From McFratm to England’s strike force: Which British players will star in Europe’s top leagues in the 2026/27 season?
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Published 01/08/2026 at 11:39 GMT+1
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You do not need to cast your mind very far back in time to remember when it was a rarity to find many top British players plying their trade overseas. But as time has gone on, more and more have spread their wings and flown to foreign shores, and dozens will be in action across Europe's top leagues in the 2026/27 season.
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England international John Stones became the latest example when he put pen to paper on a two-year deal with Italian champions Internazionale after leaving Manchester City on the expiry of his contract.
Serie A is the favoured destination of British players who opt to head for one of the top five leagues outside the Premier League.
At the time of writing, a whopping 18 English and Scottish players will line up for teams in Italy's top-flight this season.
Spain’s La Liga has the fewest British players with five, but makes up for that somewhat by boasting some of the biggest names: Jude Bellingham, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Anthony Gordon.
Stones and Barcelona's new recruit Gordon are among seven Brits to make moves this summer: Harry Winks and Demi Akarakiri joined Serie A side Cagliari, Scottish striker Kieron Bowie swapped relegated Hellas Verona for Sassuolo, while youngsters Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and Reigan Heskey (son of Emile) both signed for FC Koln in Germany.
Our tables below outline all the British players to look out for in Italy, Spain, Germany and France in the season ahead, but first let us look at some of the key figures.
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
The England captain is coming off the season of his life, winning the European Golden Shoe with an astonishing career-best 61-goal haul in all competitions to fire Bayern to a league and cup double.
His three years in Germany so far have been a roaring success; Kane has won Bundesliga top scorer every year and was named as the league’s player of the season in 2024/25 too.
It was not to be at the World Cup, however, where he fired The Three Lions to the semi-finals with six goals but was unable to prevent defeat to Argentina.
In his fourth season in Bavaria, Kane will undoubtedly have his eyes on the biggest prize of the UEFA Champions League, after falling agonisingly short in the last four to eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain last term.
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Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
Kane’s partner-in-crime for England was in sensational form at the World Cup this summer, raising hopes that he can return to his best level at the Bernabeu next season after a difficult third year in Madrid.
Bellingham was a sensation in his debut campaign of 2023/24, winning La Liga Player of the Season as he scored 19 goals to win the title for Real, followed by another 15 in all competitions the following year.
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But his 2025/26 campaign was disrupted by injury, while it proved a difficult one for his club as Xabi Alonso was sacked mid-season to be replaced by Alvaro Arbeloa, while Real failed to win any silverware.
Scott McTominay (Napoli)
Affectionately known as ‘McFratm’, or ‘McBro’ in Neapolitan dialect, the former Manchester United midfielder quickly became a fan favourite and club legend when he inspired Napoli to the Scudetto in his debut season, claiming the league MVP award along the way.
The Scotland star did not hit as many headlines last term as Antonio Conte’s side struggled to return to the same heights, but he proved a crucial cog in the Napoli machine once more, buoyed by a Ballon d’Or nomination.
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He also bettered his goal tally in all competitions by one as he finished the season with 14 strikes, winning the Supercoppa Italiana as The Vesuviani finished runners-up in the league.
The campaign ahead will be all change for McTominay - with fellow Scot Billy Gilmour alongside him in midfield - after Conte waved goodbye to be replaced by Massimiliano Allegri.
La Liga
Five British players
| Name | Club | Nationality | Date joined | Joined from |
| Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid | English | Summer 2023 | Borussia Dortmund |
| Trent Alexander-Arnold | Real Madrid | English | Summer 2025 | Liverpool |
| Anthony Gordon | Barcelona | English | Summer 2026 | Newcastle |
| Charlie Patinho | Deportivo La Coruna | English | Summer 2024 | Arsenal |
| Tyrhys Dolan | Espanyol | English | Summer 2025 | Blackburn Rovers |
Serie A
18 British players
| Name | Club | Nationality | Date joined | Joined from |
| John Stones | Inter | English | Summer 2026 | Manchester City |
| Fikayo Tomori | AC Milan | English | January 2021 (initially on loan) | Chelsea |
| Ruben Loftus-Cheek | AC Milan | English | Summer 2023 | Chelsea |
| Lloyd Kelly | Juventus | English | January 2025 (Initially on loan) | Newcastle |
| Scott McTominay | Napoli | Scottish | Summer 2024 | Manchester United |
| Billy Gilmour | Napoli | Scottish | Summer 2025 | Brighton and Hove Albion |
| Lewis Ferguson | Bologna | Scottish | Summer 2022 | Aberdeen |
| Jonathan Rowe | Bologna | English | Summer 2025 | Marseille |
| Brooke Norton-Cuffy | Genoa | English | Summer 2024 | Arsenal |
| Keinan Davis | Udinese | English | Summer 2023 | Aston Villa |
| Lennon Miller | Udinese | Scottish | Summer 2025 | Motherwell |
| Josh Doig | Sassuolo | Scottish | January 2024 | Hellas Verona |
| Kieron Bowie | Sassuolo | Scottish | Summer 2026 | Hellas Verona |
| Che Adams | Torino | Scottish | Summer 2024 | Southampton |
| Tino Anjorin | Torino | English | Summer 2025 (initially on loan) | Empoli |
| Harry Winks | Cagliari | English | Summer 2026 | Leicester City |
| Omari Forson | Monza | English | Summer 2024 | Manchester United |
| Demi Akarakiri | Cagliari | English | Summer 2026 | Everton |
Bundesliga
Six British players
| Name | Club | Nationality | Date joined | Joined from |
| Harry Kane | Bayern Munich | English | Summer 2023 | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Jarell Quansah | Bayer Leverkusen | English | Summer 2025 | Liverpool |
| Jobe Bellingham | Borussia Dortmund | English | Summer 2025 | Sunderland |
| Oliver Burke | Union Berlin | Scottish | Summer 2025 | Werder Bremen |
| Jahmai Simpson-Pusey | FC Koln | English | Summer 2026 | Manchester City |
| Reigan Heskey | FC Koln | English | Summer 2026 | Manchester City |
Ligue 1
Nine British players
| Name | Club | Nationality | Date joined | Joined from |
| Tyler Morton | Lyon | English | Summer 2025 | Liverpool |
| Ainsley Maitland-Niles | Lyon | English | Summer 2023 | Arsenal |
| Charlie Cresswell | Toulouse | English | Summer 2024 | Leeds United |
| Angel Gomes | Marseille | English | Summer 2025 | Lille |
| CJ Egan-Riley | Marseille | English | Summer 2025 | Burnley |
| Jordan James | Stade Rennais | Welsh | Summer 2024 | Birmingham |
| Ben Chilwell | Strasbourg | English | Summer 2025 | Chelsea |
| Samuel Amo-Ameyaw | Strasbourg | English | Summer 2025 | Southampton |
| Eric Dier | Monaco | English | Summer 2025 | Bayern Munich |
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