Football business models now heavily rely on player sales. In order to comply with the stringent financial laws that govern the game’s current environment, clubs are being compelled to sell more and more costly assets.
It should come as no surprise that some of the greatest deals in the sport’s history have occurred in recent years, given that prices are much more inflated now than they were in the past. In the summer of 2024, a club-record transfer price was paid to up to five Premier League clubs, including the reigning champions Manchester City.
Not many elite teams have been as financially astute. Several Premier League clubs have very small record sales from previous years and have yet to grasp the dark arts of the transfer window. Take a closer look at each of the division’s historic deals.
20Burnley – £30m
Wilson Odebert to Tottenham (2024)
Wilson Odebert, who transferred from Burnley to Tottenham Hostpur in the summer of 2024 for an initial £25 million, has the lowest transfer fee on this list; however, add-ons will increase the value to £30 million. Spurs decided to take a gamble on his youth and signed him after he scored five goals in 34 games for the Clarets.
Due to a hamstring injury, the 20-year-old French winger’s first season in north London was uneventful and he was unable to gain any significant momentum early on. Having only scored four goals in 22 games at the end of his debut season, he was benched when Tottenham won the Europa League trophy.
19Sunderland – £30m
Jordan Pickford to Everton (2017)
Jordan Pickford, the goalkeeper for newly promoted Sunderland, was sold back in 2017 after the team was demoted from the Premier League. The Englishman has now established himself as a superb goalie for both Everton and his nation.
One of the greatest goalkeepers to ever don the England number one shirt, Pickford currently has 76 caps for the Three Lions. Although £30 million was a significant sum at the time, the 31-year-old has since shown himself to be worth every cent, so all teams may be pleased with this transaction.
18Newcastle – £35m
Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest (2024)
When Elliot Anderson moved from Newcastle to Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2024, the Magpies were making a desperate effort to adhere to the Premier League’s sustainability and profit regulations. Anderson could be sold for ‘pure profit’ because he was an academy graduate. In a different agreement that allayed similar worries at the City Ground, Forest goalie Odysseas Vlachodimos took the opposite route.
Anderson made 44 appearances in his brief stint in the St. James’ Park first team and proved to be a promising young player because of his enthusiasm and versatility. An agreement that “didn’t sit comfortable” was acknowledged by Newcastle manager Eddie Howe.
17Arsenal – £35m
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool (2017)
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, an English midfielder who cost £35 million to join Liverpool in 2017, is Arsenal’s most expensive sell. The amount is among the division’s lowest record sales, demonstrating the Gunners’ conspicuous inability to sell players in the contemporary period.
Despite being predicted for greatness, Oxlade-Chamberlain’s time with Arsenal and the Reds was tragically cut short by injuries, and as a result, he never really had the opportunity to demonstrate his full ability on the field. After his contract with Anfield expired in 2023, one of the most injury-prone players of the modern era moved to play for Besiktas in Turkey, however he has been linked to a return to England.
16Brentford – £40m
Ivan Toney to Al-Ahli (2024)
Although it had long appeared that Ivan Toney would leave Brentford, it was nonetheless unexpected when the team’s all-time top Premier League scorer joined Al-Ahli in the summer of 2024 for a reported £40 million transfer to the Saudi League. The Northampton Town young prospect will be making a fortune in the Middle East, earning the Bees a good transfer fee in the process, but not nearly the £100 million price tag originally connected to the England international. The forward is expected to earn an estimated £400,000 per week after taxes.
15Nottingham Forest – £45m
Brennan Johnson to Tottenham Hotspur (2023)
Brennan Johnson, who helped the Tricky Trees stay in the Premier League with eight goals during the 2022–2023 season, moved from Nottingham Forest to Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £45 million in September 2023. This is another instance of a club being forced to sell an academy graduate for pure profit in order to comply with the Premier League’s PSR regulations.
If Forest had pushed through the arrangement with Spurs, Johnson’s transfer might have been less expensive. In the end, the Midlands team waited until after the June 30th accounting deadline, claiming that if they sold the Welshman before then, they would have received a lower transfer price. Although the total would have been more advantageous, it ultimately played a part in Forest losing four points in the 2023–2024 season.
14Fulham – £50m
Aleksandar Mitrovic to Al-Hilal (2023)
Aleksandar Mitrovic, who cost £50 million to join Saudi team Al-Hilal in August 2023, is Fulham’s record selling. Prior to his transfer, Mitrovic scored an outstanding 109 goals in 190 league games when he was at Craven Cottage.
His incredible 43 goals in the Championship in 2021–22 propelled the Cottagers back to the Premier League on their first try, and a strong 14-goal season in 2022–23 helped the team place 10th in their first season back in the top division. Sadly for Fulham, Al-Hilal’s call was too loud for the Serbian striker to ignore, and he quit the team. Marco Silva came very close to following suit.
