Fantasy Premier League has a reputation for being one of the greatest sports games in the world. With over 10 million players, it combines the excitement of the Premier League — one of the hardest competitions to win — with the intrigue of building a team and claiming the bragging rights against friends.

Across 38 weeks, you have to maintain consistency and make the best transfers — and a major part of that is deciding how to utilise your budget. You can opt for cheaper players with several 'big-hitters' or go for a strong team throughout without any superstars. It's an approach that is heavily dependent on player prices.

The best players in the world are unsurprisingly the most expensive in the game — and, over the years, several elite individuals have commanded an extortionate virtual sum. Here's a closer look at the most expensive players in FPL history, invariably comprised of forward-thinking players fresh from a triumphant campaign laced with goals and assists.

Player values have been recorded from the start of the campaign — and, where players had the same value, the most recent one has been ranked above.

9 Harry Kane - £12.5m

Tottenham (2021/22)

Harry Kane is one of the greatest Tottenham strikers of all time. Despite joining Bayern Munich in 2023, he still has a place in the hearts of every fan, as he finished his spell at the club as their top goalscorer — ahead of the iconic Jimmy Greaves.

He had countless incredible campaigns, yet his performances in the 2020/21 season saw him priced at £12.5m the following campaign. Despite racking up 23 goals and 14 assists in 35 matches, the highest tallies in both key categories that season, Spurs faltered on their way to Conference League qualification. In truth, Kane's expensive price wasn't worth it as he struggled to be as effective as the previous campaign after trying to leave the London club for Manchester City over the summer.

8 Frank Lampard - £13m

Chelsea (2011/12)

Frank Lampard is one of the greatest midfielders of all time. The former Chelsea star shone for the west London club and England on numerous occasions, which meant FPL saw him as a prized asset. During the 2011/12 campaign, Lampard was priced at £13m — the most expensive midfielder of all time — yet after registering 14 goal contributions in just 24 matches in the season before, it was hardly surprising. Chelsea's prolific box-crasher had a natural talent in the middle of the park as he registered 16 goal contributions in the next campaign to make his price worthwhile for any players using him.

7 Robin van Persie - £13m

Manchester United (2012/13)

Robin van Persie might be considered one of the biggest traitors of all time by Arsenal fans, but he is also one of the greatest Premier League strikers of all time. During the 2011/12 campaign, the Dutchman shone in north London under Arsene Wenger. He registered 41 goal contributions in just 38 matches, romping to the Golden Boot.

Yet with the Gunners not improving, the striker opted to move to Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson. It paid off as they won the title, yet any FPL players who wanted to use him in that campaign had to spend £13m. Most did after a run of incredible performances and were rewarded with another prolific display.

6 Sergio Aguero - £13m

Manchester City (2015/16)

Sergio Aguero was one of the most naturally gifted strikers the Premier League has ever seen. There was nothing he couldn't do, playing the role of creator and lethal finisher in the final third. During the 2014/15 campaign, Aguero scored 26 goals and provided eight assists in just 33 matches.

It wasn't enough for the Cityzens to win the title, yet it showed the world just how incredible the Argentine was once again. When the new campaign came around, FPL considered him to be world-class, pricing him at £13m in the process. Despite the expensive fee, he was still popular as he registered 26 goal contributions in 30 matches.

5 Mohamed Salah - £13m

Liverpool (2018/19)

When Mohamed Salah first joined Liverpool, it was expected that he would struggle after previously faltering under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea; how wrong that proved to be. In his first campaign, the Egyptian scored 32 goals in just 36 matches, breaking the record for the most prolific 38-game Premier League season — and that's before you even consider his 10 assists.

Unsurprisingly, when the 2018/19 campaign came around, FPL had to increase his price. By raising it to £13m, he became one of the most expensive individuals in the game's history, yet he was still value for money by scoring 22 goals in 38 matches.

4 Thierry Henry - £14m

Arsenal (2006/07)

When you think of the greatest French players of all time, you think of Thierry Henry. Alongside the legends of Zinedine Zidane and Kylian Mbappe, the former Barcelona star shone across Europe — including at Arsenal. In the 2005/06 season, Henry scored 27 goals and provided seven assists in just 32 matches.

It didn't help the Gunners win the league like in previous seasons, but it showed he was still world-class. FPL naturally opted to increase his price for the 2006/07 season to £14m. It didn't sound excessive initially, but he made just 17 appearances and only narrowly scraped double digits for goals before moving to Spain.

3 Cristiano Ronaldo - £14m

Manchester United (2008/09)

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players of all time. With a career spanning over 20 years, the Portuguese superstar has epitomised the idea of hard work which has turned him into a world-class player. His first spell with Manchester United was extraordinary, peaking in the 2007/08 campaign with an absurd tally of 31 goals in just 34 matches.

It helped Ronaldo win the Ballon d'Or for the first time, yet it also meant his FPL price rose for the following campaign. Just like Henry, he was considered to be a £14m star, yet it paid off again as he registered 25 goal contributions in 33 matches. It was his final campaign before moving to Real Madrid for a record fee.

2 Robin van Persie - £14m

Manchester United (2013/14)

Van Persie features twice on this list, first at £13m, but secondly at £14m. After a remarkable season at Arsenal which earned him a move to Old Trafford and then shining in Ferguson's final campaign with 35 goal contributions in 38 matches, the Dutchman became one of the most consistent superstars in the world. It meant he was always going to be priced at the upper end in FPL for the 2013/14 campaign.

The powers that be at FPL headquarters valued Van Persie at £14m as David Moyes started a new era in the north. However, just like the club, the Dutchman never kicked into gear. He struggled to adapt to the new philosophy, which saw him score just 12 goals in 21 matches.

1 Erling Haaland - £14m

Manchester City (2023/24)

When Erling Haaland first joined Man City for the 2022/23 campaign, he was worth £11.5m. That sounded fair for a player who was tipped to take time to adapt to the pace of the Premier League, but it turned out to be a poor undervaluation. In his debut season, Haaland scored an earth-shattering 36 goals in 35 matches, helping the Cityzens win the European treble.

Some called him robotic, others called him world-class, yet it was clear he was one of the best strikers in the world. When the 2023/24 season came around, FPL valued him at a record-equalling £14m. Even then, though, he was still value for money as City's Nordic superstar scored 27 goals in 31 matches.