The arrival of Arsene Wenger into English football was the catalyst for a mass influx of French players into the Premier League, a flow that has not been much stemmed in thirty years. In this blog I’ve selected an XI of the best French players ever to play in the Premier League. I’ve gone for a 4-3-3 formation to fit the players picked but there are, of course, other options. See whether you agree or disagree with the selection.
Goalkeeper – Hugo Lloris
There are two French keepers who have played in the Premier League AND won the World Cup with their country, but Hugo Lloris gets the nod over Fabien Barthez. Lloris arrived at Tottenham from Lyon in 2012 and spent more than a decade as the club’s undisputed number one, and sometime club captain.
Lloris was first and foremost a great shot stopper, with great reflexes and a cat-like spring. If he was perhaps a little weaker than some with the ball at his feet, he was nevertheless very quick to leave his line to clear possible threats. In a team which, let’s be honest, did not win very much, he managed to keep a clean sheet in more than a third of all matches (35.2%).
His peak for Spurs was in 2016/17 when his team finished runners-up and conceded only 24 goals, the lowest that season. His peak for France was, of course, the 2018 World Cup where he lifted the trophy as team captain. When he retired from international football he had played a phenomenal 145 times for his country, more than anyone else.
Left-back, Patrice Evra
Between 2006 and 2014 Patrice Evra played 273 times for Manchester United. In this period United won five Premier League titles, three Football League Cups and the 2008 UEFA Champions League.
Evra was the complete package at left back, tenacious and strong in defence, and with incredible energy and stamina to get forward and support his attackers, then get back and snuff out any danger. His solidity provided a platform for the creative play of two all-time great left-sided players, Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Right-back, Bacary Sagna
When he arrived at Arsenal in 2007 Bacary Sagna had extremely big boots to fill – those of Ashley Cole, perhaps England’s best ever right back. He managed to fill those boots and more, becoming one of the first names on Arsene Wenger’s teamsheet, and arguably the most reliable right-back in the Premier League.
Sagna was Mr Consistency, defensively very solid, both on the ground and in the air. He had great positional sense and anticipation, and rarely mistimed his tackles. Well disciplined, he was booked only once in every nine games. Sadly for him, he won little silverware in his time in England (just one FA Cup and one League Cup) but he nevertheless earns his place comfortably in this team.
Centre-back, William Saliba
It could be argued that it’s too soon to include William Saliba in this XI (particularly when leaving out Marcel Desailly), but his contribution to his team’s 2025/6 Premier League title wins him a place in this team.
Arsenal’s triumph was built on defensive solidity and, in particular, the centre back partnership of Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. The two bring together almost the perfect contrast of styles – where Gabriel is feisty and aggressive, Saliba is calm, calculated and disciplined. Saliba is also the better ball carrier and passer. His statistics are remarkable. In 2025/6 he ranked first in the Premier League for possession recoveries, in the bottom 10% for fouls committed, top 15% for defensive aerial duel success and top 3% for pass completion. Most importantly, his team, Arsenal, ranked first for team clean sheets.
Centre-back, William Gallas
William Gallas holds the rare distinction of having played for all three of the big London teams (apologies to Fulham and QPR) – Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham. It was his time at Chelsea (2001-06) that was to bring most success. He formed strong defensive partnerships with Marcel Desailly and John Terry and was a key component of the Premier League winning sides of 2004/5 and 2005/6. Famously, his side conceded only 15 goals in 04/05, the lowest ever in the top division.
Gallas had the skills to play anywhere across the back four, and was a renowned reader of the game. He was also, at his peak, remarkably fast so could cover for other defenders when necessary.
Defensive midfield, Claude Makelele – Claude Makelele was so good he effectively created an entirely new position in English football, the ‘Makelele role’. Sitting just in front of the back four (and rarely venturing too far forward), Makelele’s world-class reading of the game enabled him to snuff out danger before it had a chance to develop. He was seemingly always in the right place at the right time.
With Makelele in the side, his more attacking teammates could go forward at will, secure in the knowledge that he would do the less glamorous work behind them.
Centre midfield, N’Golo Kante – When Leicester City won the Premier League title in 2016 to create the biggest shock in English football history, forwards Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez deservedly took many of the plaudits. Those in the know, however, singled out one player as the critical ingredient in their surprise success – N’Golo Kante. The diminutive, quiet Frenchman was the glue that held the whole team together.
Unbelievably hard working, the defensive midfielder made more tackles and interceptions (far more) than any other player in the league, and also found time to support the attack. When he moved the following season to Chelsea, he helped them to league glory, becoming the only player to win successive PL titles with two different teams.
