Top 10 South Americans in Premier League history

#4 Alexis Sanchez

Alexis Sanchez has been Arsenal's top scorer since his arrival

Costing Arsenal £31.7m following the 2014 World Cup, it says a lot about Alexis Sanchez and his talents that his fee would probably be looked upon as an absolute steal today, and if he were to be sold – assuming he doesn’t walk at the end of his contract for free – he’d probably fetch triple the amount of money at least.

The Chilean international has been brilliant for the Gunners since he made the move from Barcelona, becoming their key player – practically a one-man team at really low points for the Londoners – and their top scorer over the last three seasons.

2016/17 saw him score 30 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions, a truly astonishing feat given he’s not an out-and-out striker, and he also chipped in with 13 assists, too. His first season at the Emirates saw him win Arsenal’s Player of the Year award, an achievement he repeated last season, and he also helped the side to retain the FA Cup in 2014/15 and then win it again in 2016/17.

Basically, since he arrived, Arsenal’s ups and downs in form have followed the ups and downs of Sanchez. He’s that much of a key man.

Sure, he’s not without his critics – he’s seen as somewhat of a flat-track bully by some fans, being accused of going missing in the big games and failing to really pull his weight when the odds are against Arsenal.

But it’s hard not to admire a player who plays the game with such a great mix of skill and sheer power. He’s simply a tremendous talent who’s fantastic to watch when he’s at his best.