The 10 most expensive Premier League transfers of all time

2 Feb 2022 15:12 GMT |
Updated: 3 Oct 2026 17:17 BST |
5 min read

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The Premier League is the richest league in the world with some of the world’s most powerful teams.

Mammoth sponsorship and broadcast deals, and the biggest concentration of elite clubs, mean that money pours into the organisation and, in turn, the clubs themselves.

No top-flight spends money quite like the Premier League – and it means it is always making football transfer news headlines.

The last few summers have seen record amounts of cash thrown around on new signings, and 2026 was no different. A whopping five signings cost north of €100 million, taking the total of such transfers in league history to 14.

As a result, simply being a €100m player is no longer enough to guarantee a spot among the 10 most expensive Premier League transfers ever…

What are the biggest transfer fees in Premier League history?

10. Moises Caicedo – €116m (from Brighton to Chelsea, 2023)

Liverpool or Chelsea? That was the question for Moises Caicedo during the 2023 summer transfer window.

Both clubs were desperate to sign the Ecuador international to complete their midfield rebuild, and it was Chelsea who managed to finalise a deal, despite the fact that Brighton had previously accepted an offer from Liverpool.

Caicedo was courted after a fantastic season under Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton and has continued to establish himself as one of the standout midfielders in world football since his move.

9. Declan Rice – €116.6m (from West Ham to Arsenal, 2023)

Arsenal obliterated their transfer record with the €116.6m signing of Declan Rice in July 2023.

The England international was also wanted by Man City, but he chose to join Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal instead after their second-place finish in the 2022-23 Premier League.

Rice left West Ham on a high, having captained them to Europa Conference League glory in his final match for the club.

He enjoyed an excellent first season for Arsenal as they finished second and eventually went on to win the Premier League title with the Gunners in 2026, when he was nominated for the Premier League Player of the Year award.

8. Jack Grealish – €117.5m (from Aston Villa to Man City, 2021)

Jack Grealish emerged as one of the most exciting players in the Premier League with Aston Villa, and in 2020-21 he recorded the third-highest tally of assists in the top-flight despite missing three months of action.

Even before the 2020 European Championship started, he was the subject of interest from both Manchester City and Manchester United, who were looking into the possibility of a €100m transfer.

His stock rose during the Euros, too, as he came off the bench to play a role in both goals as England defeated Germany in the first knockout stage game.

Eventually, Man City stepped up their efforts and signed him for a then-British record fee. Grealish played a key role in their historic treble win in his second season at the club. However, he struggled in his third season and eventually joined Everton on loan in 2025 and again in 2026.

7. Enzo Fernandez – €121m (from Benfica to Chelsea, 2023)

Enzo Fernandez overtook Grealish as the most expensive British transfer arrival of all time when he swapped Benfica for Chelsea in January 2023.

The Argentina World Cup winner had only joined Benfica in a €12m deal from River Plate the previous summer, but having been elected best young player of the tournament in Qatar, interest in the 22-year-old was high.

With Chelsea having already splashed the cash since American billionaire Todd Boehly replaced Roman Abramovich as owner, Benfica were confident they could extract maximum value from their asset, and they did.

The Portuguese side dug their heels in, insisting Chelsea meet the player’s release clause, and after negotiating throughout the winter transfer window, the Blues finally acquiesced.

Enzo endured a mixed time at Chelsea, although he became a crucially important player during Enzo Maresca’s 18 months at the club.

6. Bradley Barcola – €125m (from PSG to Liverpool, 2026)

Bradley Barcola emerged as a hugely exciting winger at Lyon. Despite links with numerous Premier League giants, he joined PSG for €45m in 2023 and initially established himself as a key player.

However, his influence waned when the Parisians signed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in early 2025, ultimately resulting in Barcola wanting to leave the French capital in the summer of 2026.

PSG had no intention of letting him walk on the cheap and initially demanded a scarcely believable €170m. After lengthy negotiations, Liverpool managed to push that price down to €125m.

5. Florian Wirtz – €125m (from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool, 2025)

Liverpool set the British transfer record when they brought Florian Wirtz to Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen in 2025, paying €125m to sign one of the most coveted young players in Europe at the time.

The Reds had been determined to make a marquee signing after winning the Premier League in Arne Slot’s first season in charge, with the arrival of Wirtz being seen as a major coup following his impressive time in the Bundesliga.

However, Wirtz struggled in his debut season, failing to make his first goal or assist until his 11th appearance and not living up to his price tag.

4. Elliot Anderson – €135m (from Nottingham Forest to Man City, 2026)

Long-time Newcastle manager Eddie Howe never made a secret of the fact that one of his biggest regrets was selling academy graduate Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest in 2024, even if the Magpies had to balance the books.

The scale of this Newcastle mistake was ruthlessly exposed in 2026 when Man City shelled out an eye-watering €135m to sign Anderson following two hugely impressive seasons in Nottingham and a breakout World Cup.

3. Morgan Rogers – €138m (from Aston Villa to Chelsea, 2026

After joining Aston Villa from Middlesbrough in early 2024, Morgan Rogers developed into one of the Premier League’s best attackers and became a star for England. By 2026, it was clear that he would likely be on the move despite signing a contract extension a few months earlier.

During the 2026 World Cup, Rogers was widely expected to join Arsenal as they were in search of a marquee left winger. However, before the tournament had even ended, Chelsea swooped in and agreed a whopping €138m fee with Aston Villa.

It was a fee that was too good to turn down for the Birmingham club, and Arsenal had no intention of matching the offer or outbidding Chelsea.

2. Enzo Fernandez – €145m (from Chelsea to Man City, 2026)

Heading into the 2026 summer transfer window, it was clear that Enzo Fernandez would be one of the protagonists. The Argentine had spent the previous weeks publicly courting Real Madrid after growing frustrated with Chelsea’s lack of competitiveness in major competitions.

However, Los Blancos decided against pursuing his signing, which forced him to consider different options. Thankfully, his former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca had replaced Pep Guardiola at Man City and was desperate to reunite.

After a saga that dragged on for the entire summer, Man City agreed to match the Premier League record on Deadline Day to sign Fernandez from Chelsea for €145. Having previously joined the Blues for €121m, he became the first-ever player to move for more than €100m twice.

1. Alexander Isak – €145m (from Newcastle to Liverpool, 2025)

Just weeks after the arrival of the aforementioned Wirtz, Liverpool again broke the British transfer record on Deadline Day in summer 2025 by finally agreeing to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle after months of speculation.

Isak had been a star and fan favourite for Newcastle only to go on strike in order to force through the move to Liverpool.

But the Swedish international’s persistence was not rewarded in his debut campaign as he struggled to find fitness, finishing the season with just three Premier League goals in 14 games after a horrendous leg break.