British Footballers Abroad in 2024/25: Top 5 Players Thriving Outside the Premier League

In an era where the Premier League dominates headlines with superior viewership numbers and financial power, a growing number of British footballers are forging elite careers outside the UK. Whether seeking a fresh start, more minutes, better development, or simply to broaden one’s horizons — these players are not just surviving abroad — they’re starring.

It’s a breath of fresh air to tune into a game in a league outside the Premier League and see British players performing well at foreign clubs, appreciated by fans both back home and abroad.

One of the biggest transfer sagas this season was Liverpool academy graduate Trent Alexander-Arnold signing for Spanish giants Real Madrid after spending 20 years at Liverpool. Trent made history by winning the UEFA Champions League in 2018/19, helping to end a 30-year wait for a league title by securing the Premier League in 2019/20, and then ending his Liverpool chapter with excellence as they lifted the title again this May.

Trent joined fellow England teammate Jude Bellingham in Madrid, following the recent surge of British players moving abroad and etching their names into the history books of some of the biggest clubs in the world. We take a look at some of the best British talents making waves across Europe this season.

To celebrate this trend, we’ve created a Top 5 list of the best British players abroad this season. But before we do that, we’d like to give a few honourable mentions to players who deserve a nod.

Also, shoutout to @EnglishAbroad1 on Twitter/X for the wealth of information and updates on English players abroad — delving deeper into this fascinating phenomenon across various leagues and levels of the game.

Honourable Mentions

Fikayo Tomori – His move to AC Milan paid off with a Scudetto win in 2021/22 after 11 years without a league title for the Rossoneri.

Learning from Paolo Maldini, a key mentor, Tomori has been a trailblazer for British players moving to Serie A.

Tammy Abraham – Another Cobham graduate following in Tomori’s footsteps at Serie A giants AS Roma.

Abraham found his feet under José Mourinho and this season joined Milan on loan, making 44 appearances for the Rossoneri.

Billy Gilmour – Joined fellow Scottish national Scott McTominay in Naples.

Gilmour, another Cobham graduate, after establishing himself in midfield at Brighton, moved to Napoli this season, making 26 Serie A appearances and adding a Scudetto to his honours list. He’ll be looking to secure a prominent role in the starting XI next season.

Jamie Bynoe-Gittens – Borussia Dortmund

Despite Dortmund’s rough season, the 20-year-old winger impressed after overcoming injury troubles. Making 25 Bundesliga appearances, Bynoe-Gittens has shown promising signs — following in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham.

Chelsea are reportedly keen to bring him back, with their initial €35 million bid rejected, according to @FabrizioRomano on X. His promising stint in Germany might be just the start of a bright career.

5. Conor Gallagher – Atlético Madrid

Nicknamed ‘El Pitbull’ in Madrid, Conor Gallagher moved from his boyhood club Chelsea to Atlético Madrid last summer. A player whose style fits perfectly with Diego Simeone’s high-intensity, relentless approach, Gallagher played 47 times this season for the club.

He scored a memorable goal against city rivals Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, earning praise for his work rate, energy, and decision-making. After a strong loan spell at Crystal Palace, Gallagher spent two seasons at Chelsea (another Cobham graduate — is there a theme here?) until he was reportedly alienated from first-team training for being deemed surplus to requirements.

Gallagher has found renewed appreciation and is building a cult hero status at Atlético, who unveiled him to a packed stadium full of fans at the Metropolitano last summer.

4. Eric Dier – Bayern Munich / Monaco

Former Tottenham man Eric Dier was reliable when called upon during Bayern’s injury crisis in defence, helping the club reclaim the Bundesliga title. Dier finally won his first major trophy with Bayern before moving to Ligue 1’s Monaco this summer on a free transfer.

Always great to see a player win their first trophy, and in the videos shared of the title celebrations, you can see that Eric was truly valued by the team. His stint at Bayern wasn’t the first time Eric moved abroad to ply his trade — and it won’t be the last either!

Having started his career abroad at Sporting Lisbon, Dier continues to thrive and will now enjoy life and training at one of football’s most scenic complexes in the south of France next season at AS Monaco. Eric Dier has the right idea.

3. Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid

The British player most synonymous with success abroad, Jude Bellingham burst onto the scene in Madrid, scoring 23 goals and providing 13 assists in 42 appearances last season. He won La Liga MVP and lifted La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, and the Spanish Super Cup in his debut campaign.

If we did this list last season, Bellingham would undeniably be number one. This season, however, with Real Madrid falling short domestically and in Europe, the arrival of Mbappé meant that Bellingham reverted to a deeper midfield role — still scoring 14 goals and assisting regularly.

He remains one of the world’s brightest talents and a trailblazer for young British players moving abroad. Birmingham City retired his shirt number — people said it was bizarre at the time — but with hindsight, we can all see why.

An initial move to the Bundesliga helped develop and showcase his talent, before making the big move to Madrid to become undeniably one of the best players in the world.

2. Harry Kane – Bayern Munich

England’s all-time top scorer finally moved away from Tottenham Hotspur, joining Bayern Munich — a club synonymous with winning trophies. It didn’t take him long to get settled, scoring 36 league goals in 32 appearances.

After a challenging first season for the team without silverware on a collective level, Kane didn’t drop off in his second season, scoring 38 goals in 46 appearances and winning the Bundesliga title.

He became the fastest player in Bundesliga history to reach 50 goals, breaking a record previously held by Erling Haaland. After witnessing Kane’s goal-scoring prowess and consistency for years in the Premier League, we didn’t expect any less from a player of his quality.

A man who will definitely go down as one of the greatest strikers of his generation — now finally adding some silverware to show for it.

1. Scott McTominay – Napoli

After spending around eight seasons at Manchester United, McTominay embraced a fresh challenge with Napoli. Playing under serial winner Antonio Conte, he was instrumental in helping Napoli win the Scudetto — scoring important goals and even being crowned MVP of Serie A in his first season!

Putting his own stamp in the same history books that Maradona left his mark, McTominay is absolutely thriving — tapping into levels we haven’t seen on a consistent basis before from the goal-scoring midfielder.

It’s safe to say he has been welcomed and cherished dearly over in Naples. Now known affectionately as ‘McFratt’ by Napoli fans (translating to McBro/McBrother), McTominay has become a beloved figure — enjoying both on-field success and the Italian lifestyle.

In an interview with The Athletic, he remarked that the fruit and vegetables in Naples are far superior to those back in Manchester — saying the tomatoes back home taste like “red water,” while over in Naples, they’ve become his new favourite snack!

With stars like Bellingham, Kane, McTominay, and Gallagher thriving abroad, British footballers are no longer just Premier League exports — they’re becoming icons in Europe’s biggest leagues.

Whether it’s the different style of play, less intense media pressure, better weather, or maybe just something in the tomatoes — these moves abroad are unlocking their full potential.

This exciting trend looks set to continue — Scott McTominay this season, Jude Bellingham last season — we can’t wait to see who will be next to make their mark overseas.