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Alexander-Arnold last and ex-teammate top as Englishmen abroad ranked after 2025 transfers

England players are continuing to turn their backs on the Premier League and EFL by testing themselves overseas.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham all have academy graduates starring abroad in a major European league.

England players including Marcus Rashford, Jobe Bellingham, and Trent Alexander-Arnold ranked by how their starts to the season have compared

Chilwell, Jobe, Rashford, and Trent all left playing in England behind

Premier League clubs spent a combined £3.19billion on signings last summer, potentially blocking the pathway for homegrown stars.

However, unlike the turn of the century, it's not just England players in their prime that can find their feet at a top club on the continent.

Here, European football broadcaster Andy Brassell has ranked how 10 English stars have fared abroad thus far, from best to worst.

1. Tyler Morton - 8.5/10

A Liverpool academy graduate moving to an overseas club has made the most impressive start - but it's not Trent Alexander-Arnold.

READ MORE ON TRANSFERS

The 23-year-old ended his 15-year stint with the Anfield club by completing a £15million switch to Lyon after winning the U21 Euros.

His exit came 12 months after Arne Slot blocked a move to Bayer Leverkusen, following his failure to sign Martin Zubimendi.

Yet Morton was restricted to just five outings across all competitions and failed to play a single minute in the Premier League last season.

The midfielder,labelled as 'brilliant' by Jurgen Klopp upon his Liverpool debut in 2021,has proved a sensation in France.

"He's been absolutely outstanding for Lyon," Brassell told talkSPORT. "He has been, and Paulo Fonseca was clear about it from the moment he signed, the player they needed to set the tempo of the game.

Merseyside-born Morton was on Liverpool's books for 15 years, having been scouted by them aged seven

Merseyside-born Morton was on Liverpool's books for 15 years, having been scouted by them aged sevenCredit: Getty

Tyler Morton has been fantastic at Lyon

Brassell continued: "And I think what was so important for him, rather than just being a good player who might get some games at Liverpool if he keeps going, Lyon wanted to build around him.

"Short passing, long passing, he's got it all. He's happy to tackle as well. Maybe he adds more goals to his game over time. I think probably not because you want him to set the tempo from deep.

"But he's made a career choice. That career choice was to try and chisel something out at Liverpool over the long term, which would have been difficult, looking at the competition.

"Or get to Lyon, be an important player and go through a couple of stages more quickly, and that's what he's done.

"I think he's done the right thing. He's just been fantastic, really. Huge, huge asset to them. I think Liverpool did the right thing in letting him go so he can go out and grow and become that player.

"But I wouldn't rule out Lyon making a big profit on him in the future because he's been fantastic so far, and people absolutely love him. I'm going to go 8.5."

He has proved to be a revelation for Lyon

He has proved to be a revelation for LyonCredit: Getty

2. Marcus Rashford - 8/10

TheManchester Unitedloanee looks set to turn his temporary stint at Barcelona into a permanent stay following his fine form in Spain.

The 28-year-old has returned to the England squad after scoring six goals and registering nine assists in 16 games in all competitions.

Brassell said: "I'm going to give Marcus Rashford an 8 so far. A little bit of a tentative start, I suppose, to be expected given that he was only registered to play just after 10.30am on the morning of Barcelona's first game of the season away at Mallorca.

"Both Deco and Hansi Flick, the sporting director and coach, made it clear that he was being brought in as cover, not as a starter, but what's really helped him is the injury to Raphininha.

"That's been a real plus for him. But he's made the most of it, and I think that he's happy to play quite an altruistic role.

"He's clearly gone there with the desire to really make it work. The goals have been useful, but the assists, I think, are even more notable.

"He's super versatile. He's super useful. He looks sharper than he has in literally years. The move has been a massive success for him, and he and they would be mad not to want to make it permanent."

Rashford is hoping Barcelona will exercise their option to buy him next summer

3. Angel Gomes - 8/10

Rashford's former Man United academy pal has long since established himself abroad, having quit Old Trafford for Lille aged 19 in 2020.

