Florian Wirtz is set to become the most expensive signing in Premier League history but a big fee does not always equal a big success.
The German’s price of £116m will make him the record arrival into British football but what of the current top 10?
Here’s a look at the most expensive players in Premier League history and whether they sank or swam at their new clubs.
10. Josko Gvardiol – £78 million
The £77m paid out by Manchester City for Josko Gvardiol made him the second most expensive defender in the world but already the Croatian has gone some way to proving he was worth the money.
In a season of underwhelming performances, Gvardiol was a rare bright spark and was even playing out of position at left back.
He featured in all but one league game, scoring five goals in that time, and has emerged as one of the best defenders in the league.
City look to be in the market for a left-back, meaning Gvardiol should be able to move into his more comfortable centre-half position next season.
Verdict: Hit
9. Harry Maguire – £80 million
In United’s ‘banter era’, Maguire has become the unwitting face but look beyond the memes and the defender has been a rare consistent performer at Old Trafford.
Joining in 2019, he has made 247 appearances for the club and as managers have come and gone, he still remained in the side.
Maguire was at his best in the tail end of United’s 2024-25 campaign and even if it ended in a Europa League final defeat and 15th-place finish, Maguire was one of the few to come away with his reputation not broken beyond repair.
Was he worth the £80m United stumped up? Probably not but there are plenty of worse signings in this list.
Verdict: Hit
8. Antony – £86 million
Speaking of…
Manchester United’s signing of Antony has turned out so poorly that almost everyone involved is trying to claim it was not their idea.
After a good but not spectacular season at Ajax in 2021-22, United opted to fork out up to £86m for the Brazilian but the wheels soon began to fall off.
It started promisingly with a goal against Arsenal in his debut but his scoring soon dried up. The Brazilian ended his first year with eight goals in 44 appearances.
Forever remembered for a roulette spin that went nowhere, Antony scored just one league goal in his second season at Old Trafford and after making only eight appearances in the 2024-25 Premier League season, he was shipped out on loan to Real Betis.
It was in Spain where Antony recovered his form, earning a nomination for La Liga Player of the Month and helping Betis reach the Conference League final as he became the latest United player to flourish away from Old Trafford.
His Betis performances were a small consolation for United who may be able to claw back some of his transfer fee but regardless of where he goes, the Old Trafford side are certain for a big loss.
Verdict: Miss
7. Mykhailo Mudryk – £89 million
If the logic behind United’s move for Antony seems shaky, the thought process Chelsea followed to sign Mudryk now seems outright absurd.
After the war in Ukraine suspended football in the region, Mudryk made played 19 times in the 2021-22 season but his performances convinced Chelsea to part with £89m to bring him to Stamford Bridge in a move that represents peak Boehly transfer strategy.
Since then, Mudryk has struggled to break into the team, playing 15 league games in his first season without scoring. He did at least play 41 times in the 2023-24 campaign, ending it with just 11 goal involvements.
As a result, Chelsea looked to strengthen in that position, pushing Mudryk to the bench before he was hit with a provisional suspension for failing a doping test. But even as he waits for the result of the second test, Chelsea’s view on him was made clear when they gave his number 10 shirt to Cole Palmer.
The good news for Chelsea is there are only another six years on his contract to go.
Verdict: Miss
6. Paul Pogba – £89million
#Pogback did not turn into the homecoming that either player or club was expecting.
Paul Pogba’s unveiling as a United player in a video backed by Stromzy seems a fever dream now and the Frenchman became the biggest figure of frustration during the Mourinho era.
Aside from pushing Graeme Souness to an early grave, Pogba’s very brief moments of brilliance only made his time at Old Trafford even more exasperating as for every game he was good in, he would spend 10 as a passenger.
Eventually, United cut their losses – allowing his contract to expire and Pogba moved back to Juventus again.
In February 2024, Pogab was hit with a four-year ban for doping but it was reduced on appeal. Now able to play again, the Frenchman has been unable to find a club as of yet.
Verdict: Miss
5. Romelu Lukaku – £97million
If the other names on this list disappointed on the pitch, at least they did not take to the media to openly criticise the club and beg for a move away.
Lukaku returned to Chelsea in 2021 on the back of an incredible season with Inter but the Belgian soon found himself a square peg in a round hole given Thomas Tuchel’s system.
He went nuclear in his response, taking to the media in December to criticise Tuchel before saying he wanted to return to Inter “in the near future.” He was unsurprisingly dropped from the squad as a result.
Peace talks between him and the now-England manager were held, culminating in a public apology from the player but a few months later and he was sent back out on loan to Inter.
The following season, he stayed in Italy this time with Roma before joining Napoli permanently in 2024.
Verdict: Miss
4. Jack Grealish – £100million
Before heading to the Etihad, Grealish was one of the most reactive and expressive players in the league but he would not be the first, or last, to find himself just a part of Pep Guardiola’s system.
The Catalan manager tends to leave new signings to it in their early days, meaning Grealish’s numbers were quite good, but as more was asked of him, the former Villa player’s performances took a nose dive.
A great season in the Treble-winning campaign was followed by a stop-start season in 2023-24 and he ended the year with just six goal involvements in 36 games.
Last season he was relegated to the bench, playing just 715 minutes in the league and now looking destined for the exit door.
Summing up his City career then is a difficult task as he was a big part of the Treble success but has been limited since then and you don’t pay £100m for a bit-part player.
Verdict: Miss
3. Declan Rice – £105million
It seems odd to call someone who cost more than £100m a bargain but Rice is looking increasingly like that.
Already a talent at West Ham, Rice has improved to be one of the best midfielders in the world and when the likes of Martin Odegaard have gone missing, he has stepped up to the big occasion.
A duo of stunning free-kicks saw Arsenal ease past Real Madrid in the Champions League – the highlight of their season – and you get the feeling that if the Gunners are to break their league title drought, Rice will be key to that.
Verdict: Hit
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2. Enzo Fernandez – £106.8million
If Rice has been money well spent, Chelsea’s version has yet to fully justify his price tag.
Coming off a World Cup win, the fee Chelsea were going to have to pay Benfica was always going to be high but £106.8m looked particularly costly.
He has been the scorer of some important goals and by no means is a complete flop but the Argentine needs to do more if he is going to prove value for money.
Verdict: Miss (for now)
1. Moises Caicedo – £115million
Admittedly, Caicedo’s Chelsea debut was not the best start.
A cameo of 37 minutes saw him give away a last-minute penalty that coset Chelsea and had rival fans laughing but rather than shrink under the pressure, the Ecuadorian has grown into his role at the club.
Even playing right-back on occasion Caicedo started every league game for the Blues last season and made himself indispensable.
His price tag does still seem a little high but it gets far fewer mentions now than it did after that horror debut.
Verdict: Hit
