It has now been confirmed that Declan Rice has moved to Arsenal for the mind-bending sum of £105 million. However, this only puts him at number two on the list of the most expensive Premier League transfers of all time.
The English Premier League is home to the majority of the world’s most famous teams, and over the years, the European football landscape has changed considerably. The league and its clubs receive a lot of money from sponsorships and TV deals, making it difficult for other clubs to compete. The English Premier League is constantly at the forefront of football transfer news because it spends more than any other league. Even newly promoted teams feel that they need to splash the cash to be within a chance of not going straight back down.
With the popularity of the EPL, many fans use various bookmakers to bet on their favorite clubs. One example of these bookmakers is Orbit; click here to find out more. With this said, here are the biggest signings in EPL history.
Enzo Fernandez (Benfica to Chelsea) – £106.8 million
Enzo Fernandez made the move from Benfica to Chelsea during the last transfer window. This is the most expensive move in the history of the Premier League.
Benfica paid River Plate €12 million to get the Argentina World Cup hero last summer. But since he was named the best young player at the tournament, the 22-year-old got a lot of attention in Qatar. Many believe that Chelsea overpaid for the star, which is probably the case, but he is, without a doubt, a talent.
Jack Grealish (Aston Villa to Manchester City) – £100 million
When playing for Aston Villa, Jack Grealish often stood out as a player everyone enjoyed watching. Even though he did not play for three months, he had the third most assists in the Premier League in 2020/21 and was generally regarded as too good for Villa.
His reputation grew during the 2020 Euros when he contributed to both of England’s goals in a victory against Germany in the first round of the playoffs. This was when Manchester City put their huge funds to use once again.
Romelu Lukaku (Inter to Chelsea) – £96 million
After signing with Chelsea from Anderlecht as a youngster, Lukaku spent time on loan at West Brom and Everton before making the latter his permanent club.
After achieving great success at Everton, he was able to secure a transfer to Manchester United for £75 million. Eventually, he lost favor with the club and signed for Inter for the 2019 season. At Inter, he was able to regain his form, which led to a shock £96 million transfer back to Chelsea. This means Lukaku has been involved in two mammoth transfers in the English Premier League alone.
Paul Pogba (Juventus to Man Utd) – £89 million
For a then-record transfer price, Paul Pogba returned to the Red Devils in the summer of 2016. Pogba, like other high-priced players, had been subject to criticism from fans due to his lack of consistency. Pogba was one of Manchester United’s most talented and versatile players when fit and on form. However, the common consensus is that he didn’t perform enough and was systematic of a Manchester United team that has fallen from grace. Overall, Manchester United would have liked their money back.
Anthony (Ajax to Man Utd) – £82.2 million
On the final day of the 2022 summer transfer window, Manchester United completed one of the biggest transfer deals in EPL history by signing Antony. Manager Erik Ten Hag had him on his wish list all summer, but a transfer was delayed by United’s reluctance to meet Ajax’s asking price. In the end, Manchester United paid £82.2 million for a deal that many saw as overpriced.
His first season can be described as solid but unspectacular. In truth, United should have gone earlier in the market and required his services for a much cheaper fee. Nonetheless, he still has many years ahead of him to shine for the biggest club in England.
Harry Maguire (Leicester City to Man Utd) – £80 million
Manchester United shattered the record for the cost of a defender when they purchased Harry Maguire from Leicester. Despite early worries about the cost, the Englishman quickly became Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-choice captain after only half a season with the club.
Maguire had a larger-than-expected effect on the squad in his first two years. After a promising start to the 2021/22 season, his performance declined to the point that Erik ten Hag had to bench him in favor of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane. Overall, his time at United has been considered a failure despite him still regularly starting for England.
