Highlights

• We've ranked every Premier League club's record signing from best to worst.
• Arsenal's Declan Rice currently occupies top spot after an impressive start to life at the Emirates Stadium.
• However, the likes of Jean Michael Seri and Tanguy Ndombele failed to live up to expectations following their big money moves to Fulham and Tottenham, respectively.

The Premier League has seen many top clubs splash the cash on some world-class players in recent years. Erling Haaland's move to Manchester City in 2022 paid off in a big way as the Norwegian helped Pep Guardiola's side win the treble last season.

Declan Rice has transformed Arsenal's team since signing from West Ham last summer, while Bruno Guimaraes has established himself as one of the league's best midfielders since joining Newcastle from Lyon back in 2022.

With sides vying to break the bank to either compete for the title or even just to stay in the division, there have been some major signings that haven't paid off. Following Fulham's promotion back to the Premier League back in 2018, the London outfit paid a club-record fee to bring in Jean Michael Seri - which backfired massively. There have also been question marks over various other high-profile signings following their big-money moves.

Ranking factors

• Performance levels in the Premier League.
• Importance to the team.
• Goals.
• Assists.
• Whether they've lived up to their price tag.

1 Arsenal: Declan Rice

2023 | Cost: £105 million

Having ended his Hammers career with a Europa Conference League win, Rice made the decision to join a title-challenging side in the form of Arsenal. West Ham's loss has certainly been the Gunners' gain as he has proven to be one of the best bits of business in 2023-24. With his performances this season, the £105 million fee the club paid for his services has worked out to be a bargain. Exerting his influence in the engine room already, he has given the north London outfit a chance of lifting a first league title in 20 years.

At just 25, Declan Rice has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the country. Unsurprisingly, he is included in West Ham's greatest-ever academy XI. The England international has always been blessed with strength and a strong understanding of the game, but his clear improvement in possession is the result of hard work and dedication.

2 West Ham: Lucas Paqueta

2022 | Cost: £51 million

Lucas Paqueta is arguably West Ham's most valuable and crucial player. He became the club's record signing back in 2022 and has more than lived up to the price tag. The dazzling Brazilian has versatility in abundance, and is able to play in an advanced role or further back as a number eight, with the latter being his preferred position.

He had joy playing as a number eight, helping the Hammers win the Europa Conference League during his debut campaign in east London. The fact Manchester City have been heavily linked with the midfielder for some time now speaks volumes about his ability.

3 Manchester City: Jack Grealish

2021 | Cost: £100 million

Jack Grealish burst onto the scene at Aston Villa at a young age. During his time with his boyhood club, he inspired them to promotion to the Premier League, and then helped them to stay in the division in 2020 - scoring a dramatic goal on the final day of the season.

With plenty of hype and excitement surrounding his name, City duly secured his services for a staggering £100 million in August 2021. Grealish would go on to win the Premier League in 2022, and followed that up by playing a part in the club's treble-winning campaign in 2022-23. His contribution last season is the main reason why he features so high up in our list.

4 Newcastle United: Alexander Isak

2022 | Cost: £63 million

A few eyebrows were raised when Newcastle paid a huge £63m fee for Alexander Isak. That said, there aren't many who are doubting his quality now. The Swedish striker had an excellent first season in the English top-flight, notching 10 goals and impressing with his finishing and tidy footwork - and that's continued this season. With 17 goals to his name already this season, the young Swede has already established himself as one of the club's best players.

Injuries have held him back a little but, when he's healthy, the Swede is hugely important for the Magpies. If he can stay fit consistently, there's no doubt that he has the potential to become a legend at the club.

5 Liverpool: Darwin Nunez

2022 | Cost: £85 million

For a while, Reds fans wondered if the club would ever break the £75 million record fee the Merseyside giants paid for Dutch centre-back Virgil van Dijk in 2018. Five years later, they broke the bank to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica. With Jurgen Klopp desperate for a forward following the departure of Sadio Mane, the Uruguayan arrived at Anfield with a reputation after his successful spell in Portugal.

While he broke an unwanted Premier League record for the side back in January 2024, the forward has proven to be a good bit of business so far. At 24, Nunez looks set to be a regular starter in Liverpool's front-line for potentially the next decade.

6 Brighton: Joao Pedro

2023 | Cost: £30 million

Poaching young and exciting prospects with bags of untapped potential and serious room for development for minor fees has been the strategy that has seen Brighton go from lower-league strugglers to a Premier League side realising their European dreams.

You can add Joao Pedro to the long list of hot talents that the Seagulls have signed. The Brazilian can be characterised by that traditional South American stereotype of authentic flair, and creative, unrestrained expression. His level of versatility, especially in forward areas, means he can also double-up as a systems player and, therefore, slot into Roberto De Zerbi’s possession-based, high-intensity, and highly-organised structure.

