Are you curious about the history of the football game? If so, you must be familiar with the Premier League. It’s the most watched sports league in the world and the most competitive. But it’s not just about the players and the teams – the Premier League also has some of the most expensive transfers in the history of football. In this article, we’ll take a look at the five biggest transfer fees ever paid in the Premier League. From Paul Pogba’s move to Manchester United, to Enzo Fernandez’s transfer to Chelsea – we’ll have it all covered. So, let’s jump right in and find out the list of biggest transfer fees and world’s most expensive players in Premier League history.
5. Antony – £82.2m (from Ajax to Man Utd, 2022)
Antony’s move to Manchester United for a staggering £82.2m made it the biggest deal ever completed on Transfer Deadline Day. Despite United’s reluctance to meet Ajax’s asking price, the club eventually came to an agreement, making it the largest fee ever paid on the final day of the transfer window. The hefty sum for the services of one player has been widely criticized, with some believing that the Red Devils paid over the odds for what they received. It’s hard to judge the success of the move at this stage, but manager Erik ten Hag was keen to acquire Antony all summer, and fans are hoping that the Dutchman’s intuition will pay off.
The fee is not only the biggest ever paid on the last day of the transfer window, but also the largest ever paid in Premier League history. Previous pricey deals include Virgil van Dijk’s move from Southampton to Liverpool in 2018 for £75m, and the £89m transfer of Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool to Barcelona in January 2018. Antony’s move to Old Trafford is a huge statement of intent from the club, and the world will be watching to see whether the hefty fee was worth it. It’s a move that could have repercussions for years to come, and only time will tell whether it was a shrewd investment or a costly mistake.
4. Paul Pogba – £89m (from Juventus to Man Utd, 2016)
Talked about transfers, you will never forget the moment Paul Pogba stepped onto the pitch at Old Trafford for his world-record £89m transfer from Juventus to Man Utd. The fee was a record for the Premier League at the time, and the hype surrounding the French midfielder’s arrival was immense. Pogba’s impressive performances for France had led many to believe he would be the missing piece of the puzzle for United, and he was expected to turn the team into a title-winning outfit. However, his time at the club was hampered by injuries and inconsistent form, and he never quite reached the heights expected of him. The red devils became one of the biggest spenders in the 2023 January. They started the January 2023 in an incredible way comparing to the current transfer window.
Nevertheless, when he was fit and firing, Pogba was Man Utd’s most creative and influential player. He could play a variety of positions, from central midfielder to attacking midfielder and even on the wing, and his ability to influence the game was second to none. Unfortunately, Pogba’s time at Old Trafford was cut short in 2022 summer transfer window when he returned to Juventus on a free transfer, much to the disappointment of many United fans. Although he failed to live up and spent years the premier league to prove expectations about him, his world-record transfer fee still stands as a testament to his immense talent and potential. So, hands down this was one of the best Premier league transfers in football history and one of today’s world football biggest fees and expensive signing.
3. Romelu Lukaku – £96m (from Inter, Milan to Chelsea, 2021)
After his sensational return to the Premier League, Romelu Lukaku joined Chelsea in 2021 in a transfer worth an astonishing £96m, cementing his place in the club’s history. After signing from Anderlecht at a young age, Lukaku had gone on loan to West Brom and Everton, before joining the Toffees permanently and starring for them. This earned him a £75m transfer to Manchester United, though he eventually fell out of favour and joined Inter in 2019. At Inter, Lukaku rebuilt his reputation, eventually earning a return to Chelsea for £96m. Despite the hefty fee, the deal didn’t work out and he was back on loan with the Nerazzurri a year later. There is no doubt that after completed major transfers, Chelsea were the biggest spenders January transfer window and former manager also have been replaced. So, there is doubt that Romelu Lukaku has been involved in one of the biggest signings in history of summer of 2021.
Nevertheless, the transfer fee places him among the most expensive signings in Premier league transfers in history and proves that Lukaku’s talents are still highly valued across the continent. Though his return to Chelsea wasn’t successful, Lukaku’s transfer fee stands as a testament to his immense ability and shows that he is still one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe. His impressive career has taken him from Anderlecht to Manchester United and Chelsea, and his transfer fees have broken records along the way. His presence and top flight in the Premier League, Fa cup and Champions league is sure to continue to make an impact for years to come and remains the most expensive personal terms with the player and the best transfer record to sign in recent history.
2. Jack Grealish – £100m (from Aston Villa to Man City, 2021)
Now, let’s find out two of the biggest transfers in Premier league history fighting for the League cup. Jack Grealish made headlines this year when he became one of the most expensive signings in the world game, commanding a British record fee of £100m when he made the switch from Aston Villa to Manchester City. The 25-year-old had already established himself as one of the Premier League’s top players, having recorded the third-highest tally of assists in the top-flight before the start of the 2020 European Championship. He had also been the subject of interest from both Manchester City and Manchester United, who were looking into the possibility of a £100m transfer. That made him one of the top transfers of all time and booked him a place in top 10 most expensive premier league signings in transfer market.
His stock rose even further during the Euros, with Grealish coming off the bench to play a role in both goals as England defeated Germany in the first knockout stage. This performance convinced Man City to step up their efforts and sign him for the record fee. Despite initially struggling to justify the figure, Grealish has since found his form and established himself as one of the stars of the Premier League. He is now one of the most expensive players in the history of the English top-flight, with his transfer fee eclipsing the likes of Romelu Lukaku (£96m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£67m).
1. Enzo Fernandez – £106.8 million (from Benfica to Chelsea, 2023)
Capping off a remarkable rise to stardom, Enzo Fernandez made headlines in 2023 when he was transferred to Chelsea from Benfica in January 2023 for a whopping £106.8 million, cementing his place as the most expensive British signing of all time. Having been elected best young player of the tournament in Qatar, interest in the 22-year-old was high and Benfica were confident they could extract maximum value from their asset. After the transfer record transfer fee negotiating throughout the winter transfer window, the Blues finally acquiesced to the player’s release clause and made the record-breaking transfer. This transfer follows a number of other big money transfers when the transfer window slams shut in the Premier League over the years, including a £100 million transfer of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa to Manchester City in 2021.
The transfer fees of these players are indicative of the ever-growing spending power of Premier League clubs, as they seek to acquire the best talent in the world. The transfer of Fernandez is a testament to his talent and potential, and Chelsea will be hoping that the Argentine can be a star player for the club in the coming years. It remains to be seen if Fernandez can live up to the hype and expectation, but it’s clear that he’s a player to watch in the Premier League. With his record-breaking transfer, he has set the bar for British signings extremely high, and it’ll be interesting to see if the record is broken in the future.
Conclusion
You’ve seen some of the biggest transfers in premier league history. Antony’s £82.2m move from Ajax to Man Utd in 2022 was the fifth biggest. Paul Pogba was fourth with his £89m move from Juventus to Man Utd in 2016, and Romelu Lukaku was third with his £96m move from Inter to Chelsea in 2021. Jack Grealish was second with his £100m move from Aston Villa to Man City in 2021, and the biggest transfer fee was Enzo Fernandez’s £106.8m move from Benfica to Chelsea in 2023. Now, in 2023 January transfer window Arsenal make the top transfer near completion and biggest signing for this summer. They made the best British transfer this summer on taking Declan Rice from West Ham. That was this summer transfer window best British transfer record in a player of all time that the Premier league has seen. So, these were the biggest transfer fees in premier league history.
