Ranking every Premier League club by their record signing

Premier League clubs have spent staggering sums on new signings in recent seasons, with four club transfer records already broken or matched in the 2024 summer window.

We’ve decided to look at how the Premier League table would look based on marquee recruits, ranking each of the 20 teams by their record signings.

20. Southampton – Kamaldeen Sulemana (£22m)

Southampton start us off with the £22m signing of Kamaldeen Sulemana the lowest current record in the Premier League. It’s been a tough time for the winger despite his raw talent, with the Saints relegated six months after he arrived from Rennes.

Last season, he failed to score in 26 appearances as Southampton were promoted through the play-offs. It’s a case of untapped potential as things stand.

19. Ipswich Town – Omari Hutchinson (£22.5m)

Ipswich Town are back in the big time for the first time since 2001-02 and, unsurprisingly, transfer records have fallen.

Omari Hutchinson’s loan from Chelsea has been made permanent for a fee of £22.5m, while the signings of Jacob Greaves, Liam Delap and Arijanet Muric have all eclipsed the previous record of £4.5 million that took Hermann Hreidarsson to Portman Road in 2000.

18. Fulham – Jean Michael Seri (£25m)

Fulham’s recent yo-yoing between the top two divisions led to some questionable recruitment. Fulham spent close to £100m in a bid to stay up in 2018-19 but ended the season 19th to be relegated. Jean Michael Seri appeared an impressive coup having been courted by Europe’s top clubs, but struggled to make his mark.

17. Bournemouth – Jefferson Lerma (£25m)

Bournemouth broke their transfer record by signing Jefferson Lerma from Levante and got five seasons of combative service from the Colombian midfielder. He made 184 appearances before joining Crystal Palace on a free transfer.

16. Crystal Palace – Christian Benteke (£27m)

Crystal Palace offered Christian Benteke an Anfield escape route after the big Belgian struggled to make an impact at Liverpool. He scored 17 goals in his debut campaign to suggest money well spent, but his time with the Eagles was punctuated by long barren periods. He made 177 appearances for Palace but scored just 33 goals.

15. Brentford – Igor Thiago (£30m)

Brentford are among the sides to have broken their transfer record this summer after wrapping up a £30m deal for Igor Thiago. Arriving as a likely replacement for the wantaway Ivan Toney, the 23-year-old scored 29 goals in all competitions for Club Brugge last season.

14. Brighton – Joao Pedro and Yankuba Minteh (£30m)

Joao Pedro and Yankuba Minteh share status as Brighton’s record recruits, arriving at the Amex Stadium in successive summers. Pedro scored 20 goals in all competitions during an encouraging first season as a Seagull, while Minteh has arrived from Newcastle after an impressive loan at Feyenoord in 2023-24.

13. Nottingham Forest – Elliott Andersen (£35m)

Brighton’s move for Minteh capitalised on Newcastle’s need to remain compliant with PSR and Nottingham Forest did similar to land Elliott Andersen. The midfielder was well-appreciated at St James’ Park but will hope for a more regular role at Forest.

12. Wolves – Fabio Silva (£36m)

File this one under the transfer flops.

Wolves smashed their transfer record to sign 18-year-old Fabio Silva from Porto in 2020, despite the forward having made just 12 Primeira Liga appearances.

Wolves were convinced the club had signed a future star but Silva instead struggled during a tough time at Molineux that never really got going. After loan spells at Anderlecht, PSV and Rangers, he looks set for a permanent exit this summer.

11. Leicester City – Youri Tielemans (£40m)

Leicester fans will suggest the £40m spent on Youri Tielemans was worth every penny after the midfielder’s spectacular strike won the Foxes a maiden FA Cup in 2021.

The Belgium international made 195 appearances before joining Aston Villa on a free transfer in 2022, following Leicester’s relegation.

10. Everton – Gylfi Sigurdsson (£45m)

Everton signed Gylfi Sigurdsson from Premier League rivals Swansea in a £45m club-record deal in 2017.

