Declan Rice, Virgil van Dijk, & Fernando Torres – The most expensive transfers of all time between Premier League clubs
24 transfers over €50m
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The money changing hands for the world’s top talents continues to get crazier with each passing season. Following the astronomical €222 million world record transfer fee PSG paid Barcelona for Brazilian star Neymar in 2017, the €100m mark has been broken a further 13 times. The Premier League certainly hasn’t held back when it comes to spending money in recent years, blowing most other leagues out of the water in terms of money spent on transfers. It also dominates the most valuable leagues in world football, with a total market value of €11.09 billion, leaving the division way out in front of second placed La Liga with a market value of €5b.
The record transfer in the Premier League remains Chelsea’s €120m acquisition of Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernández in January 2023. But how many of the most expensive transfers have been exchanged between two English teams? Here at Transfermarkt, we have compiled the list of the top 30, and there are some big names on the list. Some players that warranted their transfer fee and more, and some undoubted flops make the 30.
Most Expensive Transfers Between English Clubs Of All Time
The most expensive transfers between English clubs
Leading the list is Manchester City’s summer 2020 signing of winger Jack Grealish, in which the Sky Blues paid Aston Villa €117.5m for the Englishmen. That deal still ranks as the second most expensive transfer to any Premier League club at all, and the eighth most lucrative of all-time worldwide. The second most expensive transfer between English clubs came last summer, as Arsenal forked out €116.6m to bring West Ham Captain Declan Rice to the Emirates. So far it is still looking good value for the Gunners, with Rice having a huge impact in North London. In third is another deal from last year for another central midfielder in Chelsea’s €116m signing of Brighton’s Moisés Caicedo. The Ecuadorian is yet to show his worth for the Blues, but may need to be given more time to adjust to life at Stamford Bridge.
The fourth biggest deal takes us back to 2019, where Manchester United paid Leicester €87m for centre-halfHarry Maguire. The Englishmen went on to be club captain, before being stripped of the captaincy last year, and has a mixed time at Old Trafford. In fifth is another Man United signing in their acquisition of then Everton striker Romelu Lukaku in 2017 for €84.7m. The Belgian was sold to Inter Milan for €74m just two years later. Next up is a deal that came six months after Lukaku, in Liverpool’s €84.7m signing of Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk in January 2018. Probably the best transfer on the list, given he has gone on to be Liverpool captain, and is now widely considered as one of the greatest ever Premier League centre-backs.
The seventh most expensive transfer between English teams is Chelsea’s €80.4m signing of Leicester defender Wesley Fofana in 2022. Unfortunately the Frenchmen has been plagued with injuries since his move to West London. In eighth, was Kai Havertz €75m move from Chelsea to Arsenal last summer, with the German now flourishing under Mikel Arteta. Ninth position goes to another Leicester sale (the third in the top 10) in Riyad Mahrez’s €67.8m deal to Man City in 2018. Completing the top 10, is Marc Cucurella’s €65.3m deal from Brighton to Chelsea in 2022.
Man City and Arsenal dominate – The most valuable players in the Premier League
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