Ekitike in most expensive Premier League transfers: How have the others performed?
Hugo Ekitike looks set to sign for Liverpool for an estimated £77million.
The French striker will become the 10th most expensive purchase by a Premier League club when the deal has been made official.
It’s the second time that Liverpool have splashed serious cash this summer. Florian Wirtz became the league’s second-most expensive signing when he arrived in June.
Here, Liverpool News evaluates the success of the other eight players in the list of the Premier League’s most expensive signings.
10. Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool – £77m
Ekitike will arrive at Anfield with a lot of expectation on his shoulders, as would any player costing an estimated £77m.
The Frenchman is yet to make his debut for the Reds, but quickly shined for Eintracht Frankfurt.
VERDICT: THE JURY’S OUT
9. Harry Maguire to Manchester United – £80m
Harry Maguire joined Manchester United from Leicester in August 2019.
Maguire was a regular for England at the time, but his time in Manchester has been plagued by a series of catastrophic errors.
Somehow, Maguire remains at Old Trafford despite seemingly being frozen out by multiple managers.
VERDICT – FLOP
8. Antony to Manchester United – £82m
Somehow, Maguire isn’t the biggest Manchester United flop on this list.
Antony followed Erik Ten Hag from Ajax to Old Trafford in 2022 for a fee of around £82m.
He has struggled at Manchester United and has become a subject of mockery among opposition fans.
Despite doing well on loan at Real Betis last season, United are doing their best to sell him.
VERDICT – FLOP
7. Paul Pogba to Manchester United – £89m
Manchester United let Paul Pogba join Juventus for free in 2012, then bought him back for £89m four years later.
Pogba won the League Cup and the Europa League during his second stint at Old Trafford, but largely underwhelmed.
The French international ultimately ran down his contract and left United for free again in 2022.
VERDICT – FLOP
6. Romelu Lukaku – Inter Milan to Chelsea £97.5m
Another player who was sold only to be bought back for a far higher price.
Romelu Lukaku’s second stint at Chelsea was the stuff of nightmares.
He could barely hit a barn door and told the media more than once that he wanted to go back to Inter.
He was sent back there on loan after one season. Lukaku is currently thriving at Napoli, but must be considered one of Chelsea’s biggest flops.
VERDICT: FLOP
5. Jack Grealish – Aston Villa to Manchester City £100m
Jack Grealish has won three Premier League titles and a Champions League since joining Manchester City, although he didn’t contribute as much as he would have liked to any of these triumphs.
Grealish is generally regarded to have lost his spark since signing for City in 2021. He certainly lost his place in the England squad for the 2024 European Championships.
He has now been frozen out by Pep Guardiola and looks certain to leave City this summer, most likely for less than half of the £100m that City paid for him.
VERDICT: FLOP
4. Declan Rice to Arsenal – £100m
Arsenal smashed their transfer record to sign Declan Rice in 2023.
He has become something of a talisman for the Gunners and has certainly performed better than the previous names in this list.
He hasn’t lifted a trophy for the Gunners yet, though. The transfer fee could rise to £105m with add-ons.
VERDICT: HIT
3. Moises Caicedo to Chelsea – £100m
Caicedo moved from Brighton to Chelsea in 2023 for an initial £100m, potentially rising to £115m with add-ons.
Liverpool were interested in signing him too, but ultimately went with Dominik Szoboszlai instead.
Chelsea fans love Caicedo. He’s still only 23 years old. He’s just won the Club World Cup. That’s a lot more than other players in this list can say.
VERDICT: HIT
2. Florian Wirtz to Liverpool – £100m
Wirtz joined Liverpool this summer in a deal worth up to £116m when considering add-ons.
He’ll be expected to deliver in a Reds shirt immediately.
VERDICT: THE JURY’S OUT
1. Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea £107m
Fernandez became the most expensive Premier League player (in terms of the initial fee) when he moved from Benfica to Chelsea in 2023.
The fans adore him, and he played a starring role in the Club World Cup triumph. More will be expected of him in the coming years, but he’d certainly be considered a hit among the Chelsea faithful as things stand.
VERDICT: HIT
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