A number of my recent entries have looked at player migration patterns in European Leagues. This one considers the rise of the South Americans - in particular the influx of Brazilian and Argentinian players to European football since 1992.
The graph below aggregates the number of players playing in the Premier League, La Liga and the Bundesliga from 1992 to date that have Brazilian and Argentinian nationalities.
The Argentinian growth is primarily driven by La Liga. This would be expected as Spain and Argentina share a language. Initially, more Argentinians were arriving but this switched in the 2003-2004 season. Since the 2013-2014 season, once again more Argentinians are playing in these three leagues. While there was 30 from both nations in the three leagues in 1992 there are now 114.
The growth in demand for players from these two countries is greater than any other non-EU country. Something that is not surprising at all given their great reputations in football.