After being a key part of Lee Carsley's first Euros-winning under-21 side, Gomes made his senior bow under him in September 2024.

Upon the expiration of his Lille contract at the end of last season, the midfielder was wanted by Tottenham and held talks with West Ham.

The four-cap England international ultimately decided to remain in France, joining Marseille on a free transfer, who sit second in Ligue 1.

Gomes broke into the senior England team last year

Gomes broke into the senior England team last yearCredit: Getty

Angel Gomes has the ability to be really good for a very good team

"It looked as if he would maybe be coming back to the Premier League, then it became clear that the interest wasn't really there to that level," Brassell added.

"Particularly the way he played in the second half of last season wasn't brilliant by his standards.

"He is someone who I think has got the ability to be really good for a very good team, and he is that with Marseille at the moment.

"It's perhaps not the move he was dreaming of this time last year, even though obviously Marseille is an absolutely massive club, but maybe he would have hoped to come back to a big Premier League club.

"An eight and if Marseille win the championship, we'll revise that number upwards."

Gomes has three goals in 11 Ligue appearances this season

Gomes has three goals in 11 Ligue appearances this seasonCredit: AFP

England star was linked with a return to the Premier League before joining Marseille

4. Eric Dier - 7.5/10

The ex-Tottenham star has proved an instant success at Monaco since leaving Bayern Munich for the Principality on a three-year deal.

The 31-year-old rejected the chance to remain alongside Harry Kane at Allianz Arena, having won the Bundesliga with his close friend.

Dier has already sported the captain's armband at his new club, while he took over penalty responsibilities for the 2-2 draw with Man City.

However, his progress has been hampered by a hamstring injury, with Monaco losing successive Ligue 1 games in his absence, having also sacked manager Adi Hutter last month.

Kane's ex-Spurs teammate Dier also celebrated the first trophy of his career

Kane's ex-Spurs teammate Dier also celebrated the first trophy of his careerCredit: Getty

Eric Dier has been a smash hit at Monaco

"He's been a smash hit," Brassell exclaimed. "People have taken to him from minute one.

"He's the sort of experience they were looking for, and unlike Paul Pogba, he's actually been able to play as well.

"Of course, he's had an injury recently, which maybe shaves a little bit off it. But I think it's really, on one hand, exposed the sort of lack of leadership that there is elsewhere at Monaco, that he has been able to get such a huge status so quickly.

"He's been great for them at centre-back. They've really missed him while he's been injured and out of the team last couple of weeks.

"I don't feel like I can give him too high a rating simply because of the injury and the fact that it's not really happening for Monaco at the moment. So I'm going to knock half a point off and put him at 7.5."

Eric Dier of Monaco scoring against Manchester City

Dier scored a stoppage-time penalty to rescue a draw against Man CityCredit: Getty

Dier and Paul Pogba are now the senior stars at Monaco mentoring the next generation of starlets

Dier and Pogba are now Monaco's senior stars, mentoring the next generation

5. Ben Chilwell - 7/10

Liam Rosenior has already proven he can transform Chelsea outcasts into Strasbourg stars following the transformation of Diego Moreira.

Chilwell will hope to be the latest after becoming the sixth player to leave the Blues for their sister club last summer.

The 28-year-old hadn't played for Chelsea since their 5-0 thrashing of Barrow in the Carabao Cup third round in September 2024.

He made 11 appearances on loan at Crystal Palace in the second half of last season, completing a Premier League game just once.

Two months after his Strasbourg debut, Chilwell has already played more minutes than he managed over the entirety of last year.

Ben Chilwell praised for senior leadership role at new club

Chilwell has signed a two-year deal with Ligue 1 club StrasbourgCredit: Getty

Strasbourg's youngsters really like Ben Chilwell

"I still think it's a bit of an unusual signing for Strasbourg in terms of what they generally look for in a player," Brassell explained.

"No one's knocking Ben Chilwell's ability, but he's not played a lot of football in the last couple of years.

"Given that they're young, athletic, first team in the top five leagues to field an 11 of players all born in the 21st century on the first day of the season, it's a little bit incongruous.

