goals

It’s a essential query for sporting administrators and recruitment specialists throughout the Premier League: the place ought to they do their buying this summer time?

Ought to they attempt to signal gamers from inside the division? Or is there extra worth to be present in Europe, or even perhaps South America?

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There aren’t any straightforward solutions however, with many English groups hoping to strengthen their entrance traces this summer time, there are methods of judging which leagues produce the very best attacking expertise.

In an try and do exactly that, Telegraph Sport has analysed the 15 most costly attacking Premier League signings from Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Spain over the previous 15 years.

Specializing in strikers, wingers and attacking midfield gamers, we’ve in contrast their goals-per-game data of their last season overseas (in different phrases, the season that earned them their transfer to the Premier League) with their subsequent goals-per-game file in England.

The outcomes present an extra illustration of the power of the Premier League in comparison with different high divisions in Europe, whereas additionally offering a warning – or maybe encouragement – to any golf equipment who’re gazing in the direction of the continent as they appear to bolster their assaults this summer time.

Portugal

Portugal’s Primeira Liga is just not thought-about to be one among Europe’s main leagues, however that has not stopped English golf equipment from spending enormous cash to purchase attack-minded gamers from Benfica, Porto and Sporting Lisbon.

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In recent times, the likes of Darwin Núñez (£64 million to Liverpool), Luis Díaz (£37.5 million, additionally to Liverpool), Evanilson (£40 million to Bournemouth), Fabio Vieira (£34 million to Arsenal) and Bruno Fernandes (£47 million to Manchester United) have all made the transfer from the Primeira Liga to the Premier League.

A sign of the relative power of the 2 competitions is that none of these high-profile gamers have been in a position to replicate their scoring exploits within the extra aggressive world of English soccer.

Even the likes of Díaz and Fernandes, who’ve unquestionably been profitable signings, have been unable to take care of the goalscoring fee they confirmed of their last campaigns in Portugal.

When assessing the Premier League’s 15 most costly attacking signings from Portugal since 2010, Telegraph Sport’s evaluation reveals a 62 per cent decline in goalscoring. These gamers averaged 0.41 targets per sport of their final seasons in Portugal, and have subsequently produced a median of 0.15 targets per sport in England.

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Of these 15 gamers, just one has scored at a quicker fee within the Premier League than of their last marketing campaign in Portugal: Raúl Jiménez, previously of Wolverhampton Wanderers and now of Fulham.

Ought to this function a warning for Premier League golf equipment seeking to signal from Sporting this summer time? Properly, the groups () definitely shouldn’t count on the Sweden worldwide to be as prolific in England as he has been in Portugal.

Gyokeres struck a powerful 39 targets within the Primeira Liga final season. Based mostly on the goalscoring charges of these earlier big-money arrivals from Portugal, this might translate to round 15 targets within the Premier League.

Germany

The newest big-money arrival from the Bundesliga was Omar Marmoush, who moved from Eintracht Frankfurt to Manchester Metropolis for £59 million in January.

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This summer time, Premier League golf equipment are exhibiting sturdy curiosity within the likes of (who’s being focused by Chelsea) and (a long-term goal for Arsenal and Chelsea, amongst others). Frankfurt ahead Hugo Ekitike is one other participant who might transfer to England.

As with the Portuguese league, nonetheless, it is rather uncommon for gamers to attain targets at a quicker fee within the Premier League than within the Bundesliga. Of the 15 most costly attackers to maneuver from Germany to England since 2010, solely Roberto Firmino (previously of Liverpool) was extra prolific within the Premier League.

The likes of Jadon Sancho (£73 million to Manchester United), Christopher Nkunku (£52 million to Chelsea) and Sébastian Haller (£45 million to West Ham United) all struggled badly of their makes an attempt to regulate from German soccer to English soccer. Others similar to Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had been extra profitable.

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General, Telegraph Sport’s evaluation reveals a median goalscoring decline of 40 per cent for forwards who moved to the Premier League from the Bundesliga. For Sesko and Ekitike, who scored 13 and 15 league targets respectively in 2024-25, this might translate to eight and 9 targets in England subsequent season.

France

A number of the greatest gamers in Premier League historical past have moved to those shores from France’s Ligue 1. Chelsea legend Eden Hazard and Manchester Metropolis’s Bernardo Silva are two of the best examples over the previous 15 years, whereas transfer from Rennes to Leeds United in 2020 was one other profitable switch.

Usually talking, although, there’s a steep decline in goalscoring charges from Ligue 1 to the Premier League. Our evaluation reveals a median drop-off of 49 per cent.

Alexandre Lacazette has a powerful aim file in France however struggled to search out the web on a constant foundation for Arsenal – Reuters/David Klein

Excessive-profile examples are Alexandre Lacazette, who has been lethal for years at Lyon however was way more inconsistent for Arsenal, and Michy Batshuayi, who struck 17 targets in his final season at Marseille however subsequently scored solely 15 targets in 77 Premier League matches.

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Might this be a motive for Metropolis to be cautious of their The 21-year-old scored eight targets and registered 11 assists for his membership final season.

Italy

Statistically, the transition from Serie A to the Premier League is extra easy than from Portugal, Germany or France. Our evaluation reveals a 32 per cent decline in goalscoring for ahead gamers who’ve arrived from Italy.

Mohamed Salah’s goalscoring ratio has elevated at Liverpool since his transfer from Roma – PA/Peter Byrne

Essentially the most profitable big-money buy from Italy is certainly Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian scored at a fee of 0.48 targets per sport in his final season at Roma, and has since scored 0.62 targets per sport within the Premier League.

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Gamers similar to Felipe Anderson (West Ham United) and Mario Balotelli (Manchester Metropolis and Liverpool) additionally scored at comparable charges in Italy and England, whereas Dejan Kulusevski is extra of a aim menace for Tottenham Hotspur than he was for Juventus.

Current Manchester United signings since transferring from Italy, however the general image is extra encouraging for Premier League golf equipment who’re wanting in the direction of Serie A for expertise.

There could be good motive to hope {that a} participant similar to Victor Osimhen, for instance, might translate his outstanding goalscoring exploits for Napoli (and Galatasaray whereas on mortgage final season) into English soccer. One other participant who might catch the attention of English golf equipment is Ademola Lookman, who has developed right into a decisive attacker throughout his time at Atalanta.

Spain

A lot is manufactured from the Premier League’s supposed superiority as a contest, however Telegraph Sport’s evaluation reveals that big-money arrivals from La Liga truly discover it simpler to attain targets in England than in Spain.

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The obvious current instance could be Alexander Isak, who has struck 54 targets in 86 league appearances for Newcastle United. In his final season with Actual Sociedad, Isak scored solely six targets in 32 league video games.

Different gamers similar to , Martin Odegaard, Ferran Torres, Mikel Merino and Rodrigo Moreno all skilled an uplift of their goalscoring kind after transferring from Spain to England for big-money charges.

General, our evaluation exhibits a 1.7 per cent enchancment in goalscoring charges for big-money strikers, wingers and attacking midfielders who transfer to England from Spain.

The lesson right here is apparent: the standard of the Spanish league is considerably increased than the highest flights of Portugal, France, Germany and Italy. The proof means that, if Premier League golf equipment want to look overseas for his or her attacking expertise this summer time, then Spain ought to be the primary place they go.