As Christian Benteke completes his £32m switch from Liverpool to Crystal Palace, we look at the teams that have broken their transfer record this window.
Christian Benteke celebrates scoring the first goal for Liverpool
Christian Benteke’s £32m move to Crystal Palace marks yet another notable Premier League transfer as the total spending for the summer eclipses £800m.
The fee is in a similar region to what Liverpool paid Aston Villa for the Belgian striker just over a year ago and sees Palace smash their previous record of £13m set earlier this summer for Andros Townsend.
It is debatable whether or not the fees are justified, but what cannot be denied is that many Premier League teams, even the ‘smaller’ ones, have huge amounts of money at their disposal.
Palace may be setting the bar pretty high after twice breaking their transfer record this summer, but five more Premier League clubs have also broken their highest fee this window – here they are:
AFC Bournemouth – Jordon Ibe (£15.3m from Liverpool)
Bournemouth’s Jordon Ibe in action with Manchester United’s Juan Mata
Bournemouth’s £15.3m transfer of 20-year-old Jordon Ibe surpassed their previous record set earlier in the year when Benik Afobe joined from Wolves for a reported £11.3m.
The youngster joined after making 41 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions during the 2015-16 season – scoring four goals.
With plenty of potential this fee could end up proving to be somewhat of a bargain for Eddie Howe’s side as they look to consolidate their status as a Premier League club.
And as a team currently experiencing their best ever period, you’d expect the Cherries to be setting new transfer records, so Ibe’s lofty fee could be surpassed in the near future.
Leicester City – Ahmed Musa (£16.6m from CSKA Moscow)
Leicester City’s Ahmed Musa shoots at goal
Nigerian forward Ahmed Musa signed for Premier League Champions Leicester from CSKA Moscow, where he scored 17 goals in 40 appearances last term.
The 23-year-old can play as a striker or on the wing, and with pace to burn he is sure to cause trouble for almost any Premier League defence alongside Jamie Vardy.
A solid acquisition that will heighten the Foxes attacking threat as they look to retain their league title while also trying to make an impact in the Champions League.
Manchester United – Paul Pogba (£89m from Juventus)
Manchester United’s Paul Pogba reacts
Now one of the most widely discussed transfer sagas of all time, Paul Pogba’s world-record return to Manchester United is undoubtedly the stand-out transfer of the summer – or perhaps ever.
Not only did the Frenchman’s £89m fee comfortably surpass United’s previous transfer record of £59.7m for Angel Di Maria but it also eclipsed Real Madrid’s £85m paid for Gareth Bale in 2013 as Pogba became the most expensive player of all time.
And Red Devils fans will be hoping the 23-year-old will prove to be more of a success than their previous record transfer Di Maria, who was sold after a season to PSG for £44m.
The move may still frustrate United supporters after Pogba left United on a free back in 2012 – but he has since matured into one of the top midfield talents in world football and is sure to make an impact under Jose Mourinho.
Watford – Isaac Success (£12.75m from Granada)
Nigerian youngster Isaac Success became Granada’s youngest ever La Liga player in 2014 at age 18 and went on to score seven league goals before joining Watford last month.
Another player with bags of potential, Success is unlikely to usurp Troy Deeney or fellow countryman Odion Ighalo in the Hornets’ starting line-up, but he could still prove to be a useful addition to the squad.
Currently nursing a hamstring injury, Watford fans may have to wait until they see their record signing with fixtures against Chelsea and Arsenal coming up.
West Ham United – Andre Ayew (£20.5m from Swansea City)
Chelsea’s John Terry in action with West Ham United’s Andre Ayew
Andre Ayew joined the high-flying Hammers following a relatively successful first season at Swansea City.
The Ghanaian international bagged 12 goals for the Swans in 2015-16 after joining the club on a free transfer last summer.
The 26-year-old forward’s impressive performances earned him a big money move to West Ham who were looking to strengthen their squad ahead of their Europa League and Premier League campaigns.
But things haven’t gone to plan for Ayew as just 35 minutes into his Hammers debut, he sustained a bad thigh injury that sees him sidelined for around four months.
West Ham fans will therefore have to wait to see their record signing in full swing but hopefully we will see him make an impact on his return.
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