Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane unsurprisingly occupy the top spots in the ranking of the ten best English footballers plying their trade overseas. However, they are joined by two wingers whose names may not be so familiar to fans.
Under the guidance of Thomas Tuchel, England's current squad features six players playing in Europe, but only three of them made the top 10 list compiled based on the ratings by Gradient Sports.
So, what are these ratings? Gradient’s scores, which range from 0 to 100, evaluate a player’s performance based on the skills most critical to their position.
Based on their aggregate scores, here are the top ten English players currently shining in the top European leagues outside of the Premier League.
10) Ethan Nwaneri (Borussia Dortmund) — 74.9
The still-teenager Nwaneri, who was almost fresh out of the womb when he made his Premier League debut, has played as a 'number 10' in three matches for Dortmund, even forcing an own goal in his Bundesliga debut. He started the subsequent two games and looks set for more opportunities following the ACL injury of fellow new signing Giannis Konstantelias.
9) Anthony Gordon (Barcelona) — 75.6
With four assists in six matches, Gordon’s start at Barcelona has been impressive, where he has recognised that it’s a waste of time trying to beat Spain at their own game. The Catalan giants seem satisfied with his contributions.
8) Harry Winks (Cagliari) — 75.7
Winks has traded Leicester for the picturesque surroundings of Cagliari this summer and is clearly enjoying his escape, ranking just outside the top 20 percent of 523 midfielders across Europe’s top leagues. The 30-year-old has earned 10 caps for England, although his last appearance came nearly six years ago.
7) Jay Robinson (Monza) — 77.3
On loan from Southampton, 19-year-old Robinson has made four appearances in the Premier League and 23 in the Championship last season before heading to Italy, where he scored once in four matches and made the top 20 in Serie A for rated attackers.
6) Trent Alexander-Arnold (Real Madrid) — 78.5
Alexander-Arnold has returned to Tuchel’s plans but found himself on the bench against Spain, still chasing his first appearance for the national team since June 2025. “We required Jarrell Kwanza’s pace and his ability to think like a centre-back,” explained the England manager, rather unsympathetically towards Trent, who has never had the mindset of a central defender. Nevertheless, he currently ranks as the 10th best defender in La Liga with the second-highest crossing rating.
5) Eric Dier (Monaco) — 78.6
The 32-year-old is just one game short of hitting the half-century mark since his last appearance for England at the 2022 World Cup, ranking fifth among all English defenders in this season with two above him, Harry Maguire and Bobby Thomas from Coventry, missing out on Tuchel’s squad.
4) Samuel Amo-Ameyaw (Strasbourg) — 78.9
Once the youngest player to appear in the Premier League for Southampton, the 20-year-old winger from Hackney is now making waves in Ligue 1, ranking top 10 among attackers for attempts, crosses, control, and dribbling. If the England squad were based on ratings, he would surely be included. And so would this lad...
3) Tyler Morton (Lyon) — 83.1
The midfielder's passing for Lyon caught the attention of the Gradient analysts last season, and he has continued on that upward trajectory this season. Morton boasts the highest ball control rating among 94 midfielders in Ligue 1 and ranks seventh for passes and crosses. It’s no wonder Liverpool are questioning if they made a mistake.
2) Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) — 84.4
Kane was the top-rated player across Europe’s top five leagues last season with an overall score of 95.0, while this season, the England captain sits as the seventh-ranked forward in the Bundesliga. Three goals in four matches show this fox is still in his element.
1) Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) — 89.1
Bellingham, the star of Real Madrid, is the highest-rated English player across all five major European leagues, including the Premier League, and ranks seventh overall among all players in those competitions. The midfielder has the highest rating in La Liga, netting three goals and providing two assists in seven matches under Jose Mourinho.