7 Chelsea: Enzo Fernandez

2023 | Cost: £106.8 million

The 23-year-old has impressed, to an extent, since his big-money move to west London in January 2023. While the Blues have struggled for form over the last year, Enzo Fernandez has been one of their brightest sparks at the heart of their midfield.

Already a World Cup winner with his beloved Argentina, Fernandez's ability to read the game and vision on the ball is second to none. That said, there will be a few Premier League fans who feel as if he hasn't lived up to the hefty price tag yet, given how poor Mauricio Pochettino's side have been in the 2023-24 campaign. With his contract due to expire in 2031, the youngster has time to prove his doubters wrong and go on to become one of the best midfielders in the world.

8 Manchester United: Paul Pogba

2016 | Cost: £89.5 million

Following Pogba's arrival from Juventus back in 2016, there was huge expectation on the Frenchman to deliver. While the gifted midfielder had his moments during his second spell at Old Trafford, he was largely inconsistent and failed to live up to the hefty price tag. That said, he did play a starring role in the club's Europa League and League Cup triumph during the 2016-17 season.

From registering four assists in a single Premier League match against Leeds United to all the injury issues the Frenchman faced, there was rarely a dull moment where Pogba was concerned. His shining moment for the Red Devils came in 2018 - when he scored twice at the Etihad Stadium to spark a sensational 3-2 comeback win against Manchester City.

9 Wolves: Matheus Cunha

2023 | Cost: £44 million

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha has been one of the best players for Gary O'Neil's side during the 2023-24 season. After originally signing on loan in the 2023 January transfer window, the Premier League side opted to make the move permanent just months later.

Cunha’s impact on the team has grown, as demonstrated by his hat-trick in the Wolves 4-2 victory at Chelsea on February 4, 2024. The forward, who can also play out wide, has scored 11 goals in the 2023-24 campaign so far and has formed a formidable partnership with Hwang Hee-chan, with the £44 million the club paid for his services proving to be a real bargain.

10 Nottingham Forest: Morgan Gibbs-White

2022 | Cost: £42.5 million

Morgan Gibbs-White has been Nottingham Forest's star man since signing for the club back in 2022. Albeit his side’s smallest player, the Englishman has taken to life at the City Ground like a duck to water and uses his diminutive height to his advantage when beating opponents and bursting into the box.

Following his record move two years ago, the midfielder has come on leaps and bounds, establishing himself as a fan favourite and showing just why Forest opted to pay just over £42 million for his services. After the club were hit with a four-point deduction, they remain in danger of being relegated back to the Championship. Should the worst happen, Gibbs-White will inevitably be looking for his way out, having proven himself as a capable Premier League player.

11 Aston Villa: Moussa Diaby

2023 | Cost: £52 million

Aston Villa fans were full of excitement when their club fended off competition to secure the signature of French winger Moussa Diaby. Following his successful spell in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, many were hoping that the rapid star would quickly find his feet in the Premier League. However, that hasn't quite been how things have panned out.

Diaby lost his place in the starting line-up to Leon Bailey on the right flank at Villa Park after only a handful of appearances. In defence of the ex-Bundesliga ace, he has managed to score five goals and register seven assists at the time of writing. However, massive things were expected of Diaby at the start of the campaign, and he's yet to truly justify the hype.

12 Bournemouth: Alex Scott

2023 | Cost: £25 million

The former Bristol City playmaker caught the eye of various Premier League clubs thanks to his performances in the Championship with Bristol City. However, it was Bournemouth who secured a £25 million deal for the talented young Englishman.

After a difficult start - when the midfielder spoke of the difficulty the speculation surrounding him caused - he seems to have found his feet at his new club. Having netted his first Premier League goal in a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham, the Englishman is beginning to show what the hype was all about. At the age of 20, there's still a lot of time for the youngster to grow into a top star in England.

13 Crystal Palace: Christian Benteke

2016 | Cost: £27 million

In 2016, the Eagles went in search of a regular goalscorer and managed to secure Christian Benteke's services for a club-record fee of £27 million. While he failed to set the world alight during his time at Liverpool, his form at Aston Villa prior was enough to convince Crystal Palace to splash the cash.

His first season with the club saw him score 17 times in all competitions. Unfortunately, the rest of his tenure at Selhurst Park was plagued with inconsistency, and he only scored more than five goals in a campaign once again for the Eagles. He was a decent enough buy but certainly didn't live up to expectations.

