Premier League spending eclipses that of the other top leagues around Europe almost every year now, and it’s only bigger and bigger as the seasons pass by. Well over £1 billion has already been splashed this summer, and there are still plenty more deals set to be completed before the transfer window slams shut on September 1.
Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are unsurprisingly some of the biggest spenders this offseason, with the Gunners topping the standings with an outlay of £210m and counting. But a total of seven clubs have broken their record transfer fees in this window — some twice over.
That’s a huge 35% of the entire Premier League, so let’s look at the sides who have broken the bank so far this summer.
Arsenal – Declan Rice
Not only did Arsenal break their own club-record fee by purchasing Declan Rice for a mammoth £105m from West Ham United, but they also made the 24-year-old midfielder the most expensive English player of all time — surpassing Jack Grealish’s £100m move to Manchester City — and the second most expensive Premier League player of all-time behind Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez (£106.5m). It’s clear the Gunners want to compete for the title and moves like this make them more favourable in the Premier League winner betting.
Aston Villa – Moussa Diaby
Pau Torres became Aston Villa’s second most expensive player when he signed for the Midlands side for £33m last month, but it wasn’t long before the Spaniard was bumped down to third on the list as Moussa Diaby’s £51.9m move from Bayer Leverkusen broke the previous record spent on Emiliano Buendia by over £12m.
Wolverhampton Wanderers – Matheus Cunha
Matheus Cunha initially joined Wolves on loan in January, becoming Julien Lopetegui’s first signing, but there was an obligation-to-buy clause in the deal between the Midlands side and Atletico Madrid — which was worth £44m. They’ll be hoping he can better his tally of two goals in 17 Premier League games for that price.
Joao Pedro – Brighton and Hove Albion
Brighton are usually shrewd with their transfer business, bringing in lesser-known quantities for cheap and selling them on at a much bigger price to the big six. But they’ve gone all out for a new striker this summer, bringing in Brazilian forward Joao Pedro from Watford for £30m. That’s £10m more than their previous biggest fee spent on Adam Webster.
Nathan Collins – Brentford
Brentford have broken their club transfer record numerous times since they were promoted to the Premier League in 2021. In fact, Nathan Collins was the fifth man to set a new record fee as the West London side brought the young Irish international in from Wolves for £23m. The Bees had one of the best defences in the league last season and Thomas Frank will be hoping the 22-year-old can help them maintain that this year.
James Trafford – Burnley
James Trafford’s impressive performances for England as they won the European U-21 Championship certainly didn’t go unnoticed as Burnley were quick to snap up the 20-year-old for £19m. That makes him the 17th most expensive goalkeeper in history, while his price tag is bigger than what Al-Ahli paid for Champions League winner Edouard Mendy and Guglielmo Vicario’s move to Tottenham Hotspur despite the fact he’s only played at League One level.
Ryan Giles – Luton Town
Luton Town operate on a shoestring budget, but the Hatters have been forced to break their record fee a couple of times this summer as they prepare for life in the Premier League. In fact, the four players they have paid for in this window all surpass their previous record. The most expensive of those though is left-back Ryan Giles, who cost £5m from Wolves.
