11 Most Expensive English Transfers in Football History [Ranked]

Transfers are a key part of modern football, and the English game is very much wrapped up in that world. In every window, both summer and winter, millions are spent on new signings coming in and out of the Premier League and other top divisions.

Bargain buys are increasingly difficult to find. Long gone are the days when £1.2m would help you land a player of Eric Cantona’s quality. Barcelona, for instance, gave roughly 10 times that amount to Liverpool and ended up with one of the biggest flops in football history: Philippe Coutinho.

There is no such thing as a cheap English player anymore. Homegrown quotas have created a premium for Premier League clubs, while the abundant quality of this modern iteration of Three Lions has also prompted lavish outlays from European teams. Here are the most expensive English players in football history.

11

Raheem Sterling – £47.5m

Manchester City to Chelsea (2022)

When all is said and done, Raheem Sterling may be able to stake a claim on being one of the best wingers in Premier League history. After all, he has four titles to his name, as well as over 100 goals and nearly 400 appearances.

However, his best form came with Manchester City, and Liverpool before that. Since arriving at Chelsea in the summer of 2023 for around £50m, the Englishman has failed to deliver the same sort of consistency as he showed at the Etihad. He can’t be blamed for all the Todd Boehly-led chaos around him, but as a senior player at Stamford Bridge, he’s not really stood up to be counted for the Blues when they’ve needed him.

10

Raheem Sterling – £49m

Liverpool to Manchester City (2015)

Sterling was the most expensive English player in football history when he made a £49m move from Liverpool to Manchester City in 2015. Fascinatingly, when adjusted to modern times for inflation, the fee climbs to almost £130m, and it’s fair to say City got value for money however you look at it.

While he wasn’t quite as impactful as the likes of David Silva, Sergio Aguero or Kevin De Bruyne, Sterling’s role in the incredibly successful team should not be overlooked. The winger was a reliable source of goals and assists on the flank for the Manchester outfit, and won 10 domestic honours at the Etihad.

9

Ben White – £50m

Brighton to Arsenal (2021)

When Arsenal splashed £50m on Ben White ahead of the 2021/22 season, eyebrows were raised over how much money had been spent on a relatively unknown defender from Brighton. Mikel Arteta had his heart set on the Englishman, though, and it’s become clear why ever since.

Establishing himself in the team as a centre-back, White’s transformation into both an overlapping and inverting right-back has been astonishing to see, with the Gunners developing into genuine title challengers over the same period. The north London club have one of the tightest defences in the league and are also the most threatening team in the division from set-pieces – with White at the heart of that success in both areas.

8

Mason Mount – £60m

Chelsea to Manchester United (2023)

It’s fair to say that Mason Mount has not proven to be good value for money since arriving at Old Trafford. Taking on the famous number seven shirt, and arriving from a major Premier League rival, big things were expected of the Chelsea academy graduate, but Erik ten Hag has seen very little to justify the transfer outlay so far.

A Champions League winner with Chelsea, Mount has the ability to run games from midfield with his work-rate, understanding of the game, and technical ability. He could still come good for Manchester United but has looked like an awkward fit for the Red Devils so far. Injuries are to blame, in part, so don’t write him off just yet.

7

Dominic Solanke – £65m

Bournemouth to Tottenham (2024)

Dominic Solanke is no stranger to signing for an elite club. The former Chelsea academy graduate moved to Liverpool in 2017 after his deal with the London side expired, but struggled for game time under Jurgen Klopp. During his 18 months on Merseyside, Solanke was afforded just six starts across all competitions.

The one-cap England international began to fulfil his abundant potential in the Championship with Bournemouth, before exploding into life as one of the Premier League’s best strikers under Andoni Iraola. The high-pressing style adopted by the Basque coach helped Solanke rattle in 19 league goals during the 2023/24 campaign, but Iraola was at pains to stress the overarching influence of the team’s number nine. “He gives us much more than goals,” the coach gushed. “He is very complete. He helps us in all the phases of the game.” No wonder Spurs made Solanke the club’s all-time record signing.

