LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 27: Danny Welbeck of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with Valentin Barco during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Chelsea and Luton Town at Stamford Bridge on August 27, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Chelsea are the Premier League's current biggest spenders, paying £350million(Image: Chris Lee - Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
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The clock is ticking but the chequebooks are still flicking. With the summer transfer window fast approaching its deadline, clubs are hastily doing business and splashing the cash in a final push to strengthen their squads.
But how much is too much? The transfer market has boomed in recent years and spending £100million on a footballer no longer seems outlandish. The Premier League's financial might is partly responsible, of course, and we're expecting last summer's all-time spending record of £3.1bn to be broken by 11pm on Tuesday.
Behind Paris Saint-Germain's moves for Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, four of the next six most expensive transfers in football history involve an England buyer. But spend doesn't always guarantee success.
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10. Goncalo Ramos
AC Milan forked out a club-record fee, eclipsing the £42m spent on Rafael Leao from Lille in 2019, to back new manager Ruben Amorim in the transfer market. Ramos was a perennial substitute at PSG, but his goalscoring record remained solid, with 45 goals and 10 assists in 131 appearances in total for the French side.
The 25-year-old retained his value while on the bench at PSG, who paid Benfica €65m (£55m), plus €15m (£12.86m) in add-ons, three years ago.
Goncalo Ramos of Ac Milan
Goncalo Ramos left Paris Saint-Germain for AC Milan(Image: Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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9. Savio
One of the real head-scratchers of the window. Savio - formerly known as Savinho - managed just seven goals and 16 assists in 84 games for Manchester City, who had bought him from Troyes, part of the same ownership group, for £30.8m back in 2024. He has just two Premier League goals to his (changed) name.
Spurs have bought potential, looking more at his impressive loan spell with Girona in 2023-24 when he helped them qualify for the Champions League with nine goals and eight assists to make the La Liga team of the year.
Savio of Tottenham Hotspur
Savio left Manchester City and changed his name while joining Tottenham(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
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8. Marco Palestra
Chelsea gazumped Inter Milan to make the right-back the first signing of the Xabi Alonso era in early July. The 21-year-old was named Serie A defender of the year during his loan spell with Cagliari last season, but is still very inexperienced, having only made his debut for Atalanta in December 2023.
His playing style and stats are certainly eye-catching, with his 70 successful dribbles the highest of any defender across Europe's top 10 leagues last season. Palestra's attack-minded play appears to make him a good fit for Alonso's tactical system, which will deploy him as a wingback (when he's fit).
Marco Palestra
Marco Palestra is yet to make his Chelsea debut(Image: Pedro Porru/Getty Images)
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7. Sandro Tonali
Much was made of Newcastle's fire sale this summer, with Tonali the most expensive of the high-profile departures, bringing in more than Anthony Gordon (£69m to Barcelona) and Bruno Guimaraes (£75m to Arsenal). The question is why.
Like many of his ex-teammates, Tonali didn't enjoy the best of 2025-26 campaigns for the Magpies. But his all-action and all-rounder ability in central midfield is still attractive to many sides; Tonali himself admitted he could've moved back to Italy, if Serie A clubs could afford his transfer fee.
Ultimately, Roberto De Zerbi and the Italian contingent at the north London club made the difference.
Sandro Tonali of Tottenham Hotspur
Sandro Tonali is the most expensive of Tottenham's summer signings(Image: Getty Images)
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6. Ayyoub Bouaddi
City have paid, in a large part, for potential after making the Moroccan midfielder the most expensive teenager in Premier League history. Bouaddi really caught the eye at the World Cup, excelling for the African nation, which came off the back of an impressive season with Lille.
The French side, known for selling their top talent, no doubt knew of the clamour to sign Bouaddi and ramping up the price was also going to be favourable for them. He remains Lille's youngest ever player and announced himself with a standout performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
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5. Bradley Barcola
At long last, Andoni Iraola has his man. Liverpool's search for a winger may've been a protracted one but Barcola was always seen by the Anfield hierarchy as worth the wait.
