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The Premier League will have, for the second season in its history, Brazil dominating among foreign players.
In the match that marks the kick-off of the championship, the country has two representatives: City’s goalkeeper Ederson and Burnley’s defender Vitinho. They provide a small sample of the 33 Brazilians who are starting the tournament under contracts with the 20 participating teams. This number could change in the coming hours, as the European transfer market is still in flux.
But even if the number decreases – for instance, with the potential departure of Philippe Coutinho from Aston Villa – Brazil is unlikely to relinquish its position at the top of the list. France, a country that held the top spot for years, has 28 players; Spain, another powerhouse in Premier League history, has 23; Portugal and Ireland round out the top 5, each with 21 players.
The Brazilian presence in the Premier League ranges from national team players like Thiago Silva (Chelsea), Alisson (Liverpool), Casemiro (Manchester United), and Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), to players who might not be as well-known to the domestic audience, such as Igor and João Pedro (Brighton), Diego Carlos (Aston Villa), and Vitinho himself, who opens the competition defending Burnley, the Championship titleholders, the local second division.
“Everyone knows that in Brazil, good players are born every day. The individual quality is distinct. What might lag behind is the mindset, which differs from that of the Europeans. But things are changing, new players are arriving and learning,” the right-back expressed to UOL, who will face the reigning Manchester City already in his elite debut.
There are also cases like that of defender Lyanco, who was relegated with Southampton but remains with the club in the Championship; and winger Tetê, who experienced relegation with Leicester, didn’t have his loan extended, and is now negotiating with Galatasaray in Turkey.
Among the arrivals, notable names include Matheus França, a product of Flamengo’s youth system and newly signed by Crystal Palace, and João Pedro, who emerged from Fluminense’s ranks and returns to the Premier League after two stints in the second division with Watford, the club he had been with since 2020. Midfielder Vinicius Souza, formerly of Flamengo, will be the sole Brazilian in Sheffield United after a strong season with Espanyol, despite the Catalan team’s relegation from La Liga.
At Chelsea, Andrey Santos had a strong preseason and will remain in the squad; Ângelo, recently acquired by Santos, was loaned to Strasbourg in France to gain experience in Europe.
Brighton (2)
João Pedro, Igor
Burnley (1)
Vitinho
Chelsea (2)
Thiago Silva, Andrey Santos
Crystal Palace (1)
Matheus França
Fulham (4)
Andreas Pereira, Willian, Carlos Vinícius, Rodrigo Muniz
Liverpool (1)
Alisson
Newcastle (2)
Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton
Manchester City (1)
Ederson
Manchester United (2)
Antony, Casemiro
Nottingham Forest (3)
Danilo, Gustavo Scarpa, Felipe
Tottenham (2)
Richarlison, Emerson Royal
Sheffield United (1)
Vini Souza
West Ham (1)
Lucas Paquetá
Wolverhampton (2)
João Gomes, Matheus Cunha
Source: UOL