The 20 most expensive transfers of the summer
Enzo Fernandez’s £125m move from Chelsea to Manchester City has equalled the British transfer record
ByMatthew Hobbs and Mohamed Moallim
BBC Sport Journalists
Premier League clubs broke their all-time summer transfer record as spending reached £3.5bn – but the biggest deals of the transfer window stretch across the globe.
Transfer records, World Cup standouts and unexpected departures feature in the 20 most expensive deals this summer, based on initial fees as reported by the BBC.
=18. Jan Paul van Hecke – Brighton to Tottenham, £52m
Van Hecke is reunited with former Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi after Tottenham paid £52m for the Netherlands defender.
He started 36 Premier League games last season and led top-flight centre-backs for pressured ball carries.
=18. Maxence Lacroix – Crystal Palace to Chelsea, £52m
Chelsea eventually agreed a £52m deal for Lacroix after negotiations with Palace stretched beyond the World Cup.
The centre-back arrives having helped Palace win the Conference League last season and made three appearances for France at the World Cup.
=18. Tijjani Reijnders – Manchester City to Al-Qadsiah, £52m
Netherlands midfielder Reijnders leaves Manchester City after one season in England, joining Brendan Rodgers at Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah.
City recouped £52m for the 28-year-old, who registered six goals and seven assists in 47 appearances last term.
=16. Crysencio Summerville – West Ham to Al-Hilal, £55m
Summerville opted for a move to Saudi Arabia despite reported interest from Manchester United and Roma.
The winger scored seven goals and supplied five assists for relegated West Ham last season, before adding two goals and two assists for the Netherlands at the World Cup.
Summerville scores superb fifth for Netherlands
=16. Jeremy Jacquet – Rennes to Liverpool, £55m
Liverpool agreed Jacquet’s move in January, with the France Under-21 defender recovering from a shoulder injury in time for the new season.
The 21-year-old joins a defence which is being reshaped under new manager Andoni Iraola.
15. Iliman Ndiaye – Everton to Manchester City, £60m
Everton winger Iliman Ndiaye was in talks with Tottenham before Manchester City stepped in with a deal that could rise to £65m.
A fan favourite on Merseyside, “Skiliman” scored 15 goals and provided four assists in 67 Premier League games for the Toffees.
14. Goncalo Ramos – Paris St-Germain to AC Milan, £60.2m
Ramos, 25, became Ruben Amorim’s first signing as Milan manager and the club’s record purchase.
The Portugal striker leaves PSG having scored 45 goals in 131 games in three seasons.
13. Rodri – Manchester City to Barcelona, £65m
Rodri leaves City as one of the defining players of their recent era, having been central to their control in midfield and build-up play.
The former Ballon d’Or winner and current Spain captain, 30, was also one of the Premier League’s most reliable ball-progressors and passers, making his exit a huge tactical loss for City as well as a major sale.
12. Anthony Gordon – Newcastle to Barcelona, £69.3m
Gordon signed for Barcelona after a 17-goal season for Newcastle, including 10 in 12 Champions League appearances.
The England winger, 25, also registered a goal and three assists at the World Cup before completing his move to Spain.
11. Carlos Baleba – Brighton to Manchester United, £70m
Manchester United have turned to Baleba to add more power and ball-carrying ability to their midfield.
The 22-year-old joins from Brighton for £70m after establishing himself as one of the Seagulls’ key midfielders.
=9. Savinho – Manchester City to Tottenham, £75m
Two seasons after arriving in Manchester, Savinho moved to Tottenham in a £75m deal.
The Brazilian made 53 appearances for City, scoring twice and providing 12 assists.
=9. Bruno Guimaraes – Newcastle to Arsenal, £75m
Guimaraes, 28, said he wanted a new challenge after leaving Newcastle for Premier League champions Arsenal on a four-year deal.
The Brazil midfielder scored nine league goals last season before finishing the World Cup with four assists in five matches.
8. Ayyoub Bouaddi – Lille to Manchester City, £81.4m
Aged 18, Bouaddi arrives at City as part of a major midfield rebuild following the departures of Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders.
The Morocco international cost an initial £81.4m, with a further £4.2m potentially due in add-ons.
7. Mateus Fernandes – West Ham to Tottenham, £85m
Tottenham broke their transfer record to sign Fernandes after only one season at West Ham.
The 21-year-old Portugal midfielder made 36 league appearances, scoring three goals and providing four assists, while also winning 54 tackles.
6. Sandro Tonali – Newcastle to Tottenham, £92.5m
Spurs soon broke that record to sign 26-year-old Tonali for an initial £92.5m, with add-ons potentially taking the deal to £100m.
The Italy midfielder said a conversation with fellow Italian and Spurs manager Roberto de Zerbi played a major part in convincing him to join.
Can De Zerbi turn Tottenham around?
5. Bradley Barcola – Paris St-Germain to Liverpool, £106m
Liverpool completed the signing of France forward Bradley Barcola from Paris St-Germain for a fee worth up to £123m.
Barcola joined PSG from Lyon in 2023 for a reported £38.5m and won three Ligue 1 titles, two Champions Leagues, the French Cup twice, the Uefa Super Cup and the Fifa Intercontinental Cup.
4. Yan Diomande – RB Leipzig to Real Madrid, £115.7m
Real Madrid signed Diomande after interest from Liverpool and Paris St-Germain, in a deal which could be worth £120m including add-ons.
The 19-year-old Ivory Coast winger was named Bundesliga young player of the season, having recorded 12 goals and eight assists, and impressed at the World Cup.
3. Elliot Anderson – Nottingham Forest to Manchester City, £116m
Manchester City broke their transfer record to sign Anderson shortly after the England midfielder returned from the World Cup.
The 23-year-old played in all 38 Premier League games for Forest last season and described City as “winners – the sort of team I want to be a part of”.
He was briefly the most expensive British footballer in history, before being surpassed by…
2. Morgan Rogers – Aston Villa to Chelsea, £117m
England attacking midfielder Rogers joined Chelsea from Villa for £117m.
The 23-year-old joins Xabi Alonso’s side on a six-year deal, having recorded 10 goals and six assists in 37 league appearances last season.
1. Enzo Fernandez – Chelsea to Manchester City, £125m
Argentina international Enzo Fernandez became the Premier League’s biggest signing when he swapped Stamford Bridge for Etihad Stadium on transfer deadline day.
It made the 25-year-old the fifth-most expensive transfer of all time, alongside Alexander Isak’s move from Newcastle to Liverpool last summer.
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