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The Premier League has always been graced by some world-class players. A good number of those players have been foreigners in England yet their contribution to the league is incomparable.
The likes of Thierry Henry, David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Robin van Persie, Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba and many others have been a blessing in the history of the Premier League. They came, they blossomed and made the league one of the finest courtesy of their talent and performances.
Premier League continues to attract the best foreign talent
With all such great foreigners blessing the Premier League, their importance cannot be undermined. Some of them have come from a very young age and grown into finished products of the highest order.
At the moment, the Premier League has one of the world's best players, which includes a lot of foreigners. On that note, we take a detailed look at five of the best foreign players in the Premier League at the moment. They have been ranked considering their caliber, form and achievements overall as a player.
#5 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk started his career with Groningen in the Eredivise. After being promoted to the senior team, the Dutch defender went on to join Celtic in the summer of 2013.
With the Hoops, Van Dijk went on to win the Scottish Premier League for three consecutive seasons. His impressive form earned him a move to the Premier League in the summer of 2015 when he joined Southampton. In his second season, he was named the captain of the Saints.
After numerous attempts to sign the Dutchman, Liverpool finally managed to get his signature in the winter of 2018. Ever since then, Van Dijk has been an integral part of the Merseyside club. Under Jurgen Klopp's management, he has turned into one of the best defenders in the Premier League and in the world.
The centre-back has been a rock at the back for Liverpool and remains a very key player for them. Having won both the UEFA Champions League and the Premier League with the Reds, Van Dijk will surely look to win more in the future.
The Dutchman was quite unlucky having lost the Ballon d'Or to Lionel Messi in 2019 by just seven points. It is hard to find a defender of Van Dijk's quality right now.
#4 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
The former Chelsea man is now a regular face in the Premier League. When he left the Blues to play in the Bundesliga, not many knew the potential of Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian proved himself in the German league and came out with flying colors.
He was signed by Manchester City in the summer of 2015 and since then he has been a big player for them. With his amazing range of passing and vision, De Bruyne has become indispensable at Manchester City. He's good with both his feet and can score some stunning long-range goals. His intelligence combined with his understanding of the game makes him a beast of a player to have in your team.
On his day, De Bruyne can dictate the game with utter ease and he has frequently done that with Manchester City. In his 182 Premier League appearances so far, the Belgian midfielder has contributed directly to 120 goals. In the process, he has won the league title thrice.
Under Pep Guardiola, the former Wolfsburg player has blossomed into an extraordinary attacking midfielder. He was the Premier League Player of the season in the 2019-20 season. With the qualities he possesses, De Bruyne is without a doubt one of the best midfielders in the world.
#3 N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
The Premier League will see a lot of quality midfielders in the future but surely none of them will be as humble and down to earth as N'Golo Kante. The Frenchman was signed from Caen by Leicester City in the summer of 2015.
Ever since his arrival in the Premier League, Kante has been a delight to watch. With his tireless work-rate, superb energy, amazing positioning and ball-winning capabilities, he has been a tank in midfield. It's like having an extra player on the pitch. The French midfielder had a memorable time with Leicester City as he played a vital role in winning the 2015-16 Premier League season.
Kante joined Chelsea the following season and has been a constant for them. With the dynamism and discipline he can provide in midfield, he has been an asset for the Blues. The 2018 World Cup winner has won the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup with the London club. He remains a vital cog in Chelsea's ambition to win the league this season.
#2 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah is one of the best players in the world right now given his stellar form. The former Chelsea man joined Liverpool in 2017 following an impressive spell with Roma in Serie A.
Ever since then, Salah has led the Reds with some fine performances on the pitch time and again. With his mind-boggling dribbling skills and amazing close-control of the ball, the Egyptian can create goals at will. It is not just about creating but the forward has been a goal-scoring machine in the Premier League.
Currently, Salah has scored 104 league goals and assisted in 38 others in his 166 appearances so far. It's a phenomenal record for a winger. He's won the Premier League Golden Boot twice and was named Premier League Player of the Season for the 2017-18 season.
Jurgen Klopp relies heavily on Salah to make a difference and the Egyptian has seldom disappointed. The 29-year old played a major role in helping Liverpool win the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Speaking of the best players, it is impossible to miss out on Cristiano Ronaldo's name. The Portuguese superstar is without a doubt one of the best players ever to play the game.
He signed for Manchester United in 2003 from Sporting Lisbon. Under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo became one of the star players in the Premier League. His dribbling skills, quick feet and amazing eye to score goals made him a world-class player. He left the Red Devils in 2009 to play for Real Madrid and then joined Juventus in 2018.
However, Ronaldo returned to Manchester United this summer to help Ole Gunnar Solskjaer win some silverware. In his first spell at United, he scored goals for fun and this season too he has been among the goals for the 20-time English league champions.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner still has a lot to offer at the age of 36 and there is no stopping him. Ronaldo has won the Premier League three times with Manchester United and will be hoping to win it at least once more before he hangs up his boot. All things considered, Ronaldo surely ranks as the best foreigner in the Premier League right now.
