester United's entire South American contingent outright, while Moisés Caicedo ranks seventh at Chelsea, a smaller share of the list, but still a real presence at a club where Brazilian and Argentine players otherwise dominate. Uruguay does something similar in miniature: Luis Suárez sits sixth at Liverpool and Rodrigo Bentancur sixth at Tottenham, while Diego Forlán and Gus Poyet round out the bottom of United's and Spurs' lists respectively, a small but persistent Uruguayan footprint despite the country supplying a fraction of the volume Brazil and Argentina do.
Methodology & sources
Nationality is based on senior international representation, not birthplace. A player born in a CONMEBOL country who represented a different nation at senior level isn't counted here. Ranked by total Premier League appearances (starts and substitute appearances combined) for the club in question. Players level on appearances are shown as tied. Figures are cross-checked against Wikipedia's season-by-season appearance tables, Premier League's official player statistics pages, and each club's official historical records before publication. Data runs through the end of the 2025/26 season and does not reflect the 2026 summer transfer window.
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