We look at the 10 most costly signings made between Premier League teams as a hectic summer of transfer activity gets ready to heat up, with one club holding three of the ten rankings. Financial fair play regulations will undoubtedly have an effect, but when Premier League competitors compete in the transfer market this summer, much of the money will probably be spent on some elite players.
We choose to break down the current top 10 list of transfers between English premier league teams, and Chelsea is in first place, followed by Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool. The top 10 countdown is shown below in reverse order.
10. Marc Cucurella - Brighton – £55 million to Chelsea
In August 2022, the Chelsea and Spain left-back signed a six-year contract to move from Brighton to Stamford Bridge. Cucurella has not always been the first choice despite his high price tag; Thomas Tuchel brought him in to compete with Ben Chilwell on the left. The 25-year-old was a regular contributor towards the end of last season though and has been a regular starter for his country at Euro 2024.
9. Riyad Mahrez: Leicester to Manchester City for £60 million
Before moving to The Etihad in 2018 for a large fee, Mahrez won the Premier League with the Foxes in 2016 and scored 48 goals in 179 games. Prior to City's decision to cash in on the winger, he was an essential part of Pep Guardiola's starting lineup and won four league titles in Manchester in addition to two FA Cups and three League Cups. Mahrez, who is currently 33 years old, scored 12 goals in 33 games for Al-Ahli previous season after joining the team for £30 million in the summer of 2023.
8. Kai Havertz: £65 million from Chelsea to Arsenal
When Havertz went across London to The Emirates in the summer of 2023, Arsenal's surprise bid for him undoubtedly raised some heads. The Germany international scored 32 goals in 139 appearances for Chelsea during his generally difficult time at Stamford Bridge until Mikel Arteta evidently noticed something intriguing about the player. The Gunners manager's instincts have mostly paid off, as Havertz scored 14 goals in 51 games during the previous season as he showed significant growth. Despite this, Arsenal will still attempt to buy a new center striker this summer, which may force the 25-year-old to play a more supporting position.
7. Wesley Fofana: £70 million from Leicester to Chelsea
Due to his unfortunate injury history, Fofana has been forgotten at Stamford Bridge and has only made 20 appearances since joining from the Foxes in the summer of 2022. Despite being approved to return to training in late 2023, the 23-year-old has had two significant knee ailments since the transfer and did not appear in any games last season. Nevertheless, Fofana is still a player with a ton of promise, and under new manager Enzo Maresca, the Blues will likely look to him to play a major part in the future.
6. Virgil van Dijk: £75 million from Southampton to Liverpool
A player who helped elevate Liverpool from challengers under Jurgen Klopp to Premier League and Champions League winners, and one of the greatest additions in Premier League history. When you take into account the immense influence Van Dijk has had on the team since joining Merseyside in 2018, his price seems like a great deal. The 32-year-old is still one of the best central defenders and leaders in the English league, even though he may not be quite the same player he was prior to his ACL injury in 2020.
5. Romelu Lukaku: Everton to Manchester United for £75 million
United paid £75 million of Lukaku's entire transfer fees—a total of £285 million—to acquire him from Goodison Park in 2017. The Belgium international finished with 42 goals in 96 Red Devils appearances, which is a stat line that many elite attackers would be proud of. But when United sold the forward to Inter Milan just two years later, they barely recovered their costs. Lukaku has now rejoined Chelsea and spent time on loan at Roma and Inter. He is presently a strong favourite to return to Napoli and work with Antonio Conte.
4. Harry Maguire - Leicester to Manchester United - £80 million
Italian clubs are suddenly interested in Harry Maguire. A player who, following a massive £80 million expenditure, Erik ten Hag now seems to want gone but who was once a strong cornerstone around which United might develop. Maguire only made 31 appearances in all competitions after losing the captaincy before the start of the previous campaign, albeit some of those appearances were attributed to injury. The 31-year-old will have to wait until the summer to find out what the future at Old Trafford holds after he was unable to recover from an injury to join England's team for Euro 2024.
3. Moises Caicedo – Brighton – £100 million to Chelsea
A player who improved throughout the season, Chelsea would have preferred more from Caicedo in his debut year. Although the former Brighton player and Enzo Fernandez seem like a match made in heaven, their connection didn't work out that way until the Blues' spectacular late-season run. Nevertheless, at just 22 years old, Caicedo undoubtedly has time on his side and, following a season of acclimating to London life, maybe one of the stars of Maresca's upcoming season.
2. Declan Rice: £105 million from West Ham to Arsenal
What a steal the England player was for the Gunners, propelling them to the forefront of the championship fight following his high-profile move across London. Rice elevated his game at The Emirates, where he went from being a defensive midfielder to a box-to-box No. 8 and was named one of the Premier League's players of the year. Rice, who is only 25 years old, has the talent and motivation to rank among the top midfield players in international football, especially if he keeps up his current pace of development under Arteta.
1. Jack Grealish: £105.75 million from Aston Villa to Manchester City
The City forward is determined to maintain his record of being the greatest transfer between top-flight triumphs and the most expensive British player in Premier League history. from for the former Villa player, who has helped the team win three Premier League crowns and a Champions League since 2021, life at The Etihad has been anything from smooth. The 28-year-old's play in 36 appearances across all competitions last season showed a significant decline, with only three goals and three assists. Due to his difficulties, Grealish was left out of the England team for Euro 2024, and he will now have to fight to regain his starting position in the game.