- Premier League teams consistently set transfer records for new acquisitions, making them the envy of European football.
- We review the most expensive transfers in Premier League history.
Premier League teams consistently set transfer records for new acquisitions, making them the envy of European football.
Several high-profile transactions have already taken place this summer, with Declan Rice‘s transfer to Arsenal from West Ham making the midfielder the third player in Premier League history to be acquired for more than £100 million.
We review the most expensive transfers in Premier League history in light of Rice’s club-record move to Arsenal.
Paul Pogba – Manchester United (£89m)
Paul Pogba. Photo/ Goal.com.
When Manchester United and Juventus reached an agreement to re-sign Paul Pogba, they became only the second Premier League side in 2016 to shatter the world transfer record.
Pogba left on a free transfer just four years prior after struggling to play for the first team, but after four productive seasons in Serie A, he returned as one of Europe’s top young players.
The Frenchman, who had won four straight league championships with Juventus, did not prove to be the game-changing acquisition that many had hoped when he returned to Old Trafford.
During his debut year with the Red Devils, he won the League Cup and Europa League twice, but he was unable to add any more hardware in the five years that followed. He returned to Italy to re-sign for Juventus on a free transfer after six seasons of uneven play.
Romelu Lukaku – Chelsea (£97.5m)
Romelu Lukaku, who re-signed for Chelsea in a club-record deal, was another pricey returnee.
During his initial stint with the club as a youth, Lukaku only made 10 goalless appearances; nevertheless, a successful career after leaving the club convinced the west Londoners to re-sign the Belgian. He scored 64 goals over the course of the previous two seasons at Inter Milan before joining Chelsea in a £97.5 million move, but he was unable to repeat that performance in the Premier League.
In his underwhelming first season, Lukaku managed just eight goals in the league and faced criticism for both his play and a contentious media discussion with Italian media.
Jack Grealish – Manchester City (£100m)
Jack Grealish. Photo/ Goal.com.
In 2021, Jack Grealish moved from Aston Villa to Manchester City and became the first footballer to earn a contract worth $100 million in the Premier League.
After a stellar campaign at Villa Park, in which Grealish led the Premier League in fouls won and ranked second in chances created and assists per 90 minutes, City exercised the midfielder’s record-breaking release clause.
The England international struggled to impress early in his debut season despite winning the Premier League championship. Sergio Aguero’s departure caused the number ten shirt to become available.
When the Citizens achieved an unprecedented Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League triple last season, Grealish developed to become a key member of Pep Guardiola’s squad.
Declan Rice – Arsenal (£105m)
Declan Rice just completed a £105 million transfer from West Ham to Arsenal, making him the most expensive British footballer of all time.
As one of West Ham’s most important Premier League players, the midfielder led the team to its first major trophy in 43 years after winning the Europa Conference League in 2022–2023.
READ: Aston Villa sign Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen
In order to capitalize on last season’s runner-up position and contend for a first title in two decades next season, Arsenal made Rice their top priority and beat Manchester City to the acquisition of the 24-year-old.
Enzo Fernandez – Chelsea (£106.8m)
Enzo Fernandes. Photo/PlanetFootball
When Chelsea acquired Enzo Fernandez from Benfica last winter, they shattered the British transfer record, continuing club owner Todd Boehly’s wild tenure.
Just six months after switching from River Plate to play in Europe, Fernandez’s success led Chelsea to part with the astounding amount of £106.8 million. This was after a string of strong showings in Portugal and a strong World Cup with Argentina.
The midfielder, who was a member of Argentina’s World Cup-winning team in Qatar, was voted the tournament’s Best Young Player before sealing his world-record transfer to Chelsea in the January transfer window.
Despite Chelsea’s terrible performance last season, Fernandez got off to a fantastic start personally, and the 22-year-old appears destined to play a key role in the club’s resurgence under fellow countryman Mauricio Pochettino.
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