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The Premier League is the richest football league in the world, and arguably the most competitive one too.
Thanks to its lucrative television deals and rich team owners, the Premier League is able to attract world-class players to English shores. That was apparent last summer when Premier League clubs were some of the top spenders despite the COVID-19 pandemic wrecking the finances of most clubs.
On that note, here's a look at the top ten Premier League teams in terms of their record signings over the years.
Note: All data as per transfermarkt.
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#10 Newcastle - Joelinton (€44 million)
Newcastle smashed their club record to land Joelinton in the summer of 2019. But thus far, the Brazilian has struggled to get going in the Premier League.
The striker played all 38 games in the 2019-20 season, but found the back of the net only twice. His next Premier League campaign turned out to be no better, as Joelinton managed to double his goal tally from the previous season.
The 25-year-old has failed to make a mark this season too, failing to find the back of the net in nine Premier League games.
#9 Leicester City - Youri Tielemans (€45 million)
Youri Tielemans arrived at Leicester City on a loan deal from Monaco in the 2018-19 season. He impressed enough for The Foxes to make his deal permanent in the summer of 2019.
The Belgian has been a mainstay for Leicester City in the Premier League since then, missing only one league game. The midfielder has contributed 15 goals and 17 assists in the competition during his stint with The Foxes.
This season, Tielemans has scored thrice and provided two assists in nine games. However, Leicester are languishing in ninth place in the Premier League table.
#8 Everton - Gylfi Sigurdsson (€49.4 million)
Gylfi Sigurdsson has had a successful decade-long stint in the Premier League. He has played over 300 games in the competition for three different clubs, scoring 67 goals and registering 52 assists.
The Icelandic midfielder was acquired by Everton in a club-record transfer in the summer of 2018. Sigurdsson has continued his prolific exploits in the Premier League despite a change in surroundings.
However, owing to criminal investigations of the player due to some of his off-field activities, Sigurdsson hasn't been registered by Everton for the 2021-22 season.
#7 West Ham United - Sebastien Haller (€50 million)
West Ham United splurged €50 million to land prolific Eintracht Frankfurt forward Sebastien Haller in the summer of 2019.
However, in one and a half seasons in the Premier League, Haller struggled to find his bearings, netting only ten times in nearly 50 games. So when Ajax came calling for Haller in January this year, West Ham decided to cut their losses and let go of the Cote d'Ivoire striker.
Much to everyone's surprise, Haller was back to his prolific best in Amsterdam, netting 24 times across competitions in less than a year at the club.
Haller made a blistering start to his 2021-22 campaign, becoming the second-player ever to score a quadruple on his Champions League debut. Two games later, he has six goals in the competition.
#6 Tottenham Hotspur - Tanguy Ndombele (€60 million)
Tanguy Ndombele has had a rather quiet stint in the Premier League since arriving at Tottenham Hotspur on a club-record transfer in the summer of 2019.
After a slow start to life in the Premier League, the French midfielder is beginning to find his mojo. He missed only five games last season, scoring thrice and assisting twice.
The 24-year-old has scored once in five Premier League games this season, helping Spurs to sixth in the league table after nine games.
#5 Arsenal - Nicolas Pepe (€80 million)
Nicolas Pepe arrived in the Premier League with much fanfare when Arsenal splurged a club-record €80 million to land the Cote d'Ivoire international.
Fast forward two years and Pepe has been a decent performer without exactly setting the stage on fire. After a quiet first season in the Premier League, the 26-year-old scored ten league goals to provide a glimpse of his potential last season.
Pepe has had a slow start to his 2021-22 Premier League campaign, registering an assist in six games.
#4 Liverpool - Virgil van Dijk (€84.65 million)
To say that Virgil van Dijk has fared well for Liverpool since his arrival at the club almost four years ago would be an understatement.
The Dutchman has been a colossus in the Reds' defense and has also proved his worth at the other end of the pitch. Before an early season-ending injury last season, Van Dijk hadn't missed a league game in the previous two campaigns. It goes without reason, he played a key role in Liverpool's Premier League triumph in 2019-20.
In fact, with Van Dijk on the field, Liverpool are yet to lose in over 50 Premier League games at Anfield.
Considering the 'man mountain''s impact at the club, it can be surmised that Liverpool dishing out over €80 million for Van Dijk has been money well spent.
#3 Manchester United - Paul Pogba (€105 million)
Paul Pogba has been a divisive figure since his return to the Premier League with Manchester United in the summer of 2016.
United smashed their transfer record, dishing out over €100 million to prise out the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner from Juventus. Fast forward five years and it's difficult to ascertain if Pogba has been worth the big bucks.
To be fair to the Frenchman, he hasn't had a terrible stint in the Premier League. But a return of 28 goals and 41 assists in almost 150 games is a mixed bag, and just doesn't do any justice to his immense potential. He has started this season well, registering seven assists in nine games, barring a 15-minute red-card cameo in the 5-0 home defeat to Liverpool.
It remains to be seen if United will hold on to the player beyond the season when his contract expires.
#2 Chelsea - Romelu Lukaku (€115 million)
Chelsea smashed their transfer record to land Romelu Lukaku, who sizzled for Inter Milan in a two-season stint in Italy.
Lukaku, regarded as one of the hottest strikers on the planet, made a blistering start on his return to Chelsea after almost a decade. The Belgian scored against Arsenal and notched up a brace against Aston Villa as the Blues became only the second team to score 6000 Premier League goals.
The striker has drawn a blank in his last four Premier League games. But Chelsea won't fret over his slump just yet, as they lead the league table after nine games. Moreover, Lukaku is no stranger to the Premier League, having scored over 100 goals in the competition for four different clubs.
#1 Manchester City - Jack Grealish (€117.5 million)
Jack Grealish became the most expensive English player in history when Manchester City splurged over €117.5 million to sign him from Aston Villa.
The winger had two standout Premier League campaigns with Villa, which caught the attention of the Premier League's big boys. City eventually won the race for his signature.
Grealish scored on his home debut against Norwich City, a game City won 5-0. The 26-year-old hasn't added to that tally in his next few games, but has registered two assists.
However, with Grealish disappointing when operating down the middle, the jury is still out if the player can flourish at City. Nevertheless, considering the talent he possesses, Grealish is expected to blossom under Pep Guardiola's tutelage.