Sigurdsson played 156 times for the Toffees and scored 31 goals. He was left out of Everton’s squad for the 2021-22 season before being released when his contract expired in 2022.

9. West Ham – Lucas Paqueta (£51m)

Lucas Paqueta is West Ham’s record signing after arriving in East London from Lyon for a fee of £51m in 2022.

The Brazil international represented a coup for the Hammers and he has shone over two seasons at the London Stadium, forming part of the team that won the Europa Conference League in 2022-23.

8. Aston Villa – Moussa Diaby (£51.9m)

Aston Villa spent £51.9m to sign Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen in 2023, a statement signing in the club’s first summer under Unai Emery.

Diaby scored six goals and provided eight assists in his debut Premier League campaign, as Villa secured a top-four finish and Champions League football. However, Villa are prepared to offload the Frenchman this summer with Diaby nearing a move to Al-Ittihad.

7. Tottenham – Tanguy Ndombele (£54m)

Tanguy Ndombele might just be the biggest disappointment on this list. Europe’s top clubs had courted the mercurial French midfielder before his move to North London, where Ndombele was billed as a player to take Spurs up a level.

Despite flashes of brilliance, Ndombele’s time with Spurs was dominated by inconsistency to the continued frustration of his coaches. He left for Nice on a free transfer in 2024, having spent the past two-and-a-half seasons out on loan.

6. Newcastle – Alexander Isak (£63m)

Newcastle’s Saudi ownership sent a statement of intent with the club-record capture of Alexander Isak in 2022.

The Swedish striker has scored 31 goals in 52 league appearances, including becoming the first Newcastle player since Alan Shearer to score 20+ goals in a Premier League campaign in 2023-24.

5. Liverpool – Virgil van Dijk (£75m)

Virgil van Dijk might just be the most successful record signing on this list.

Liverpool’s rock arrived from Southampton in the 2018 January transfer window, with the £75m price tag making the Dutch defender the most expensive defender ever at that time.

Six-and-a-half seasons later, he’s won a full set of major honours, reached three Champions League finals, been named PFA Player of the Year in 2018-19 and as runner-up for the Ballon d’Or.

4. Manchester United – Paul Pogba (£89m)

Manchester United allowed Paul Pogba to slip through the net at Old Trafford after the midfielder departed for Juventus having been frustrated at just seven senior appearances. Four years later and with four Serie A titles behind him, Pogba returned to the tune of an £89m world-record fee.

Few would consider that a good investment, however, as his six seasons with the Red Devils offered only inconsistent glimpses of his clear talent.

3. Manchester City – Jack Grealish (£100m)

Jack Grealish became the Premier League’s first £100m player when Manchester City activated the Aston Villa captain’s release clause in 2021.

Grealish moved on from his boyhood club in search of silverware and has certainly succeeded in that regard, claiming three consecutive Premier League titles, a Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup at the Etihad.

2. Arsenal – Declan Rice (£105m)

Arsenal broke the bank for Declan Rice in 2023, agreeing a £105m deal to sign the West Ham midfielder.

Rice had captained West Ham to a first major trophy in 42 years in 2022-23, before crossing the capital to join Mikel Arteta’s improving team.

His first season saw Rice set career-best returns for goals and assists in the Premier League as he finished as runner-up to Phil Foden for the FWA Footballer of the Year award.

1. Chelsea – Moises Caicedo (£115m)

Todd Boehly’s brash spending since taking charge at Chelsea has dominated recent transfer windows, with the American investing more than £1bn on new signings.

Chelsea broke the British transfer record twice in six months in 2023, as Enzo Fernandez arrived from Benfica in January and Moises Caicedo followed in the summer. The fee for the latter was worth £115m, making the Ecuadorian the most expensive player in Premier League history.

Read – The five most expensive Premier League transfers of the summer so far

See more – Ranking the five most expensive teenagers in Premier League history

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