"Having said that, I think the fact that it's an English-speaking dressing room in large part because it's governed by Liam Rosenior and because you have Dutch and Swedes and Argentinians and all different nationalities in there, I think clearly Chilwell, a little bit like Eric Dier, has taken that being a senior player part very seriously.

"And people have responded really well to that. The younger players at Strasbourg really like him and find he's really helpful.

"He's got physically fitter as the season's gone on. So I think him and Eric Dier could be the old fella hits of Ligue 1 this season.

"I will give him, like Dier, 7.5. 7.5? No, he's still got to get to Dier's status. I'll give him a 7 for the moment."

Chilwell has started for Strasbourg in six out of his seven appearances

6. Tammy Abraham 7/10

The 28-year-old, who has three goals in 11 England outings, was ironically sold by Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea in 2021.

The striker initially looked to make the Blues rue that decision, after bagging an impressive 27 goals in his first season in Serie A.

However, he netted just nine times the next year before suffering a cruciate ligament tear on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign.

Abraham, who hit double figures on loan at AC Milan last season, joined Besiktas to work under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was sacked after their exit from theConference League in August.

"He's been put in a really difficult position because he gets signed by a coach who's a really good striker, who can give him the benefit of his Premier League chops and his own experiences during his career in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They don't qualify for Europe. So that goes out the window straight away.

Tammy Abraham has scored five goals in 12 Super Lig appearances

Abraham has scored five goals in 12 Super Lig appearancesCredit: Getty

"The Beşiktaş season starts falling apart pretty quickly, and that's really tough on Tammy Abraham. Now, he has begun to score quite consistently over recent weeks.

"I think his overall play has been really good as well. The way that he leads the line, holds it up, it's very complimentary for Rafa Silva, who's their best player.

"Abraham is prepared for how physical the Turkish Super League is; he's selfless, and that's something I really love about him.

"I think that he has adapted well is a definite plus. I'm not really sure how far Beşiktaş will get in this season.

"I kind of wonder if what he's doing will largely be empty stats, and maybe it'll be one and done in Istanbul for Tammy Abraham.

"But in terms of what he's actually done and controlling the controllables, I'd give him seven."

Abraham has struggled to get his career back on track since suffering an ACL injury

Abraham has struggled to get his career back on track since suffering an ACL injuryCredit: Getty

7. Carney Chukwuemeka and 8. Jobe Bellingham - 6/10

Borussia Dortmund are no strangers to platforming budding English talents, from Jadon Sancho to Jude Bellingham.

The latter's younger brother, Jobe, hopes to be the next player on the conveyor belt after joining BVB from Sunderland this summer.

The 20-year-old held talks with Eintracht Frankfurt before completing a £31m switch to their Bundesliga rivals in June.

Chukwuemeka, meanwhile, returned to Signal Iduna Park permanently, having previously been loaned there by Chelsea.

The 22-year-old has struggled for fitness and form in recent seasons, but scored his first Bundesliga goal of the season last Saturday.

"I think I'd give them a six each," Brassell argued. "Chukwuemeka, people love him at Dortmund. The staff love him.

Chukwuemeka should be called up to England squad

Chukwuemeka has a goal and an assist in three Champions League games this season

Carney Cukwuemeka and Jobe Bellingham's start at Borussia Dortmund rated and ranked

The ex-Chelsea star has been partnering Jobe in Dortmund's midfield in recent weeksCredit: Getty

"He offers them energy, something a bit different. There's a lot of competition in midfield, but if he's fit, he'll get his share of games because he's really highly thought of.

It's just the fitness thing, which is why they ended up getting him for cheaper than the clause that was agreed with Chelsea when he was loaned there last summer. But really, his season's only just starting.

"I think you look at Jobe Bellingham and clearly a lot of headlines were made about his dad having words with Sebastian Kehl, the sporting director, after the first game, which didn't really help him.

"People expecting him to follow in the footsteps of his brother again, which doesn't really help him because Jude is a generational player.

"But I think there's been a bit of promise so far. Niko Kovac, the coach, really likes him. He's spoken about how happy he is with him and how he's progressing quicker than he thought.

