Following Martin Zubimendi's move to Arsenal, football writer Ninad Barbadikar highlights the Premier League's most successful players from Spain.
Martin Zubimendi is one for Arsenal’s present and future.
By signing his compatriot from Real Sociedad, Mikel Arteta has acquired another talented midfielder whose qualities complement players such as Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard.
Zubimendi is the third Spanish player to arrive on Premier League shores this summer, following Newcastle United’s move for Antonio Cordero and Fer Lopez’s transfer to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He will be joining an illustrious list of Spanish talent to have played in the competition. Here, we have selected 11 of the best examples.
David Silva (Man City)
Having won 214 of his 309 Premier League matches, Silva is the most successful Spanish international to play in the Premier League.
Arriving from Valencia in the summer of 2010, the diminutive playmaker wasted little time in showing Manchester City fans what he was all about, reaching double figures for goals and assists combined in his debut season.
The consistency and ingenuity of his performances prompted his then team-mate Carlos Tevez to hail him as the "best signing City have ever made", whilst speaking to club media. Silva’s quality ensured that he was a mainstay in every City starting XI across different managers from Roberto Mancini to Pep Guardiola.
Under Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini, Silva played on the wing as well as a No 10 role. When Guardiola arrived, Silva adjusted to his methods too, pulling strings from deeper and becoming more of a facilitator for players including Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling.
Such was the level of Silva’s excellence that even Guardiola was taken aback by how well the Spaniard adjusted to life in the Premier League and continued to thrive.
"He's not box-to-box and my image of English football before I came here was that maybe he was going to suffer," said Guardiola. "But I'm happy that my first impression has been proved wrong."
When Silva eventually called time on his Premier League career, he had amassed a total of 60 goals and 93 assists for City across 10 seasons in which he became a four-time Premier League title winner. He was also selected for the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions.
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal, Chelsea)
Fabregas made his Arsenal debut in an EFL Cup tie at the age of only 16 years and 177 days, at the time becoming the club's youngest-ever first-team player. Little did he anticipate then that his name would go on to become synonymous with Arsene Wenger’s teams of that 2000s era.
With the Gunners, he made 212 Premier League appearances and established himself as a first-team regular in the "Invincibles" era before later becoming the club captain.
Fabregas moved on from Arsenal in 2011 to play for Barcelona before returning to the Premier League with Chelsea in 2014.
At Chelsea, the Spaniard would go on to win the Premier League twice, under Jose Mourinho in 2014/15 and Antonio Conte in 2016/17.
Conte said at the time: "Cesc gives you great quality, great fantasy and assists. He's technically very good, and can put the ball where he wants. He's a great player. Often, he's decisive with the pass, with the assist, and also to score a goal."
In total, Fabregas made 350 Premier League appearances, which is the most of any Spaniard to have played in the division. Furthermore, his record of 111 assists in the competition is the third-highest of all-time among all nationalities, truly marking him as one of the league’s greatest players.
Rodri (Man City)
The only active Premier League midfielder on this list, Rodri quickly established himself as an invaluable player for Guardiola’s Man City. After joining the club in 2019, he arguably had the biggest hand in their four consecutive Premier League titles between 2020/21 and 2023/24.
The 2024 Ballon d'Or winner's influence on Guardiola’s methods and his side’s success is evidenced by City's struggles during the 2024/25 season, when his absence due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus injury kept him out until the final weeks of the campaign.
Rodri’s work as a holding midfielder in protecting City’s backline, constantly providing elite ball progression as well as scoring important goals, makes him one of the best midfielders in the modern Premier League era.
In 175 appearances so far, he has scored 22 times and registered 21 assists, and is already one of his country’s greats to grace the Premier League.
Fernando Torres (Liverpool, Chelsea)
Rightly regarded as one of the finest foreign strikers to play in the Premier League, Torres - known as El Nino (The Kid) - arrived in Merseyside from Atletico Madrid, signing for Liverpool in the summer of 2007 as a precocious young forward.
Under Rafael Benitez, Torres scored 24 times at Liverpool in his debut season, 2007/08. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year and was shortlisted for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year awards.
In three-and-a-half seasons at Anfield, Torres scored 65 goals in 102 Premier League matches, firmly establishing himself as one of the division's most devastating strikers in the late 2000s. He scored his 50th Premier League goal on his 72nd appearance, a feat later matched by Mohamed Salah; only four players have reached that milestone in fewer games: Erling Haaland (48), Andy Cole (650, Alan Shearer (66) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (68).
Torres moved to Chelsea in January 2011 and contributed crucial goals to the Blues across his three-year spell, helping them to win the UEFA Champions League, the Europa League and the FA Cup.
On the international stage, Torres was part of Spain's 2010 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, and also featured in the European Championship-winning teams of 2008 and 2012.
In 212 Premier League appearances, Torres recorded 114 goal contributions - 85 goals and 29 assists - to forever etch his name in the competition's history.
Xabi Alonso (Liverpool)
A key component of Benitez’s Spanish revolution at Liverpool, Alonso signed in the summer of 2004 and went on to become one of the club’s all-time greats.
Alonso quickly adjusted to the levels of the Premier League, having initially arrived as a technical midfielder without a great deal of physicality.
Alonso’s captain at Liverpool, Steven Gerrard, recalled his reaction at the Spaniard’s skill in his first training session and his subsequent influence on the team.