6

Jadon Sancho – £73m

Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United (2021)

Jadon Sancho was once one of the most exciting young talents in the game. After dazzling at Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United happily splashed over £70m on the Englishman. Lashings of understatement would be needed to say that the move has not worked out thus far.

The winger scored 16 goals and picked up 20 assists in his final season in Dortmund. In his debut campaign at Manchester United, he mustered just eight goal contributions (five goals, three assists). Things then went from bad to worse as he publicly fell out with Ten Hag, which resulted in a loan move back to Germany. The feuding pair have resolved their differences, but Sancho is still some way short of living up to his lofty price tag.

5

Harry Maguire – £80m

Leicester City to Manchester United (2019)

Harry Maguire joined Manchester United off the back of a fine season with Leicester City, having also shone at international level with England at the World Cup one year prior. The fee eclipsed the world record paid for a defender when Liverpool bought Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for £75m, but it’s safe to say he hasn’t reached the same levels as the Dutchman.

It’s hard to rate Maguire because he’s shown remarkable resilience to sink so low, lose the fans, and then bounce back up to become one of the club’s more reliable defenders. Even so, for a player who cost so much, his time at Old Trafford has been packed full of inconsistency – even if the chaotic environment at the club hasn’t exactly allowed many players to thrive.

4

Harry Kane – £82m

Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich (2023)

You never quite know how an English player will get on overseas, but in the case of Harry Kane, it always felt likely that his goalscoring feats would translate to Germany. And with over 44 goals in his debut season, it’s fair to say he has not disappointed.

Despite a record-shattering campaign, Kane’s arrival at Bayern Munich coincided with the club’s first trophyless season in more than a decade. The England captain’s first game for the Bavarian giants was a humiliating 3-0 loss to RB Leipzig in the German equivalent of the Community Shield. After 11 consecutive title wins, Bayer Leverkusen finally put an end to Bayern’s Bundesliga dominance in 2024.

3

Jude Bellingham – £88m

Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid (2023)

Jude Bellingham’s debut campaign in Spain was simply remarkable. The prodigious talent looks to the manner born at Real Madrid, and he’s already got the silverware to back it up.

Proving to be worth every penny of his transfer fee, the former Borussia Dortmund star scored huge goals – including two Clasico winners – firing Los Blancos to a league title with four games to spare. Bellingham’s form tailed off in the second half of the season, but he still conspired to set up a goal in a triumphant Champions League final against his former employers. For a player still so young, he’s handled the pressure of a Galactico move with unerring confidence.

2

Jack Grealish – £100m

Aston Villa to Manchester City (2021)

Manchester City paid the £100m release clause in Jack Grealish’s contract to bring him in from Aston Villa in 2021, but they haven’t quite got the maverick winger many thought they signed. Instead, Pep Guardiola has moulded the Englishman into a more conservative, ball-retaining, structure-providing outlet on the flank.

For some, this is enough to suggest the transfer has been a bit of a disappointment. Others, however, will keenly point out that he played a pivotal role in the club’s historic treble-winning campaign, with 50 appearances that term (and 16 goal contributions). The truth is, he falls somewhere in between – certainly not a flop, but perhaps not quite the dazzling £100m player most expected to see at the Etihad.

1

Declan Rice – £105m

West Ham United to Arsenal (2023)

Some people felt Arsenal overpaid for Declan Rice when they picked him up for around £100m from West Ham United in the summer of 2023. His new set of fans now sing ‘Declan Rice, we got him half price,’ which tells you all you need to know about how well he’s played.

Incredibly, Rice managed to improve upon his fast start to life in north London during his debut season. A new sense of tactical freedom added goals and assists to his game, to go alongside his already long-established defensive midfield qualities. Rice looks set to excel at the Emirates for many years to come.

All figures and stats via Transfermarkt. Correct as of 17th August 2024.