Bruno Fernandes is the latest Portuguese EPL star… but who makes the top 10?

When Bruno Fernandes completes his move to Manchester United, he will be continuing a strong tradition of Portuguese players and managers who have made their way to the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo have always trusted their compatriots like Ricardo Carvalho and Ruben Neves but others have also benefitted from the country's impressive talent pool – notably Sir Alex Ferguson who signed Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani, and less successfully Bebe.

Sportsmail counts down the top 10 Portuguese imports who have graced English football..

10: ABEL XAVIER (Everton 1999-2002, Liverpool 2002-03, Middlesbrough 2005-07)

A cult figure with the most amazing peroxide hair and beard combo in football. It says a lot for his popularity that he's well liked on both sides of Merseyside.

Xavier was a good aggressive defender but his career was always dogged with controversy. He was banned by FIFA for nine months after protesting too vehemently about a red card during Euro 2000 and then failed a drugs test towards the end of his career at Middlesbrough.

He played 49 times for Everton before making the unusual move of going across Stanley Park to Anfield at the start of 2002. He played 21 games, looked settled, and then fell out with Gerard Houllier and left.

9: JOAO MOUTINHO (Wolves 2018- )

A major factor in Wolves' successful return to the Premier League. Even at 33, Moutinho is able to cope with the pace of English football and never seems to need a rest, already notching up 39 appearances for his club this season.

Moutinho is the man who makes Nuno Espirito Santo's team tick, rarely wasting possession and an important source of chances with his set-pieces.

You can see why he was part of the Portuguese team that won Euro 2016 and he's still playing for his country as well.

8: JOSE BOSINGWA (Chelsea 2008-12)

A divisive figure but deserves his place in the list as the only Portuguese player to win the Champions League for an English club bar Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani - only players to play in the final can count here.

On that night in 2012 against Bayern Munich, Chelsea beat the Germans on penalties in their own back yard despite being beset by injuries and suspension, and Bosingwa had to cope with the threat of world-class winger Franck Ribery for 120 minutes.

While the attacking full-back had his critics, the medals can't be sniffed at. He started the 2009-10 Double season under Carlo Ancelotti and played 43 games in his final year before joining QPR.

7: CEDRIC SOARES (Southampton 2015- )

Dependable full-back who has managed to help keep Saints in the top flight and reach a Wembley cup final. Also a member of Portugal's Euro 2016 winners.

Soares was Mr Consistent during his early spell at St Mary's and part of Southampton's team unluckily beaten by Manchester United in the 2017 League Cup Final. He had a spell on loan at Inter Milan last year but has returned to become an important part of Saints upturn in form under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

He's out of contract in the summer which is why Southampton have been looking at Tottenham's Kyle Walker-Peters as a possible replacement.

6: RICARDO PEREIRA (Leicester 2018- )

This is a golden age for right backs in the Premier League and Ricardo deserves to stand comparison with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kyle Walker and Hector Bellerin.

The hefty £22million paid out to Nice two seasons ago looks a bargain. Pereira's dynamism is a key part of the way Brendan Rodgers' team attacks, and it doesn't come at the expense of his defensive work.

At 26, he is at the peak of his powers and also weighs in with the occasional goal – he has three this season. It's no surprise he is regularly linked with the biggest clubs like Manchester United but Leicester will be desperate to keep him for the long term.

5: RUBEN NEVES (Wolves 2017- )

Some were questioning the wisdom of Wolves signing a young technical midfield player from Porto and expecting him to cope with the physical demands of the Champinship. They know the answer now.

Neves was a sensation as Wolves won promotion and equally influential in the Premier League with Nuno Espirito Santo's men qualifying for Europe. Neves is noted for his stunning long-range shooting and his strike against Manchester United in August is a contender for Goal of the Season.

At 22, you wouldn't be surprised where Neves' career ends up. 'He is very similar to Steven Gerrard in terms of his passing range and way he manipulates a ball around his feet,' says Wolves skipper Conor Coady, who was also with Gerrard earlier in his career at Liverpool.

4: NANI (Manchester United 2007-15)

Few players polarised opinion quite like Nani during his time at United.

Undoubtedly capable of the spectacular, he also had his fair share of underwhelming performances and could be infuriatingly frustrating.

Like Ronaldo, Nani arrived from Sporting and it was initially said he struggled with the pressure due to comparisons with his United and Portugal team-mate. But in 2010-11 he established himself, producing some spell-binding performances to earn himself a place in the PFA Team of the Year and the United Players' Player of the Year award.

Injuries then took their toll before leaving in 2015, going on to have something of a nomadic career ever since, though he has become Portugal's fourth-highest capped international.

3: BERNARDO SILVA (Man City 2017- )

Not all of City's recent big-money signings have worked out but Bernardo has justified his £43million fee from Monaco. Along with Aymeric Laporte and Raheem Sterling, he was Pep Guardiola's best player last season when they won a historic domestic Treble.

Bernardo was initially seen as the long-term replacement for namesake David Silva but he's been most useful wide on the right where his trickery and eye for goal have complimented the likes of Kevin de Bruyne and Sergio Aguero.

Was on the six-man shortlist for PFA Player of the Year in 2019. Not hit those heights again this season and received a one-match ban for posting a tweet that compared team-mate Benjamin Mendy with a black figure seen on Spanish sweet packets.

2: RICARDO CARVALHO (Chelsea 2004-10)

Joined Chelsea in the same summer as Jose Mourinho and became a huge part of the Special One's success at Stamford Bridge.

Formed a legendary partnership at the back with John Terry as Chelsea won their first league title for 50 years in 2005, conceding only 15 goals. It was only the start, Chelsea were champions again the following season with Carvalho scoring in the game they clinched the title against Manchester United.

He was voted Players' Player of the Year in 2007-08 when Chelsea reached the Champions League final and also served Avram Grant, Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti with distinction before joining Real Madrid.

1: CRISTIANO RONALDO (Manchester United 2003-09)

Remains the only player to have won the Ballon D'or whilst in the Premier League – following a magical 2008 in which United won the title and the Champions League.

Sir Alex Ferguson took a massive gamble in 2003 by selling the world's most famous player David Beckham and replacing him with a teenager who had impressed for Sporting Lisbon against United in a pre-season friendly.

But Ronaldo proved one of the United manager's most inspired signings. He scored more than a hundred goals at Old Trafford and the club received a world-record £80million when he signed for Real Madrid in 2009.

..AND NOT SO GOOD

BEBE (Manchester United 2010-2014)

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted on his arrival at Old Trafford he'd never seen the £7million winger play. Bebe made just seven appearances, scoring two goals, before leaving in 2014. Currently at Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish second division.

DANI (West Ham 1995-96)

Hammers manager Harry Redknapp said Dani was more interested in nightclubs than football. The player has since said he was treated like a 'piece of meat' by the club. A teenager when he played in England, Dani left after nine games and went on to Ajax, Benfica and Atletico Madrid

RENATO SANCHES (Swansea 2017-18)

One of the most eye-catching transfers of deadline day in August 2017, Swansea felt getting Euro 2016 winner Sanches on loan from Bayern Munich would take them to a new level. Instead, they were relegated with the midfielder making only nine league starts. He's now with Lille.