Having been a key part of PSG's back-to-back triumphs in the Champions League, the 23-year-old comes with serious pedigree and age on his side. Barcola should give Liverpool the X-Factor in attack that many feel they're lacking amid Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz's struggles.
Paris, France - May 10: Bradley Barcola of Paris Saint-Germain in action during the Ligue 1 McDonald's match between Paris Saint-Germain FC and Stade Brestois 29 at Parc des Princes on May 10, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
Liverpool have finally got their hands on Bradley Barcola(Image: Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
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4. Morgan Rogers
Part of Aston Villa's summer of sales, Rogers was the man being eyed by the majority of top clubs, the only thing was which one would be prepared to pay his valuation. City's purchase of Elliot Anderson for £116m set the bar very high and Villa were adamant that Rogers was worth more.
Arsenal were thought to be heading the queue before Chelsea, who have forged a reputation for overpaying in recent years, came in and blew them out the water to make Rogers the British record signing.
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 24: Chelsea's Morgan Rogers celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Fulham and Chelsea FC at Craven Cottage on August 24, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Morgan Rogers made a scoring start to his Chelsea career(Image: Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images)
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3. Elliot Anderson
From Newcastle castoff to England regular within the space of two years, Anderson's ascent was one of the stories of last season. Uunlike rivals Manchester United, City were willing to go cross the £100m barrier and won the race for Anderson after coughing up Nottingham Forest's lofty price tag.
The pressure on the midfielder's shoulders is now a lot heavier following the departure of Rodri to Barcelona, and how he pairs with Bouaddi could make or break Enzo Maresca's first season in charge.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 23: Elliot Anderson of Manchester City during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester City and AFC Bournemouth at Etihad Stadium on August 23, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Manchester City won the race for Elliot Anderson(Image: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
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2. Mateus Fernandes
Relegated two seasons in a row, Fernandes certainly has a pointed to prove at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Portuguese was expected leave West Ham this summer but not for £85m.
His first start for Spurs on Wednesday was encouraging, having only come on as a substitute in Saturday's 3-0 loss away to Brentford. Fernandes registered an assist and created three chances as Tottenham thrashed Charlton Athletic 5-1 to reach the Carabao Cup third round, and he's expected to keep his place when they welcome Newcastle on Saturday.
Fernandes is the fourth midfielder on this list, so why are clubs overpaying to fix their engine rooms? As FootballTransfers.com editor Robin Bariner explains: "One factor has been the Premier League's 'Big Six' all chasing players in a similar position.
"Central midfielders have been high on the agenda across the board among England's biggest clubs, meaning that a handful of clubs have all been chasing the same players. Going into the summer, Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Bruno Guimaraes and even Carlos Baleba were all considered premium targets, so it should come as little surprise all feature among the biggest deals.
"There's a small supply of these elite players but a big demand, creating inflated prices."
Mateus Fernandes of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur at GTECH Community Stadium in London, United Kingdom, on August 22, 2026. (Photo by Harvey Murphy/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Mateus Fernandes was a target for Arsenal and Manchester United(Image: Harvey Murphy/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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1. Yan Diomande
Coming in at No.1 is Diomande, the name of everyone's lips in the Bundesliga last season. With 13 goals and nine assists, the teenager shot to stardom and sparked a tug of war between some of Europe's biggest clubs.
Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain both wanted to sign him, but Diomande only fancied one destination. Real Madrid emerged as the clear frontrunners for his signature, although negotiations with Leipzig were anything but straightforward.
Yan Diomande of Real Madrid during the La Liga EA Sports match between RCD Espanyol and Real Madrid played at RCDE Stadium on Aug 22, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Bagu Blanco/Pressinphoto/Icon Sport)
RB Leipzig banked a club-record fee for Yan Diomande(Image: Bagu Blanco/Pressinphoto/Icon Sport)
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Weeks of back-and-forth between the two clubs finally ended in a deal worth £106.84m earlier this month. Diomande had a relatively quiet World Cup, registering just the one assist in four games, but that didn't hurt his chances of getting his dream move to Jose Mourinho's side.
Now the winger has the unenviable task of justifying his price tag - just like the rest of the players on this list.
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