Manchester City have signed English international Jack Grealish for a Premier League transfer record fee of £100 million from Aston Villa. The 25-year-old joins the Premier League champions on a six-year deal and will take over Sergio Aguero's number 10 shirt. Grealish value exceeds Paul Pogba's transfer cost from Manchester United to Juventus. Grealish becomes the eighth most expensive footballer in history as a result of the deal. The Red Devils also splurge big this summer, signing England ace Jadon Sancho for £73 million from Borussia Dortmund. Following Jack Grealish's world-record-breaking move to Manchester City, let's see who makes the top 10 most costly Premier League deals.
10. Alvaro Morata (Chelsea) - £70 million
Chelsea confirmed on July 19, 2017, that they have reached an agreement with Real Madrid for the sale of Alvaro Morata for a reputed club-record sum of roughly £70 million. Over the course of one and a half seasons in the Premier League, Morata scored 16 goals, but he was never seen as a long-term replacement for Diego Costa. He joined Atlético Madrid on loan in January 2019 and will become a permanent member on July 1, 2020. On September 22, 2020, Morata returned to Juventus on a one-year loan costing €10 million, with a €45 million buy option. Juventus also has the option to extend the loan for an additional year for €10 million.
9. Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea) - £71.6 million
Kepa was the subject of a record transfer in 2018 when he went to Chelsea for €80 million (£71.6 million), the highest amount ever paid for a goalkeeper. He won the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Champions League while he was there. The goalkeeper joined the club on the day of Thibaut Courtois' departure from Stamford Bridge, but he has yet to match his predecessor's achievements. He is still a Chelsea player, although he has fallen behind the brilliant Edouard Mendy, who was signed for under £22 million at the start of the 20/21 season.
8. Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal) - £72 million
Pepe joined Premier League club Arsenal for a club-record sum of €79 million (£72 million) on August 1, 2019, surpassing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's previous record of €62 million. Following his £72 million move to north London, the Ivorian winger endured a rocky start. Many questioned Arsenal's club-record purchase early on due to poor performances and uninviting body language. To say the least, his first season was a letdown, with only eight goals and ten assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.
7. Jadon Sancho (Manchester United) - £73 million
Manchester United has signed Jadon Sancho for £73 million from Borussia Dortmund. Sancho has agreed to a five-year contract with United, with a one-year extension option, and will wear the No. 25 shirt for his new club. Sancho played for Borussia Dortmund for four years, winning the German Cup in his final season and scoring 50 goals in 137 matches. He was named to the 40-man shortlist for the 2020 Golden Boy after finishing second in the 2019 Kopa Trophy.
6. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) - £75 million
Virgil van Dijk became the world's most expensive defender after being purchased for a reputed sum of £75 million, and he came with a lot of expectations. Since then, the Dutchman has been instrumental in the Reds' outstanding performances. He is the only defender to win the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award, as well as the Ballon d'Or and FIFA Men's Player of the Year. Van Dijk led Liverpool to back-to-back UEFA Champions League finals in 2018 and 2019, the latter of which he won. In his first full season, he was also named PFA Players' Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season.
5. Kai Havertz (Chelsea) - £75.8 million
Havertz signed a five-year contract with Premier League team Chelsea on September 4, 2020. Chelsea's second-most expensive signing behind Kepa Arrizabalaga was said to be worth an initial £62 million transfer price, which may climb to £71 million with add-ons. Havertz has improved under Thomas Tuchel after a rough start to the season and etched his name in Chelsea mythology by scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final against Manchester City.
4. Harry Maguire (Manchester United) - £80 million
Manchester United launched a £70 million proposal for Maguire in July 2019, a year after backing out of a deal because the same amount was deemed too exorbitant. They made a better offer, estimated to be for £80 million, which Leicester accepted on August 2nd. Maguire is now the world's most expensive defender, surpassing the £75 million Liverpool spent for Virgil van Dijk in January 2018. Since then, he has continued to grow as a player, starring in the United defense and displaying his talent for England at the recent European Championships.
3. Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United) - £90 million
Lukaku signed a five-year contract with Manchester United on July 10, 2017, with a one-year extension option. The sum was said to be worth an initial £75 million plus £15 million in add-ons, despite the fact that it was officially undisclosed. The Belgian scored 42 goals in 96 appearances in two seasons at United. He moved to Inter in 2019 and later explained why he left Manchester United, stating that he was made a scapegoat among other players including Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez.
2. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) - £93.25 million
On August 8, 2016, Paul Pogba signed a five-year contract with his former club, Manchester United, for a then-record £93.25 million, including €5 million in bonuses, beating the previous record-holder Gareth Bale. He won the League Cup and the Europa League in his first season back. He was named to the PFA Team of the Year for the 2018–19 season. However, the France international has struggled to live up to the hype in Manchester, and his current contract is about to expire.
1. Jack Grealish (Manchester City) - £100 million
Manchester City has announced the purchase of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for £100 million, smashing the British transfer record. Grealish has made 213 appearances for his boyhood club Villa, scoring 32 goals since making his senior debut in 2014. Villa hopes that Grealish's transfer will keep them in the Premier League for the foreseeable future, as City looks to him to inspire them to even greater heights.
