The 10 most expensive Premier League transfers of all time, featuring three Man Utd signings and Liverpool striker

Paul Pogba at Manchester United, Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez and Manchester City's Jack Grealish. TEAMtalk montage.

The Premier League is the richest league in the world and English sides have made a lot of mega-money purchases in recent years.

Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City often flex their financial muscles but the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool can also splash the cash when required.

We’ve taken a look at the 10 most expensive Premier League signings of all time and how they fared after making the big-money move.

Note: we’ve included any potential add-ons in the total figures.

10= Antony – £88.5m

Having worked with Antony at Ajax, Erik ten Hag brought the Brazil international to Manchester United in the summer of 2022.

He made an instant impact, becoming the first United player to score in his first three Premier League games for the club.

But the 23-year-old winger netted just one more league goal in 2022/23 and has been criticised for his over-reliance on his favoured left foot.

According to reports, United’s hierarchy privately accept that they overpaid for Antony but still believe in his potential.

10= Darwin Nunez – £88.5m

Nunez became one of the most sought-after young players in Europe after scoring 34 goals for Benfica in 2021/22, including two against Liverpool in the Champions League.

The Reds then bought him in a deal that could ultimately cost £88.5million, a figure which would exceed their £75million record signing of Virgil van Dijk.

He scored a respectable 15 goals in all competitions in his debut season but was also guilty of squandering a number of gilt-edged opportunities.

“Darwin is a player with a different skill set to all our other players, he offers a different option, and that’s good,” Jurgen Klopp said. “He is a machine and he has had super moments… [but] he is still adapting.”

10= Mykhailo Mudryk – £88.5m

Mudryk looked set to join Arsenal in January 2023 but Chelsea hijacked the deal, paying Shakhtar Donetsk an initial £62million and a further £26.5million in potential add-ons.

While the Ukraine international has shown glimpses of his undoubted talent, he failed to find the back of the net and registered just two assists in his debut half-season at Stamford Bridge.

“I said from the beginning, I spoke to the owners of Chelsea, and I told them you’ve got a real diamond but you should be very, very patient,” Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Serhiy Palkin told Sky Sports.

“Give this guy time and he will show you what he can bring to the club. I know 100 per cent he will participate [in winning] many, many trophies for Chelsea in the future.”

7. Paul Pogba – £89m

After leaving Manchester United on a free transfer in 2012, Pogba returned to the club in a then-world-record transfer deal in 2016.

He enjoyed an impressive debut season in 2016/17, helping Jose Mourinho’s side lift the League Cup and scoring in the Europa League final win over Ajax.

But that was about as good as it got for the France international, who struggled with injury problems and a lack of consistency in the following five seasons.

He was even booed by home fans during his final game at Old Trafford and rejoined Juventus on a free transfer in 2022.

6. Romelu Lukaku – £90m

Having starred for Everton, Lukaku joined Manchester United in 2017 in a deal worth an initial £75million and another £15million in potential add-ons.

The Belgium international hit the ground running and broke Sir Bobby Charlton’s long-standing record by scoring 10 goals in his first nine appearances for the club.

But he failed to maintain that goalscoring form and came under fire for his fitness and professionalism in the 2018/19 season.

5. Romelu Lukaku – £97.5m

Lukaku joined Inter Milan in 2019 and rebuilt his reputation, scoring 64 goals in 95 appearances in all competitions and helping them win the Serie A title.

Chelsea, who sold the striker to Everton for £28million in 2014, then brought him back to Stamford Bridge in a £97.5million deal in 2021.

He failed to justify that price tag, scoring 15 goals in 54 appearances in all competitions in 2021/22 before being sent back to Inter on a season-long loan deal.

The 30-year-old doesn’t feature in Mauricio Pochettino’s plans and Chelsea are looking to offload him this summer.

4. Jack Grealish – £100m

While Aston Villa hoped that a £100million release clause in Grealish’s contract would be enough to fend off any suitors, Manchester City triggered it in the summer of 2021.

He initially struggled to adjust to the tactical demands of Pep Guardiola and played a bit-part role in his debut season at the Etihad.

The England international then rediscovered his impressive Villa form in 2022/23, helping City win the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League.

3. Declan Rice – £105m

Rice led West Ham United to Europa Conference League glory in 2022/23 but expressed his desire to play in the Champions League.

While Manchester City were only willing to pay £90million for the midfielder, Arsenal agreed to meet West Ham’s asking price.

“We’re really happy that Declan is joining us,” Mikel Arteta told Arsenal’s official website. “He is a player with tremendous ability, who has been performing at a high level in the Premier League and for England for a number of seasons now.

“Declan is bringing undoubted quality to the club and he is an exceptional talent who has the potential to be very successful here.”

2. Enzo Fernandez – £106.8m

Fernandez shot to prominence at the 2022 World Cup, helping Argentina lift the trophy for a third time while also winning the Young Player of the Tournament award.

His performances attracted interest from a host of top European clubs and Chelsea activated the £106.8million release clause in his Benfica contract in January 2023.

The 22-year-old midfielder emerged as a rare bright spark during a poor 2022/23 season for the club and is now shining under Pochettino.

1. Moises Caicedo – £115m

After joining Brighton & Hove Albion for just £4.5million in January 2021, Caicedo developed into one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.

Liverpool were willing to pay £111million for the Ecuador international in the summer of 2023, but he expressed his desire to join Chelsea.

The Blues then paid an initial £100million and another £115million in potential bonuses for Caicedo, who signed an eight-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

He now looks set to play alongside Enzo Fernandez, forming the most expensive midfield partnership in football history.

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Declan Rice Moises Caicedo Enzo Fernandez

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