David Silva has said the coming season is likely to be his last at Manchester City.
Here, Press Association Sport looks at how the Spaniard’s numbers compare to some other notable overseas playmakers during the Premier League era.
David Silva (Manchester City 2010-present)
The 33-year-old has scored 54 Premier League goals for City in 282 appearances, adding 83 assists.
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal 2003-11, Chelsea 2014-19)
Silva’s fellow Spaniard is out in front in terms of assists from foreign players in the Premier League, with 111 to his name, and second only to Ryan Giggs’ 162 overall. Silva’s 83 put him in third place among foreigners, also behind Dennis Bergkamp but with time to close the gap in the 2019-20 season. Fabregas also scored 50 goals in 350 appearances.
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal 2013-present)
Many may argue that given his talent and stature, Ozil’s figures should be higher, but they are still significant enough. The German has 52 assists and 32 goals from 166 appearances for the Gunners.
Robert Pires (Arsenal 2000-06, Aston Villa 2010-11)
The Frenchman was a key member of Arsenal’s Invincibles side and could operate as a winger or a central attacking midfielder. He notched 62 goals in 198 Premier League appearances, a figure Silva may also be able to close in on with a good campaign.
Mikel Arteta (Everton 2004-11, Arsenal 2011-16)
Arteta may not be regarded among the true greats of the Premier League but he was a consistent and outstanding performer for Everton and later an excellent addition to the Arsenal squad. The number of appearances he made over the years, 284, bear this out. He also scored 41 goals and had 42 assists.
Kevin De Bruyne (Chelsea 2012-14, Manchester City 2015-present)
At 27, the brilliant Belgian could well go on to surpass Silva’s numbers if he can put his injury problems of the past year behind him. While he made little impact at Chelsea, he has been outstanding at City. In 120 appearances he has scored 23 goals and had 46 assists.