13Crystal Palace – £50m
Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Manchester United (2019)
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, a graduate of the Crystal Palace academy, signed a £50 million contract with Manchester United in the summer of 2019 following an outstanding season at Selhurst Park in which he won Crystal Palace Player of the Year and established himself as the team’s first-choice right-back. His career was somewhat delayed by the transfer to Old Trafford.
The England under-21 international, who was awkwardly pushed into more forward positions, never found his previous form again and frequently missed games because of injury or bad play. Wan-Bissaka cost £15 million to join West Ham in the summer of 2024, which was a substantial discount on what the Red Devils had previously spent.
12Leeds United – £55m
Raphinha to Barcelona (2022)
In the summer of 2022, Raphinha was in high demand as both Arsenal and Chelsea sought to sign the Leeds United winger. Though he eventually left, obtaining a £55 million price for his former team after they were demoted, his heart was always set on Barcelona.
Although it took some time to get used to it, the Brazilian has since shown that he is well worth the money. In particular, his 2024–2025 season was outstanding, as he recorded 25 assists and 34 goals overall. He was hailed as a legitimate Ballon d’Or contender after this helped Barcelona win La Liga.
11Wolves – £62.5m
Matheus Cunha to Manchester United (2025)
In August 2024, Pedro Neto joined Chelsea for £54 million, just shy of the £53 million Manchester City paid for Matheus Nunes the year before. However, Wolves have once again surpassed their record sale. Manchester United is the buyer this time, having paid £62.5 million to get Matheus Cunha.
Last season, the Brazilian outscored every Manchester United player with 15 Premier League goals in 33 games. His ability to score goals could provide much-needed firepower to a frontline that has been lacking for a while. His shoulders will be under strain after paying such a high price, and he will want to avoid becoming another offensive failure at Old Trafford after recent underachievers Antony and Jadon Sancho.
10Bournemouth – £65m
Dominic Solanke to Tottenham Hotspur (2024)
Dominic Solanke, a Chelsea academy graduate, joined the Cherries in 2019 following a challenging stint with Liverpool during which he only managed one goal in 21 league games. After scoring 29 goals during Bournemouth’s Championship promotion campaign in 2021–22, Solanke solidified his status as a Premier League striker in 2023–24, amassing 19 league goals to secure a £65 million transfer to Tottenham Hotspur. This was the south coast team’s highest-ever sale, surpassing the £40 million Bournemouth was able to extract from Manchester City for Dutch center-back Nathan Ake in 2020.
9Manchester United – £80m
Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid (2009)
Unquestionably one of the best players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo’s transformation into the iconic player he is today started during his initial time playing for Manchester United. Ronaldo’s 2009 move to Real Madrid for £80 million, a world record at the time, was very significant because Los Blancos had only set the previous high watermark a few days earlier when they acquired Kaka from AC Milan.
Naturally, Ronaldo’s time at Real Madrid was exceptional; he scored more than one goal per game in La Liga and added four more Ballon d’Or medals to his 2008 United trophy haul. Despite being 33 years old, Ronaldo’s 2018 transfer to Juventus was surprisingly more costly than the agreement reached with United, demonstrating that his skill levels had only improved with age.
8Manchester City – £81.5m
Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid (2024)
Julian Alvarez, who spent his time at Manchester City always playing second fiddle to Erling Haaland, eventually got his chance to be the star when he signed an £81.5 million contract with Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2024. Alvarez scored 20 goals in 67 league games when he was at the Etihad, despite frequently being substituted out of his preferred striker position. During an all-conquering 2022–2023 season, Alvarez also became the first and, to date, only player to win the World Cup and a European triple in the same season while playing for Manchester City.
7Tottenham – £85.3m
Gareth Bale to Real Madrid (2013)
In 2013, Gareth Bale, who is perhaps the greatest British football player of all time, went from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid for £85.3 million, which was more than Madrid paid for Cristiano Ronaldo four years prior. Among the highlights of Bale’s checkered tenure in the Spanish capital were his contributions to the team’s five Champions League victories, including a brace in the 2018 final victory over Liverpool, where he produced one of the most iconic goals in history with an incredible overhead kick. After a year with Los Angeles FC, the proud Welshman retired at the age of 33 after suffering from a series of injuries and falling out with the Bernabeu’s management. He eventually returned to Spurs on a season-long loan.
6Chelsea – £89m
Eden Hazard to Real Madrid (2019)
Eden Hazard became a modern Chelsea icon while he was at Stamford Bridge. His dribbling ability and low center of gravity made him one of the Premier League’s most naturally gifted players. Before his tragic transfer to Real Madrid in 2019, the Belgian played for seven years in west London, amassing 352 games and scoring over 100 goals as the Blues won every domestic award. Hazard never demonstrated his full potential in Spain due to a combination of poor play, ongoing injury issues, and Madrid’s roster strength before retiring in 2019 at the age of 32.
