Italians might not go overseas in the identical numbers as different large European footballing powers, however loads have had a crack on the Premier League over time.
Right here, we check out those that have made the largest impression on the English prime flight since 1993.
(Spoiler alert: Andrea Silenzi, the primary Italian to play within the Prem, didn’t make the lower…).
Sandro Tonali
Sandro Tonali turned the most costly Italian footballer of all time when he joined Newcastle from Milan for £55m forward of the 2023/24 season – however the Magpies must make do with out him for many of the marketing campaign, after he was handed a 10-month ban for breaking betting guidelines.
However when the midfielder returned to motion early within the 2024/25 marketing campaign, he confirmed what his crew had been lacking along with his class as a deep-lying playmaker.
Guglielmo Vicario
One other summer time 2023 Premier League arrival, Guglielmo Vicario rapidly established himself among the many English prime flight’s standout goalkeepers, enjoying all 38 video games of the 2023/24 marketing campaign for Tottenham.
The previous Empoli and Venezia custodian was named Goalkeeper of the Yr on the 2024 London Soccer Awards, shortly earlier than making his worldwide debut.
Gianluca Festa
An all-action centre-back who had beforehand performed for Cagliari, Inter and Roma, Gianluca Festa was one of many first Italians to characteristic within the Premier League, arriving at Middlesbrough halfway by the 1996/97 season – and scoring on his debut in opposition to Sheffield Wednesday.
Festa remained with Boro after their relegation that time period and helped them make an instantaneous return to the highest flight, staying on Teesside till 2002.
Attilio Lombardo
Capped 18 occasions by Italy, tireless winger Attilio Lombardo joined Crystal Palace in 1997 and located the web on his debut in opposition to Everton.
The ex-Sampdoria and Juventus star dazzled for the Eagles, incomes himself a recall to the nationwide crew set-up, and ended up serving as caretaker player-manager after Steve Coppell moved into the director of soccer function.
Davide Santon
Prodigious left-back Davide Santon moved from Inter to Newcastle late in the summertime 2011 switch window and went on to make 82 Premier League appearances for Tyneside’s best.
The eight-cap Italy worldwide loved his greatest marketing campaign in 2012/13, serving to the Magpies keep away from relegation and scooping the Magpies’ Participant of the Yr award.
Angelo Ogbonna
A dependable presence on the coronary heart of the West Ham defence for plenty of years, Angelo Ogbonna signed from Juventus in the summertime of 2015.
He went on to make 201 Premier League appearances for the Hammers, serving to them end seventh in his first season with the membership and sixth in 2020/21.
Graziano Pelle
In comparison with compatriot Luca Toni for his spectacular target-man attributes, Graziano Pelle made his mark on English soccer with Southampton.
Signed from Feyenoord in 2014, Pelle scored 23 Premier League objectives in two seasons as a Saints participant, profitable Participant of the Month in September of his first marketing campaign – a month throughout which he produced an unbelievable bicycle kick to safe victory over QPR.
Carlo Cudicini
Introduced in from Italian lower-league outfit Castel di Sangro in 1999, Carlo Cudicini spent 4 seasons as Chelsea’s primary and was a reliable back-up to Petr Cech for an extra 5.
The son of ex-Milan and Roma goalkeeper Fabio Cudicini additionally turned out within the Premier League for Tottenham and stored a complete of 64 clear sheets within the competitors.
Benito Carbone
Striker Benito Carbone turned out for 5 Premier League golf equipment between 1996 and 2002, making nearly all of his appearances for Sheffield Wednesday – who signed him from Inter for a club-record £3m.
A giant hit with the Wednesday followers, Carbone later had stints at Aston Villa, Bradford, Derby and Middlesbrough scoring 35 English top-flight objectives general.
Fabrizio Ravanelli
A Serie A champion and Champions League winner with Juventus, Fabrizio Ravanelli represented fairly a coup for Middlesbrough in the summertime of 1996.
And the bleach-haired striker wasted no time in beginning to repay his £7m price ticket, hitting a hat-trick on his Premier League debut in opposition to Liverpool. He scored 17 objectives in 35 video games for Boro, and later added 9 extra for Derby.
Roberto Di Matteo
Chelsea’s report signing when he arrived from Lazio for £4.9m in 1996, elegant and versatile midfielder Roberto Di Matteo quickly turned a agency fan favorite at Stamford Bridge.
One of many Blues’ most essential gamers of the late 90s, he chalked up 119 Premier League appearances earlier than harm issues pressured him to retire aged 31.
Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli arrived at Manchester Metropolis with a popularity for being, effectively, temperamental – and whereas he definitely lived as much as that (living proof: that point he and a few mates set off a firework inside his home…), he additionally confirmed his high quality on the pitch.
The ex-Inter frontman, who later spent a season at Liverpool, scored 13 objectives in Metropolis’s title-winning marketing campaign of 2011/12, together with a brace within the well-known 6-1 demolition of Manchester United at Outdated Trafford, in addition to aiding that aim by Sergio Aguero within the decisive final-day win over QPR.
Jorginho
One of many best tempo-setting midfielders round in his prime, Jorginho made nearly 150 Premier League appearances for Chelsea after becoming a member of for £50m from Napoli in 2018.
The Euro 2020 winner, famend for his fiendishly arduous to avoid wasting hopping penalty method, crossed London to Arsenal midway by the 2022/23 season and continued to show his value as a disciplined deep-lying playmaker.
Gianluca Vialli
Sorely missed all through the sport, Gianluca Vialli was amongst Italy’s standout gamers of the 80s and 90s, and he completed his profession within the Premier League with Chelsea.
A splendidly well-rounded centre-forward who may function in quite a lot of different roles, the previous Juventus and Sampdoria star joined the Blues on a free switch forward of the 1996/97 marketing campaign and went on to attain 21 objectives in 58 top-flight outings, additionally spending two-and-a-half years as player-manager.
Paolo Di Canio
Unquestionably one of many largest characters of the Premier League period, Paolo Di Canio introduced his maverick genius to Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham and Charlton.
Nevertheless it was with the Hammers that the famously feisty ahead, previously of Lazio, Juventus, Napoli, Milan and Celtic, made his largest impression on English soccer – and his jaw-dropping volley for the East Londoners in opposition to Wimbledon in March 2000 stays nothing in need of iconic.
Gianfranco Zola
No Italian has affected the Premier League as profoundly as Gianfranco Zola, the pint-sized magician who delighted Chelsea followers and neutrals alike throughout his six-and-a-half-year keep within the English prime flight.
Arriving at Stamford Bridge from Parma in November 1996, Zola gained the celebrated FWA Footballer of the Yr award in his first season and scored some severely particular objectives – together with 12 from free-kicks, among the many most in Prem historical past.
