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Top 10 most expensive Premier League transfers
1. Angel Di Maria – £59.7m:
Manchester United looked to have pulled off a stunning signing when
they broke the British transfer record to bring Real Madrid’s Di Maria
to Old Trafford. However, despite the 2014 Champions League final man of
the match shining in his early games for United – scoring three times
in a four-game spell at the start of the 2014/15 season – Di Maria’s
form quickly deserted him and, unsettled in Manchester, he was sold to
PSG for £44.3m this summer.
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2. Kevin De Bruyne – £58m: Few
would have predicted De Bruyne would return to the Premier League as
the second-most expensive transfer in British history when he left
Chelsea for Wolfsburg in January 2014. However, a stellar 2014/15
campaign, which saw the Belgium international register more assists than
any other player in the top five leagues in Europe sparked interest
from Man City.
3. Fernando Torres – £50m: Chelsea’s
capture of Liverpool’s star striker in January 2011 looked like a
guaranteed success but Fernando Torres’ drop-off in performance
following his move to Stamford Bridge was remarkable.
4. Raheem Sterling – £49m: Sterling
was rarely out of the headlines this summer as his move to Manchester
City from Liverpool eventually materialised. While the England
international’s drawn-out departure from Anfield sparked criticism,
Sterling has hit the ground running with City, with a goal and an assist
in his first four appearances to help his new club to the top of the
Premier League.
5. Mesut Ozil – £42.5m:
Arsene Wenger splashed the cash to bring Ozil to Arsenal in September
2013, making the former Real Madrid playmaker the most expensive German
footballer of all time. Two seasons and two FA Cup wins later, Ozil is
established as a key player for the Gunners – but is often criticised
for failing to consistently hit the top levels in big games.
6. Sergio Aguero – £38m: Manchester
City signed Aguero from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2011 and ever
since the Argentina striker has been a hit in the Premier League.
Despite numerous injury problems, Aguero has racked up 79 goals in 124
Premier League games and helped the club to two league titles.
7. Juan Mata – £37.1m: Chelsea’s
two-time player of the year was sold to Manchester United in January
2013, when the Spain international appeared to be surplus to Jose
Mourinho’s plans.
8. Andy Carroll – £35m: One
of the most remarkable deadline day signings was Carroll’s switch to
Liverpool in January 2011. After firing boyhood club Newcastle back into
the Premier League and netting 11 goals in the first half of the
following Premier League season, Carroll was signed by Kenny Dalglish.
However, a mixture of injuries and style brought Carroll’s Liverpool
career to a close in May 2013, when he joined West Ham, where he’d spent
the previous season on loan.
9.Alexis Sanchez – £35m: Twelve
months after buying Ozil, Arsene Wenger got the cheque book out again
to bring Barcelona’s Sanchez to the Emirates in July 2014. The Chile
international was an immediate hit with the Arsenal fans, scoring 25
goals in all competitions in his first season in north London.
10. Fernandinho – £34m: Manchester
City paid Shakhtar Donetsk £34m for his services in 2013 and the
30-year-old has since been an integral part of Manuel Pellegrini’s team,
registering 66 league appearances in his first two seasons with the
club, including the 2013/14 title-winning campaign.