5Everton – £90m
Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United (2017)
Romelu Lukaku, a member of the select group of Premier League players who have scored 100 goals in the league, undoubtedly had his best seasons while playing for Everton. He made a name for himself as one of the top forwards in the world at Goodison Park.
Despite the Toffees’ inconsistent on-field performance during the Belgian’s tenure, Lukaku scored 68 league goals in 141 games prior to joining Manchester United for £75 million. Lukaku enjoyed some success in Serie A with Inter Milan, Roma, and now Napoli after leaving Everton, but he endured tough stints in England with United and Chelsea, respectively.
4Aston Villa – £100m
Jack Grealish to Manchester City (2021)
Being a boy Jack Grealish, a former captain and Aston Villa supporter, moved from the Midlands to Manchester City in 2021 for an incredible £100 million, one of the largest transfers in league history. During his tenure at Villa Park, he was well-known for his ability to beat a man and draw a foul. In 2019, he helped the Villans return to the top flight, and on the last day of the following season, he played a significant role in keeping the team in the league.
Grealish’s performances at City are still up for debate. Many believe that the Englishman’s skills have been hampered by the switch from his time at Villa Park to Pep Guardiola’s rigorously orchestrated routines.
3West Ham – £105m
Declan Rice to Arsenal (2023)
Declan Rice, an academy graduate, departed West Ham for £105 million in July 2023, only weeks after he helped the Hammers defeat Fiorentina 2-1 in the Europa Conference League final. Prior to his departure, Rice assumed the role of captain after proving himself to be one of the top up-and-coming prospects at London Stadium and learning from club legend Mark Noble.
The England international’s incredible growth in his first season with the Gunners was only surpassed. In the midfielder’s debut season, Arsenal barely lost the Premier League title after outbidding Manchester City in a bidding battle that surely raised Rice’s price tag. However, Rice was named to the 2023–24 PFA Team of the Year.
2Brighton – £115m
Moises Caicedo to Chelsea (2023)
After a bidding war between Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea for his services, which undoubtedly increased his value, Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo made a high-profile move to Chelsea in August 2023. Prior to his high-profile transfer to Stamford Bridge, where he became one of the top emerging midfield players in the world of football, Caicedo played just 45 league appearances for Brighton after joining the Seagulls in 2021. Caicedo had a rough start to life in the capital, but he recovered well toward the end of his first season with the team and scored a 50-yard screamer on the last day of play.
1Liverpool – £142m
Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona (2018)
Philippe Coutinho’s January 2018 move to Barcelona, which resulted in the highest transfer fee ever paid by an English club in football history, served as a springboard for Liverpool to acquire players who would ultimately be essential to helping Jurgen Klopp’s team experience both domestic and continental success. In sharp contrast, after the transfer, Barcelona’s and Coutinho’s fortunes declined.
While Coutinho never settled at Camp Nou, the Reds used the money they got to acquire players like Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, who transformed the defensive line at Anfield. After scoring twice in a crushing 8-2 Champions League victory over his parent club while on loan at Bayern Munich, the Brazilian joined Aston Villa, but injuries limited his total number of league appearances to just 41. In his native Brazil, he now plays for Vasco da Gama on loan from Villa.
The Record Sale for Each Premier League Club (Ranked)
Rank
Club
The player
The year
Club for Purchasing
Fee
One
Liverpool
Coutinho, Philippe
2018
Barcelona
£142 million
2.
Brighton
Caicedo Moises
2023
Chelsea
£115 million
3.
West Ham
Rice, Declan
2023
The Arsenal
£105 million
4.
Villa Aston
Grealish, Jack
2021
City of Manchester
£100 million
5.
Everton
Lukaku Romelu
2017
United Manchester
£90 million
6.
Chelsea
Eden Hazard
2019
Real Madrid
£89 million
7.
Tottenham
Bale, Gareth
2013
Real Madrid
£85.3 million
8.
City of Manchester
Alvarez Julian
2024
Real Madrid
£81.5 million
9.
United Manchester
Ronaldo Cristiano
2009
Real Madrid
£80 million
10.
The Bournemouth
Solanke, Dominic
2024
Tottenham
£65 million
11.
Wolves
Cunha, Matheus
2025
United Manchester
£62.5 million
Twelve
Leeds United
Raphinha
2022
Barcelona
£55 million
13.
The Crystal Palace
Wan-Bissaka, Aaron
2019
United Manchester
£50 million
14
Fulham
Aleksandar Mitrovic
2023
Al-Hilal
£50 million
15.
Forest of Nottingham
Johnson, Brennan
2023
Tottenham
£45 million
16
Brentford
Toney, Ivan
2024
Al-Ahli
£40 million
17 =
The Arsenal
Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alex
2017
Liverpool
£35 million
17 =
Newcastle
Anderson, Elliot
2024
Forest of Nottingham
£35 million
19 =
Sunderland
Pickford, Jordan
2017
Everton
£30 million
19 =
Burnley
Odobert Wilson
2024
Tottenham
£30 million
xz