Centre midfield, Patrick Vieira – Vieira was the ultimate box-to-box midfielder, combining rare physical power with world-class technical skill. Signed by Arsene Wenger in 1996 he played nine seasons for Arsenal, and led his team to their greatest ever achievements winning four FA Cups and three league titles including the unique ‘invincibles’ season.
Perhaps the thing that marked him out more than his physical attributes and skill was his intense competitiveness. His fierce will to win could occasionally boil over, but more often than not he rose to the occasion and inspired his team to do likewise.
Number 10, Eric Cantona – The most charismatic player of the Premier League era, Cantona was the catalyst for Manchester United’s dominance of England football in the 1990s. Having inspired Leeds to an unlikely Division One title in 1992, he moved to United where he helped them won four Premier League titles in five years, including two League and Cup doubles.
Statistics and records, though, tell only part of the Cantona story. His flair, creativity, arrogance, style and off-field activities made him the most watchable, talked-about player in Premier League history. There has never been anyone like him.
Centre forward, Thierry Henry – Another signed by fellow Frenchman Arsene Wenger, Thierry Henry was, alongside Patrick Vieira, the key component in Arsenal’s most successful side in recent history. Scorer of 175 league goals, he was blessed with explosive pace and an instinctive understanding of how to beat the keeper. He could score in many different ways, but if he had a trademark, it was to pick the ball up in space on the left, then run at back-pedalling defenders, before opening his body to curl the ball with his right foot past the keeper and into the net.
A player who looked great and sounded great as well as playing great, Henry was so good he attracted admiration from fans of other clubs as well as Arsenal, famously being given standing ovations at both Portsmouth and Sunderland.
Left winger, Robert Pires – Another member of the Arsenal ‘invincibles’, Robert Pires combined elegance, creativity and speed to become one of the most effective wingers in Premier League history. Capable of great speed with and without the ball, he used subtle changes of pace and running lines to create space and beat defenders. He formed a deadly partnership with Thierry Henry that took Arsenal, France (and this team) to great success.
Pires was not just a provider, he also contributed more than his fair share of goals. In fact, in his Arsenal career he scored more goals (84) than he made assists (77).
Nearly made the team
There have been so many excellent Frenchmen to play in the Premier League, you could make another XI that would put up a pretty good game against the selection above. The side below, for example, amassed 660 caps for France:
Goalkeeper – Fabien Barthez
Defenders – LB Lucas Digne, CB Marcel Desailly, CB Silvain Distin, RB Pascal Chimbonda
Midfield – Emmanuel Petit, Samir Nasri, Moussa Sissoko, David Ginola
Attack – Olivier Giroud, Nicolas Anelka
And some of the worst Frenchmen to play in the Premier League
- Stephane Guivarc’h – When Stephane Guivarc’h signed for Newcastle in July 1998 he was fresh from a starting place in France’s World Cup winning side, and a record of slightly more than a goal every other game in the French leagues. He looked utterly out of his depth in the Premier League and was sold to Rangers after less than four months having played only four games and scored one goal.
- Tanguy Ndombele – Signed by Tottenham for a record €62m plus add-ons in 2019, Ndombele got off to a promising start with an assist within one minutes of coming on for his debut. That was to be a high point in what was a disappointing spell characterised by lack of professionalism and effort. As successive managers quickly tired of him, he spent much of his time at the club out on loan before he was released after five largely fruitless years.
- Eliaquim Mangala – The most expensive defender in British transfer history when he came to Man City in 2014, Mangala found the speed and physical intensity of the PL to be a little too much for him. He was frequently found out of position and made a series of high-profile errors to lose the confidence of his manager and teammates.
- Tiemoue Bakayoko – After a stellar season at Monaco, 22-year-old Bakayoko signed for Chelsea for £40m in 2017. Like several others before him, he found the pace and physicality of the England game a little too demanding, and it was not long before Chelsea had him out on loan to French and Italian teams.
- Paul Pogba – Paul Pogba actually began his senior career at Manchester United, but made his name as a world-class central midfielder at Juventus. When he rejoined United in 2016 it was for a world record transfer fee of €105m. He got off to a decent start, but never seemed fully committed to the United cause. His time at United was peppered with golden moments, but nowhere near enough to justify his status as the most expensive player in the game.
- William Prunier – An experienced sweeper-cum-libero defender, Prunier was brought to Man United in late 1995 on a two-month trial. He played a mere two matches in central defence, alongside an out-of-position Gary Neville, before Alex Ferguson clinically discarded him. He was actually a decent player, but Prunier rather unjustly now sits on a list of United’s worst ever signings.
- Pegguy Arphexad – Pegguy Arphexad won the League Cup with Leicester and six medals with Liverpool, but all were as an unused substitute. He might actually have been a pretty decent keeper, but he rarely left the subs bench. In 16 years as a pro he made a mere 53 first-team appearances.