Following the acquisition of Riccardo Calafiori by Arsenal, there have been much inquisitiveness by individuals keen on knowing the best English Premier League signings from the Italian Serie A.
Calafiori is the latest import from the division to the English top-flight league and he will be keen on proving himself in the colors of Arsenal.
Over the years, we have seen several star names move to the Premier League with the hope of hitting the ground running in the country. Some didn’t turn out good. However, there are others, who produced magical scenes and etched their names into the annals of Premier League history.
Best English Premier League signings from the Italian Serie A
Without further ado, let’s drive you through an illustrious list of the best English Premier League signings from the Italian Serie A.
– Ruud Gullit
The Dutchman joined Chelsea on July 1, 1995, at the twilight of his football career and he produced great performances for the Stamford Bridge-based club.
Gullit managed to record 49 appearances for the Blues, scoring 4 goals and providing 4 assists.
– Alisson Becker
Becker joined Liverpool from AS Roma on July 19, 2018, and he has been magnificent in goal for the Reds.
Alisson Becker has made 201 Premier League appearances, recording 86 clean sheets, scoring 1 goal, and providing 3 assists.
The Brazilian has won 1 Premier League title with Liverpool, helping the club end their 30-year wait for the league crown in the 2019/20 season.
– Gianfranco Zola
The 58-year-old joined Chelsea from Parma for a fee of €6.2 million on November 8, 1996.
Zola accentuated his qualities for the Stamford Bridge-based club between 1996 and 2003, scoring 59 goals and providing 42 assists in 229 appearances.
– Dennis Bergkamp
Bergkamp moved to Arsenal from Inter Milan for a fee of €11.25 million on July 1, 1995, and he produced breathtaking performances at the club.
Dennis Bergkamp made 315 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 87 goals and providing 94 assists.
He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, and one of the greatest forwards in Premier League history.
Bergkamp has won 3 Premier League titles and he was amongst the invincibles that won the 2003/04 league crown.
In recognition of his stellar display during his career, he was included in the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021.
– Mohamed Salah
Salah had initially played in the Premier League with Chelsea, having joined the club in 2014 from Basel.
He went on several loan moves to Fiorentina and Roma before he was finally sold to the latter in 2016 for a fee of €15 million.
He couldn’t cut it at Chelsea but found a way to resuscitate his career in the Serie A with AS Roma.
Having excelled at the Rome-based club, Liverpool came for his services, paying €42 million to Roma and signing him in July 2017.
Mohamed Salah’s story has changed for good, as he is arguably the greatest player in Liverpool’s history.
Salah has made 263 Premier League appearances, scoring 157 goals and providing 69 assists.
The Egyptian played an instrumental role in Liverpool winning the Premier League title in the 2019/20 season.
Mohamed Salah was named the Premier League Player of the Season for the 2017/18 campaign.
Salah has also earned the Premier League’s Golden Boot three times (2017/18, 2018/19, and 2021/22).
– Patrick Vieira
The Frenchman played in the Premier League with Arsenal and Manchester City, but his hay days were certainly at the former.
Vieira was signed by Arsenal from AC Milan on August 14, 1996, for a fee of €5.35 million.
The 48-year-old is an icon of the Gunners, a leader par excellence, and a warrior, who controlled things in the middle of the park for the North London side.
Patrick Vieira Left Arsenal in 2005 to join Juventus for a fee of €20 million, before he was sold in August 2006 to Inter Milan for a fee of €9.5 million.
Subsequently, Vieira returned to England in January 2010, joining Manchester City on a free transfer.
Cumulatively, he made 307 Premier League appearances, scoring 31 goals and providing 34 assists.
Patrick Vieira won 3 Premier League titles and was the leader of the Arsenal side that went the entire season unbeaten.
Vieira won the Premier League Player of the Season award in 2000/01.
– Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo just finds a way to make every cracking list, right? Well, the football great returned to Manchester United in August 2021, from Juventus for a fee of €17 million.
His transfer remains the biggest move ever in Premier League history, in terms of traction and merchandise sales amongst others.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a stupendous 2021/22 season at Manchester United, scoring 18 goals and providing 3 assists in 30 appearances.
Ronaldo is still the only player to win the Ballon d’Or and FIFA TheBest award (2008) while playing in the Premier League, having claimed both honors during his first stint at Manchester United.
Across his two spells in the Premier League, Cristiano Ronaldo made 236 appearances, scoring 103 goals and providing 37 assists.
Ronaldo was named the Premier League Player of the Season on two occasions (2006/07, and 2007/08) and he won the Golden Boot once (2007/08).
Additionally, the 39-year-old won the Premier League three times.
– Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry joined Arsenal from Juventus on August 3, 1999, for a fee of €16.10 million.
Henry is arguably the greatest player in the history of Arsenal and one of the greatest players in Premier League history.
He delineated his brilliance in a swashbuckling manner, helping the Gunners secure the Premier League title twice.
Thierry Henry scored 175 goals and provided 74 assists in 258 appearances, a testament to his lethal nature in front of goal.
The 46-year-old was named the Premier League Player of the Season on two occasions (2003/04 and 2005/06).
He took home the league’s Golden Boot four different times (2001/02, 2003/04, 2004/05, and 2005/06).