14 Everton: Gylfi Sigurdsson

2017 | Cost: £45 million

When you look at the signings the Toffees have made over the last few years (Romelu Lukaku, Richarlison and Amadou Onana), you may be surprised to discover that Gylfi Sigurdsson remains their record signing. Unfortunately for the Merseyside outfit, the Icelandic midfielder never quite set the world alight during his time at Goodison Park.

When looking at the club's greatest-ever players, the 34-year-old doesn't come close. Following his successful spell at Swansea, there was a lot of pressure for the midfielder to perform. In 156 appearances, he scored 31 times and provided 25 assists. Towards the back end of his spell with the side, Sigurdsson fell out of favour and left Everton at the end of the 2021-22 season when his contract expired.

15 Burnley: Zeki Amdouni

2023 | Cost: £16.1 million

Vincent Kompany has endured a tough campaign in his first venture into the Premier League as a manager. His Burnley side look almost certain to be relegated back to the Championship. The Belgian's attacking approach hasn't paid off at all, while his defence has also come under intense scrutiny.

Zeki Amdouni has been one of the few bright sparks in the team. The 23-year-old has proven to be a tricky opponent for Premier League defenders following his club-record move from FC Basel last summer. Burnley haven't scored many goals, but Amdouni is responsible for four of them at the time of writing.

16 Fulham: Jean Michael Seri

2018 | Cost: £27 million

After earning promotion to England's top flight division back in 2018, Fulham opted to go on a transfer splurge in the summer, signing the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Maxime Le Marchand, Andre Schurrle, Luciano Vietto, Callum Chambers, and of course, Jean Michael Seri - who remains their club record transfer signing.

After attracting interest from several clubs in Europe, including Barcelona, many were surprised that the Ivory Coast international ended up at Fulham. The west London outfit would go on to be relegated in the 2018-19 season, with Seri failing to inspire the side to safety. He then had unsuccessful spells with Galatasaray and Bordeaux before being permanently sold to Championship side Hull.

17 Tottenham Hotspur: Tanguy Ndombele

2019 | Cost: £55.45 million

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele could go down as one of the worst signings in the club's history. After signing for the north London outfit in 2019, life at Spurs didn’t pan out as the club or the player hoped. Despite scoring on his Lilywhites debut in a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa, he failed to get to grips with Premier League football under Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo, or Antonio Conte.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Ndombele has made 91 appearances throughout his Tottenham career, scoring ten goals and registering nine assists.

In September 2023, the midfielder joined Galatasaray on a season-long loan, with the Super Lig giants holding a £12.8m option to buy the Frenchman outright. However, he has since fallen out with the coach and, in March, journalist Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT that Ndombele is ‘unlikely’ to play for Tottenham again.

18 Luton Town: Ryan Giles

2023 | Cost: £5 million

Ryan Giles made a name for himself in the 2022-23 season with Middlesbrough, providing 11 assists in what was a successful year for the young wing-back. His performances prompted the Hatters to sign him from his parent club, Wolves, on a permanent basis last summer.

Despite making 11 appearances in the 2023/24 campaign for Luton in their first season in the Premier League, the tricky left-sided player was sent out on loan to Hull City in January for the remainder of the season. At 24, time is on the defender's side as he looks to eventually become a first-team regular at Kenilworth Road.

19 Brentford: Igor Thiago

2024 | Cost: £30 million

Brentford completed the signing of forward Igor Thiago from Club Brugge, two weeks after the end of the January transfer window, with the Brazilian penning a five-year contract and will join the Premier League side on July 1.

Thiago, 22, began his professional career in his native Brazil with Cruzeiro. In March 2022, he made the move to Europe to sign for Bulgarian champions Ludogorets Razgrad. After notching 15 goals and provided eight assists in his first season with the club, it encouraged Belgian giants Club Brugge to sign the Brazilian, where he's since gone on to impress. While it may seem like a bit of a gamble by the Bees, their scouting system has historically been efficient. The reason why he's low on our list is mainly because, at this stage, he remains unproven.

20 Sheffield United: Rhian Brewster

2020 | Cost: £23.5 million

Part of the England team that won the Under-17 World Cup in 2017, Rhian Brewster made the decision to leave Liverpool to join Sheffield United in 2020 in a £23.5 million move. That said, the Englishman has not set the Premier League alight since his move to Bramall Lane.

After impressing at youth level for the national side, the forward looked destined to push on. However, his performances have been well below par over the last few years, and he's struggled to nail down a regular spot in the Blades' starting eleven. Still only 24, there's still some hope for the striker. At the time of writing, he's still yet to score a Premier League goal in his professional career. Without a doubt, the worst record signing out of all the teams in England's top-flight.

All statistics taken via Premier League and Transfermarkt and correct as of 14/04/2024.