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The Premier League is arguably the most popular league competition in the world. This global popularity translates to a great deal of revenue thanks to broadcasting, sponsorship and endorsement deals. Premier League clubs also have very rich owners.
As a result, English top-flight clubs are some of the richest in the world. This is reflected in the sheer amount of money they invest in the transfer market on a regular basis.
In this winter transfer window, Premier League clubs reportedly shelled out as much as €763 million while La Liga clubs spent a grand total of €20 million.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the most expensive signings in the history of the Premier League.
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#5 Antony (Ajax to Manchester United) - €95 million
Manchester United desperately needed to find a solution to their right-wing problem last summer. Erik ten Hag had just taken over as the new manager and he was on a mission to get some quality signings.
Ten Hag used his pull to rope in Antony, one of his most trusted players from Ajax. The maverick winger has a very high ceiling and was starting to turn heads with his performances for Ajax in the Eredivisie and the Champions League.
The Dutch giants were not willing to let him leave for cheap, though. Manchester United had to cough up a whopping €95 million to sign the Brazil international.
#4 Paul Pogba (Juventus to Manchester United) - €105 million
Manchester United let Paul Pogba leave as a free agent in 2012 and it was a decision that came back to bite them. The Frenchman joined Juventus, where he burgeoned into a world-class midfielder. United had a severe dearth of quality in midfield and erstwhile manager Jose Mourinho wanted Pogba back at Old Trafford.
The Bianconeri were ready to play hardball, and why wouldn't they? In his final season with Juventus, Pogba finished as the joint-top assist provider (12) alongside Miralem Pjanic.
Manchester United broke their transfer record and shelled out a whopping €105 million to bring their academy product back to the Premier League. Pogba endured a topsy-turvy time at Manchester United and left the club last summer as a free agent once again.
#3 Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan to Chelsea) - €113 million
After firing Inter Milan to the Serie A title in the 2020-21 season, which was their first in 11 years, Romelu Lukaku's stock rose considerably. His former club Chelsea were looking for a lethal striker and they identified the big Belgian as their top target.
Lukaku was signed for a then club record €113 million in the summer of 2021. After getting off to a good start to the season, the former Manchester United striker's form tailed off drastically over the course of the campaign.
Lukaku also gave a controversial interview to Sky Sports in late December 2021, where he undermined the club. This led to him falling out of favor with the Stamford Bridge faithful. With form and amiability deserting him, Lukaku was eventually sent out on loan to Inter Milan last summer.
#2 Jack Grealish (Aston Villa to Manchester City) - €117.5 million
Abu Dhabi United Group bought Manchester City in 2008 and turned them into one of the richest clubs in the world overnight. Money stopped being a stumbling block for City and they started roping in some of the best players in the world shortly after.
Manchester City made their most expensive signing of all time by securing the services of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa in the summer of 2021. Grealish had already established himself as one of the finest attacking midfielders in the Premier League and looked destined to play for one of Europe's biggest clubs.
City paid €117.5 million to bring him to the Etihad. After initially struggling, Grealish is starting to find his rhythm now.
#1 Enzo Fernandez (Benfica to Chelsea) - €121 million
Enzo Fernandez's glow-up over the course of the 2022-23 season has been massive. Benfica signed him from River Plate last summer for just €10 million. He was right at home in the Primera Liga and became an important player for Benfica in no time.
Fernandez then worked his way into the Argentinian starting lineup during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He impressed everyone with his incredible efficiency and technical abilities. Fernandez's dogged performances in midfield were crucial to Argentina's World Cup triumph.
Fernandez was named the 'Best Young Player' of the tournament. Top European clubs had him on their radar but a January move seemed unlikely. However, Chelsea decided to trigger his €121 million release clause and make Fernandez the Premier League's most expensive signing.
