The most expensive Premier League signings of all time as Arsenal confirm Declan Rice transfer

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Boss on Jul 16, 2023 - 07:29PM

It’s a record-breaking signing (Picture: Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Declan Rice from West Ham United, for the

It is the latest high-profile signing for the North London club in this summer’s transfer window, after the likes of and

It is the highest-ever transfer fee for a British footballer in the Premier League, beating the previous £100m record set by Manchester City when they bought Jack Grealish from Aston Villa two years ago.

The deal also eclipses the £72m Arsenal paid for Nicolas Pepe from Lille in 2019, and is also a record transfer fee between two British clubs.

But how does the record fee compare to some of the other record-breaking transfer figures in the Premier League?

Let’s take a look at the other most expensive deals in the league’s history and how the latest fee for Rice compares…

Enzo Fernandez – Benfica to Chelsea, £106.5m

Enzo Fernandez was signed by Chelsea from Benfica in the last transfer window, and the £106.5m transfer fee made

Fernandez is yet to score since his record-breaking move (Picture: James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)

Fernandez was the final signing of a wild transfer window for the Blues, which also saw them buy David Datro Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos, Joao Felix (on loan), Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto – but the team still struggled to finish in the top ten last season.

Fernandez has so far only made 18 appearances for the club, and is yet to score for the London side.

Jack Grealish – Aston Villa to Manchester City, £100m

left boyhood club Aston Villa – who he had been with since the age of six – to link up with the Premier League champions in August 2021.

The England international had a slow start to life in Manchester as he struggled to adjust to the of Pep Guardiola.

However, Grealish has begun to find his feet this term, and will likely play a crucial part in City’s bid to catch Arsenal at the top of the Premier League summit.

Grealish is starting to thrive in his second season in Sky Blue (Picture: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Romelu Lukaku – Inter Milan to Chelsea, £97.5m

returned to Chelsea seven years after leaving west London, with the Blues paying just shy of £100m in August 2021 following his goalscoring exploits in Italian football in previous years.

However, the Belgian striker’s second stint at Chelsea quickly turned sour, with injury struggles and a dip in form seeing him lose his spot in the starting XI.

And after in an interview midway through the season in which he also said he wished he stayed at Inter, Lukaku duly returned to San Siro on loan after just one season with Chelsea.

Paul Pogba – Juventus to Manchester United, £93.25m

United completed the blockbuster signing of from Juventus in August 2016, with the Frenchman returning to the club he first joined as an academy player in 2009.

However, Pogba failed to live up the lofty expectations of his price tag, struggling for consistency as the club became unsettled on and off the pitch.

His six year spell at Old Trafford came to an end in 2022, sealing a return back to Juventus on a free transfer.

Pogba disappointed in his second spell with United (Picture: PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Mykhailo Mudryk – Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea, £88.5m

The Ukrainian international was at the centre of a dramatic transfer saga involving Chelsea and Arsenal in the January 2023 window.

Arsenal had been in pole position to sign him all month, but were pipped to the deal at the eleventh hour when Chelsea transfer chiefs flew to Poland to .

It is thought Chelsea offered Mudryk more in wages than the Gunners, as well as offering a more to Shakhtar Donetsk.