The amount of cash splashed out (and received) in transfer fees by the powerhouse clubs of the Premier League gets larger every year.
In the summer transfer window alone, we have seen Jack Grealish move from Aston Villa to Manchester City for a British-record £100 million, as well as Jadon Sancho joining Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund a fee of £73m.
These are clearly staggering figures, but just how do these deals compare to other monster transfers in Premier League history.
Of course, in straight money terms, Grealish ranks as the most expensive player ever bought by an English club. However, when adjusted for inflation (the reduced purchasing power of money over time), the England playmaker's switch to the Etihad slides down the pecking order somewhat.
Read more: Deadline Day LIVE: Follow all the latest gossip, news and confirmed deals here
This is according to research by Mobilewins.co.uk, who have gone back through the history books to determine the top 20 most expensive transactions in Premier League history, after taking into account the effects of inflation to give each one a value as of today. Researchers have also provided an equivalent figure for each deal based on the anticipated value of money in 2050.
Here are the results...
Top 20 Premier League transfers of all time (in today's money)
20. Wayne Rooney (2004 - £33.3m original fee. 2021 value: £53.9m, 2050 price: £127.2m)
19. Didier Drogba (2004 - £34.7m original fee. 2021 value: £56.2m, 2050 price: £132.6m)
18. Romelu Lukaku (2019 - £58.5m original fee. 2021 value: £60.9m, 2050 price: £143.8m)
17. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2018 - £53.7m original. 2021: £61.6m, 2050: £145.5m)
16. Raheem Sterling (2015 - £57.3m original fee. 2021 value: £65.1m, 2050 price: £153.4m)
15. Rodri (2019 - £63m original fee. 2021 value: £65.6m, 2050 price: £155.7m)
14. Ruben Dias (2020 - £65m original fee. 2021 value: £65.9m, 2050 price: £155.7m)
13. Rio Ferdinand (2002 - £41.4m original fee. 2021 value: £70.1m, 2050 price: £165.5m)
12. Kai Havertz (2020 - £71m original fee. 2021 value: £72m, 2050 price: £171.1m)
11. Jadon Sancho (2021 - £73m original fee. 2021 value: £73m, 2050 price: £172.3m)
10. Nicolas Pepe (2019 - £72m original fee. 2021 value: £74.9m, 2050 price: £176.9m)
9. Kevin De Bruyne (2015 - £68.4m original fee. 2021 value: £78.3m, 2050 price: £184.9m)
8. Harry Maguire (2019 - £78.3m original fee. 2021 value: £81.5m, 2050 price: £192.4m)
7. Virgil van Dijk (2018 - £76.2m original fee. 2021 value: £81.9m, 2050 price: £193.4m)
6. Eden Hazard (2019 - £90m original fee. 2021 value: £93.7m, 2050 price: £221.1m)
5. Jack Grealish (2021 - £100m original fee. 2021 value: £100m, 2050 price: £236m)
4. Paul Pogba (2016 - £89m original fee. 2021 value: £100.9m, 2050 price: £238.3m)
3. Gareth Bale (2013 - £85.3m original fee. 2021 value: £103.1m, 2050 price: £243.3m)
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (2009 - £80m original fee. 2021 value: £109.2m, 2050 price: £257.8m)
1. Philippe Coutinho (2018 - £105m original fee. 2021 value: £112.9m, 2050 price: £266.5m)
So there we have it. Barcelona paid Liverpool nearly £113m in today's money for a player that they are now desperate to offload from their wage bill - for pretty much any price that another club is willing to pay!
Premier League quiz: Did these 20 players sign for their top-flight clubs on transfer deadline day?
Elsewhere, Paul Pogba ranks as the most expensive inflation-adjusted purchase ever made by a Premier League club. The £89m that they paid Juventus for his services back in 2016 would be worth nearly £101m today - more than City paid for Grealish at the start of August!
The most mind-blowing part of this research are the projected 2050 transfer fees, with experts suggesting that total spending could exceed £55 billion in just 29 years time - based on an average fee per transfer of almost £75m!
Saul Niguez to Chelsea? (Via The Football Terrace)