"Sometimes we look at it through a sort of Anglo-centric eye and forget that this guy's not played in the top flight before, let alone at a Champions League level and let alone for a club that's expected to finish in the top couple or top three in the Bundesliga.

"So some difficult moments at the start, but solid, and he's getting there. Both of those qualified successes, six, I would say."

Brassell previously told talkSPORT.com that Dortmund also need to prove they were the right club for Jobe to develop

9 . Jarell Quansah - 6/10

The England defender was made a top target of Erik ten Hag during his extremely brief time in charge of Bayer Leverkusen.

Like former Liverpool teammates Morton and Harvey Elliott, Quansah left Anfield after falling out of favour under Arne Slot.

The 22-year-old scored on his Bundesliga debut following his £34m switch, but has since endured a battle with fitness and form.

"I'd go six as well here," Brassell revealed. "Starting Premier League games at Liverpool is not nothing, but now, Quansah is taking on a completely different role at Leverkusen.

Quansah made 13 league appearances last season as Liverpool won the title

Quansah made 13 league appearances last season as Liverpool won the titleCredit: Getty

"He's expected to be a defensive leader here. He's expected to grow. He's had his good moments and some really awful ones defensively as well, but that's because the defence is all new.

"He's played with quite a few different people so far. Going forward, the partnership will be between him and Loïc Badé; they both want to establish themselves in the international team.

"Quansah wants to be in the England squad. Badé wants to be in the France squad. They've both got the ability to do it, no doubt about that.

"But there's been so much turnover with Leverkusen, and it's hard really to create partnerships from scratch when the team's all new.

"So there have been some good moments. There have been some difficult moments. Most of that is not his fault.

"I feel that he'll continue to apply himself, and we'll look at him as a success at the end of the season. But for now, we've got to reserve judgment a little bit, six."

He has scored twice in 13 outings for Leverkusen

He has scored twice in 13 outings for LeverkusenCredit: Getty

Quansah has retained a spot in Tuchel's latest England squad

Quansah has retained a spot in Tuchel's latest England squadCredit: Getty

10. Trent Alexander-Arnold - 5/10

The 27-year-old made the most high-profile transfer of any English player last summer, and yet has started the worst in our rankings.

Alexander-Arnold left boyhood club Liverpool in June, with Real Madrid forking out £8.4m to have him early for the Club World Cup, weeks before his contract was due to expire.

He featured six times, but injury meant he was powerless to prevent the club's 4-0 semi-final defeat to runners-up, Paris Saint-Germain.

To add insult to injury, Trent was dropped by England manager Thomas Tuchel and told his international career could even be over.

After making just five appearances this season, three of which lasted less than ten minutes, the defender suffered a fresh hamstring issue.

Alexander-Arnold struggles at Real Madrid

Trent had to contend with being dropped to the bench once again

Alexander-Arnold returned to Xabi Alonso's squad after seven games out, but has been reduced to two cameo outings following successive LaLiga gameweeks as an unused substitute.

Infamously, his return to the pitch for Los Blancos came back at Anfield, where he was heavily booed during a 1-0 loss to Liverpool.

Brassell concluded: "We're going to have to say five because he hasn't really been able to do anything so far.

"If you rewind to his presentation, which he gave in Spanish, which obviously didn't do a lot for his image amongst Liverpool fans because they've been going, ‘Oh, well, look, he's been learning Spanish. So obviously, he's known he's been going for two years.'

"That was not two years' worth of Spanish study, by the way. So, just for those conspiracy theorists out there, he has been doing his best.

Trent has not hit the ground running at Madrid

Trent has not hit the ground running at MadridCredit: Getty

He was given a hostile reception upon his return to Anfield

He was given a hostile reception upon his return to AnfieldCredit: Getty

"Because they're looking a little bit blunt in the last week, I wonder if this will give him more of a chance, like after the international break, whether they think, let's throw in an attacking right back, because the biggest problem has been the fact that Dani Cavajal has come back from injury and he's one of the real leaders in the dressing room.