5 Premier League teams with the most foreign players at the moment
Premier League clubs using foreign talent rather than domestic players has been a hot topic of discussion for years now.
Whether foreign players hinder the development of young talent, or whether they complement and help them grow remains a strong point of debate. But one thing is for sure: the influx of foreign talent in the Premier League might never stop.
Currently there are 347 foreign players who are plying their trade in the Premier League. To put that into context, more than 60% of the players playing in the Premier League come from outside England.
While many might think that it is the traditional Premier League 'Big Six' who would have the most number of foreign players, there's only one team from that group that ranks among the five clubs with the most foreign players.
On that note, here's a look at the five Premier League teams who have the most foreign players in their squad at the moment.
(Note - All figures are accurate as of 28th August, 2021).
#5 Chelsea - 20
Chelsea have been one of the top-spending clubs in the transfer window in the 21st century. The London club mostly sign superstars from other leagues to be successful in the Premier League and European competitions. Since Roman Abramovich took over in 2003, the club has never shied away from spending big in the transfer market.
The Blues' current squad is no different, as it boasts 20 foreign players in their ranks. Romelu Lukaku is the latest foreign addition, joining the club from Inter Milan this summer.
During last season's spending spree, the Blues signed several foreign players in their squad, which included the German duo of Kai Havertz and Timo Werner. Alongside them were Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech, Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy and Brazilian veteran Thiago Silva, who also arrived at the club.
Alongside the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho, N'Golo Kante and Antonio Rudiger, these new additions played a key role in Chelsea's Champions League win last season.
With a decent mix of homegrown and foreign players in their squad right now, Chelsea will hope to continue their success this season.
#4 Norwich City - 22
Norwich City have been a sort of yo-yo club in the last decade, moving between the Championship and the Premier League every few seasons. The club were relegated in the 2019-20 Premier League, but returned to the top flight this summer after winning last season's Championship.
The club have made numerous foreign additions to their ranks; Norwich now have 22 foreign players in their squad, which is third-highest in the Premier League.
Midfielder Milot Rashica was the first to arrive this summer. He was signed from Werder Bremen for a fee of around £10 million. He was followed by Dimitrios Giannoulis, Pierre Lees-Melou, Joshua Sargent and Christos Tzolis. Chelsea youngster Billy Gilmour also arrived at the club on loan.
Norwich already have several foreign players in their squad who have been a crucial part of the team in recent years. Finland striker Teemu Pukki has been their main forward since joining the club in 2018.
The striker has scored 67 goals in 128 matches for the club. Dutch goalkeeper Tim Krul has also been a key player for Norwich between the sticks, while captain Grant Hanley, who hails from Scotland, has also been a crucial part of the club.
Norwich will hope the new additions coupled with their experienced players can help them avoid Premier League relegation this season. However, they have not made the best of starts to the new season, losing their opening two league games.