"I thought to myself: 'Top signing.' Pure class. Touch, vision, the creative works,” said Premier League Hall of Fame inductee Gerrard, quoted in the Daily Mail.
"He [Alonso] was, by some distance, the best central midfielder I ever played alongside."
Alonso signed off his debut season with Liverpool with a career highlight, winning the Champions League in 2005. He went on to win the UEFA Super Cup later that year, followed by the FA Cup in 2006.
David De Gea (Man Utd)
De Gea was one of the most influential players for Manchester United in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Signed ahead of 2011/12, Ferguson's penultimate season as manager, De Gea had a tough introduction to life in English football as he adapted to the more physical nature of the game. However, he went to excel as one of the Premier League's finest shot-stoppers and made 415 appearances in the competition, more than any other Spaniard.
De Gea twice won the Golden Glove award for keeping the most clean sheets, in 2017/18 and 2022/23. In the first of those seasons, his performances helped Man Utd to finish second - their highest final position since Ferguson retired in 2013. He became the first goalkeeper in over six years to win the Premier League's Player of the Month award when he collected this in January 2022.
De Gea was composed between the sticks in high-pressure situations and on his day, seemingly impossible to beat. He kept 147 clean sheets in the Premier League, a tally that has only been bettered by Petr Cech's 161 for Chelsea and Arsenal.
The Spain international won the 2012/13 Premier League title during his time at Man Utd, as well as the FA Cup, Europa League and two EFL Cups.
Santi Cazorla (Arsenal)
When one thinks of two-footed playmakers to have played in the Premier League, Cazorla’s name usually features high on the list.
Signed by Wenger in the summer of 2012, Cazorla quickly became a favourite at Arsenal, playing every single league minute in his debut season.
His versatility as a midfielder was hugely important for the Gunners - he was able to play as a typical central midfielder, a deep-lying midfielder, a winger or traditional No 10, according to what the team needed at the time.
Cazorla was equally comfortable on his left or right foot, and combined with his low centre of gravity, he was a difficult player to mark. So much so that Wigan Athletic failed to prevent any of his four assists in a 4-1 thrashing in 2012/13 which helped the Gunners to Champions League qualification and relegated the Latics in the process.
Although the second half of his Premier League career was plagued by injuries, Cazorla racked up 25 goals and 35 assists during his 129 appearances in the league, before moving on from Emirates Stadium at the end of his contract.
Juan Mata (Chelsea, Man Utd)
Mata was another highly technical midfielder who joined the Premier League around the same period as Cazorla, and he went on to become one of the league’s most recognisable names during his time in England.
He was signed by Andre Villas-Boas in the 2011/12 season and played an important part in Chelsea winning the Champions League and FA Cup.
When Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League in the following campaign and dropped into the Europa League, Mata played an instrumental role in his club winning the latter competition. Also in 2012/13, he scored 12 goals and assisted 12 in the Premier League - both were his best tallies in the competition.
Mata switched to Man Utd in January 2014, and he went on to play for them for the best part of a decade.
He proved to be popular with fans, forever etching his name in club folklore with a sublime display at Anfield where he scored two crucial goals to help Man Utd beat their arch-rivals.
By the end of his Premier League career, Mata had made 278 appearances in the competition, amassing a total of 106 goals and assists combined.
Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
A pillar of consistency across Chelsea sides in the 2010s and early 2020s, Azpilicueta was arguably one of the finest Spaniards to ever play for the Blues.
Arriving from Ligue 1 giants Marseille in the summer of 2012, he went on to spend 11 trophy-laden years at Chelsea, racking up more than 500 matches in all competitions by the time he left. This put him sixth on the club’s all-time appearances list.
Azpilicueta’s longevity and consistent presence in Chelsea starting XIs was down to his leadership qualities, hardworking nature on and off the ball and dedication to being the ultimate team-player.
In his time at Stamford Bridge, Azpilicueta’s trophy haul included two Premier League titles, two Europa League triumphs, one Champions League and one UEFA Super Cup.
Across 349 Premier League appearances, Azpilicueta would help Chelsea keep 115 clean sheets. At the other end of the pitch, he scored 10 goals and registered 35 assists.
Pepe Reina (Liverpool, Aston Villa)
Reina established himself as one of the Premier League’s most reliable goalkeepers during his first spell in the league with Liverpool.
He joined the club in 2005 under Benitez, with the first three years perhaps his best on an individual level, as he won the Golden Glove in three consecutive seasons: 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08.
In terms of team honours with Liverpool, Reina won the FA Cup, League Cup and the Super Cup.
With a total of 291 Premier League appearances and 136 clean sheets for Liverpool and later Aston Villa on loan, Reina is regarded as one of the finest 'keepers to have played in the competition.
Diego Costa (Chelsea, Wolves)
Last but certainly not the least, Costa was a menace for defences to handle, a true force of nature.
The Spaniard, who was born in Brazil, joined Chelsea in the summer of 2014. He made an instant impact in the Premier League, scoring 20 goals to help his new club win the title under Mourinho. Chelsea also won the League Cup in Costa's first season.
He would later win the league again under Conte in 2016/17, before returning to Spain in the summer of 2017.
Costa was a battering ram of a striker who was a deadly finisher in the box. In total, he scored 52 goals in 89 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, and he later returned to the competition with one goal and 23 matches in a loan spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
His tally of 53 goals makes him the third-highest scorer from Spain in Premier League history, behind only Torres (85) and Silva (53).