From Gallagher to Bellingham: The 10 best English players abroad

Jacque Talbot

• 21 Aug 2024 10:40 BST
• 5 min read

There has been a growing trend of English players trying their luck abroad.

Though it might seem strange to say at the moment, but Jadon Sancho's switch to Borrusia Dortmund did buck the trend in this regard.

Now we have a slew of other English stars looking to break through in foreign countries, perhaps most notably Jude Bellingham.

The most recent big name to move abroad is Conor Gallagher, who has completed his big-money transfer to Atletico Madrid from Chelsea.

Here, in no particular order, are the best Englishman playing abroad today.

Jude Bellingham - Real Madrid

Despite interest from Liverpool and even Manchester City, Jude Bellingham transferred to Real Madrid in the summer of 2023 after the La Liga giants and Borussia Dortmund reached an agreement for his transfer of €103 million. Despite playing in a double-pivot with Dortmund, Bellingham played as a No.10 for Los Blancos.

His superb first season with Real, where he scored 23 goals, has shot him to stardom. FootballTransfers has the 21-year-old as the third-most valuable footballer in the world today.

Harry Kane - Bayern Munich

Harry Kane moved to Bayern Munich from Tottenham for around €100 million, a club record for the club. The striker was brought in to replace Robert Lewandowski, who left for Barcelona the season prior.

The Spurs legend enjoyed an extremely fruitful inaugural campaign for the German outfit last season, scoring 36 goals and netting eight assists in 32 matches. Kane is still considered one of the world’s elite strikers and captained England to the final of Euro 2024 - even though a major trophy remains elusive.

Marcus Edwards - Sporting CP

Marcus Edwards did not spend long in the Spurs academy before moving abroad. He joined Vitória de Guimarães on a free transfer before heading Sporting CP €7.5m. Now 25, Edwards is a regular starter for Rúben Amorim's team, though rumours of a return back to the Premier League have started to pick up the pace.

Current ETV

Marcus Edwards

F, AM (R)

Sporting CP

Marcus Edwards

F, AM (R)

Sporting CP

€7.5M

ETV Range

€5.6M - €9.4M

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Conor Gallagher -Atletico Madrid

Owing to PSR regulations, Conor Gallagher was seen as surplus to requirements by Chelsea, who wanted to move the player on to receive ‘pure profit’. The midfielder was banished from the first team as the Blues tried to force a move away.

He now has joined Atletico Madrid in a €40m deal, much to the disarray of Blues fans who consider the player as one of their best-performing players last season.

Fikayo Tomori - AC Milan

Fikayo Tomori's move to AC Milan from Chelsea was another transfer on the list that left some fans scratching their head. The defender had shown bags of promise at Cobham but he joined the Italian giants initially on a loan deal in January 2021.

His impressive spell, where he helped the team win the Scudetto, convinced AC Milan to make the move permanent and, in the summer 2021, Milan exercised their option to buy Tomori for around €28m.

Jamie Bynoe-Gittens - Borussia Dortmund

Jamie Bynoe-Gittens is another young English talent emerging from Dortmund. He spent his formative years in the youth academy of Reading FC before making a significant move to Manchester City's youth setup. Similar, to Sancho, he opted to leave Man City and join Die Schwarzgelben. The winger has started to break into the first-team and has been mooted with a move to Arsenal before.

Tammy Abraham - AS Roma

Tammy Abraham was on Chelsea's books for an extended period but never was given the chance to get a good run of minutes. Eventually, he moved to AS Roma in deal worth €40m.

The striker wanted regular playing time and the chance to work with then-manager Jose Mourinho. Abraham quickly adapted to Serie A, scoring 27 goals in his first season, though the subsequent campaigns he's not been able to replicate his form.

Jordan Henderson - Ajax

Jordan Henderson joined fellow Liverpool midfielder Fabinho in a move to Saudi Arabia. Despite being called up to England at the time, the Sunderland man drew his time at Anfield to a close with a switch to

club Al-Ettifaq. But he and the club mutually agreed to end his contract and so he left to Ajax. He played nine games for the Dutch giants last season, assisting three goals.

Ben Godfrey - Atalanta

Ben Godfrey left Everton as a free agent and joined Atalanta. The Italians boast an impressive record in punching above their weight without a huge expenditure.

Last season, Atalanta won the Europa League Cup, being the only team during the campaign to beat Bayer Leverkusen, who were without defeat up until then. Godfrey received a mixed reception with the Toffees, but a rejuvenation of his career in Italy is more than feasible.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles - Lyon

Ainsley Maitland-Niles moved to Lyon as a free agent after failing to break into the Arsenal first-team for 11 years.

The midfielder, who can also play as a right-back had been with the Gunners since the age of six but was unable to forge a spot. He joined the French giants as a free agent and enjoyed a sold first season there, playing 1,432 minutes.