To say Premier League transfers have hit a new stage or outrageousness would be something of an understatement, and clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United could take it to a whole new level this summer.
Reports already suggest that numerous clubs in the top-flight are ready to spend big in the upcoming transfer window, and if last year is anything to go by, we could see some moves with some astronomical figures attached to them,
Indeed, this summer could see some massive transfers for some of the Premier League’s biggest and best, yet historically speaking, what are the seven most expensive moves in the history of the division? Here at HITC Sport, we take a look.
7. Jadon Sancho – £73m from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United, 2021
The first of three transfers on this list to take place last year, United’s two-year pursuit of Jadon Sancho finally came to an end in 2021 when the Red Devils paid £73m for the England international from Borussia Dortmund.
Whilst performances overall have been poor from Sancho, the mess of an organisation that is Manchester United Football Club are largely to blame for this, with Ralf Rangnick and Erik Ten Hag set for a huge overhaul this summer that will likely see the winger play a focal role next season.
6. Virgil van Dijk – £75m from Southampton to Liverpool, 2018
If there was ever a £75m transfer that was a bargain, it would be Virgil van Dijk’s move to Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018, with the Dutch defender arguably the best in his position in world football and something the centre-back always has been since his move to Anfield.
A titan for Liverpool and a transformative signing for Jurgen Klopp’s side, Van Dijk was central to the Reds’ Premier League and UEFA Champions League title wins, with the defender now eyeing a quadruple this season for the Merseyside club.
5. Romelu Lukaku – £75m from Everton to Manchester United, 2017
When United splashed £75m to sign Romelu Lukaku in 2017, supporters thought they had signed their new starting striker for the next ten years, yet within two, the Belgian was already off to Inter Milan.
Lukaku’s time at Old Trafford, despite the ideal fitness of the move, didn’t go to plan as the striker struggled to adapt to the Manchester giants, and under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the former Everton star was often a benchwarmer for the Premier League giants, a position the forward again finds himself in, but we’ll talk about that later.
4. Harry Maguire – £80m from Leicester City to Manchester United, 2019
United are a mess of a club, and one man who seems to be the main punching bag for supporters this season is the skipper Harry Maguire, who joined in 2019 for £80m, a fee that still remains the highest ever spent on a defender.
Poor performances and incidents off the pitch have left Maguire’s reputation at United in absolute tatters, and with Ten Hag coming in, it is unclear if the England international even has a future at Old Trafford despite the huge transfer fee involved in signing him in 2019.
3. Paul Pogba – £89m from Juventus to Manchester United, 2016
From one United player who might leave to one who most certainly is, Paul Pogba’s £89m move to Manchester in 2016 stood as the world-record transfer fee for just a year. Yet six years on from the deal, it’s hard to determine whether or not the move has been a success.
A boyhood Arsenal fan, Pogba’s performances at United have been mixed, with the midfielder playing numerous roles each week that has done little to get the best out of his obvious world-class quality, and it would be no shock to see the former Juventus star thrive at his next club if they cater to his needs.
2. Romelu Lukaku – £97m from Inter Milan to Chelsea, 2021
Lukaku returned to the Premier League this summer after Chelsea paid a club-record £97m to re-sign their former striker, making the Belgian collectively the most expensive footballer in the history of the sport.
However, just mere months into his return to Stamford Bridge, a bombshell interview with Sky Italia saw Lukaku admit he missed Inter, and with the attacker hardly kicking a ball since then, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see the forward return to Italy just one year after moving back to Chelsea.
1. Jack Grealish – £100m from Aston Villa to Manchester City, 2021
The transfer that felt like it had been years in the making, last summer finally saw Jack Grealish make his big-money move away from Aston Villa, with the England star joining Manchester City for a Premier League-record £100m.
Whilst the 26-year-old is yet to set the world alight at the Etihad Stadium, we know that it is only a matter of time before Guardiola gets the best out of Grealish, with other big-money signings like Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez afforded the time to adapt at City before exploding onto the world.
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