Udinese are one of the oldest and most recognisable Italian clubs in football, and according to recent reports, Tottenham are interested in signing their star defender Rodrigo Becao.
The Brazilian defender was impressive for the Udine-based side last season, with Tottenham and also Everton interested in signing the 26-year-old this summer, with the Serie A club valuing Becao at £17m should either Premier League side launch a move for the centre-back.
Indeed, Becao won’t be the first player to move from Udinese to England. In fact, the Italian side have had a role in producing some of the biggest names in football, and here are just five names to shine in the Premier League after playing for the Friulani.
Alexis Sanchez
When we say Udinese had a hand in developing some of the biggest names in football, we were not kidding, with Alexis Sanchez getting his European break at the Serie A side after moving over from South America.
The Chilean international starred for Udinese before moving to FC Barcelona in 2011, yet it is his spell at Arsenal that many fans associate Sanchez with as the attacker became a sensation at the Emirates Stadium under Arsene Wenger, before an ill-advised move to Manchester United effectively ruined the winger’s career.
Odion Ighalo
Another attacker who spent a brief spell at Manchester United, this time to a much more impressive effect, Odion Ighalo first joined Watford from Udinese, with the two clubs both owned by the Pozzo family and thus creating a clear pipeline between the Premier League and Serie A.
15 goals in his first-ever season in the English top-flight put Ighalo on the map for Watford, though a dreadful second season would see the Nigerian international move to China before United signed the striker on loan on deadline day in January 2020, quickly becoming a fan favourite with the Old Trafford faithful.
Juan Cuadrado
Chelsea have made many big-name signings that have now been forgotten about based on just how unsuccessful they were, and Juan Cuadrado more than fits these criteria, with the Colombian international fading into obscurity seemingly from the minute he signed for the Blues.
Starting his career in Europe with Udinese, the winger moved to ACF Fiorentina just two years after arriving in Italy before moving on to Chelsea and then Juventus, where Cuadrado has since been a regular for the Bianconeri since joining in 2015.
Allan
Before moving to Everton, Allan was viewed by many as one of the best midfielders in Serie A, and just like with Sanchez, Udinese was where the Brazilian earned his big break, with the Selecao star featuring heavily for the Udine club between 2012 and 2015.
A starring role won Allan a move to Napoli, where the midfielder developed into the player we all know and love today, with the tidy maestro becoming a Brazilian international and eventually moving to Everton along with Carlo Ancelotti in 2020.
Bruno Fernandes
Another massive name in football who began their career with Udinese, Bruno Fernandes is arguably one of the best midfielders in the game, and a key player for Manchester United since joining from Sporting Lisbon in the same window as Ighalo for a reported £67m.
As we know, the Portuguese international has been an absolute revelation for the Red Devils since joining over two years ago, and whilst Fernandes’ performances were somewhat below average last season, the midfielder still has a massive role to play in the future of United.
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