The January transfer window is often a time for clubs to scramble for reinforcements to boost their squads for the second half of the season.
It can also be a time for some big-money moves, as several of the Premier League’s most expensive January signings demonstrate.
We look at the most expensive January signings for all Premier League clubs.
Chelsea – Enzo Fernandez from Benfica – 2023 – £106.8m
The Premier League’s biggest January transfer ever, Chelsea’s most expensive signing and the sixth-most expensive football transfer of all time, saw Enzo Fernandez arrive at Chelsea on deadline day from Benfica after weeks of negotiations.
The Blues paid a whopping £106.8 million for the Argentine midfielder following negotiations that reportedly almost came to blows.
Liverpool – Virgil van Dijk from Southampton – 2018 – £75m
Liverpool shelled out big money to sign Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for £75 million in 2018, and what a signing he has been for Jurgen Klopp’s high-pressing machine.
Liverpool’s most expensive signing immediately transformed the Reds’ backline and has been the backbone of their triumphs in the Champions League, Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup.
Manchester City – Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao – 2018 – £57m
Manchester City splashed out £57 million on centre-back Aymeric Laporte from Basque club Athletic Bilbao in the same transfer window.
The Spain international was a key player for Pep Guardiola’s side during his time at the club, winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League before moving to Saudi Arabia in 2023.
Arsenal – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund – 2018 – £56m
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was a prolific goalscorer at Borussia Dortmund and continued that form after he was signed as Arsenal’s most expensive signing at the time.
He was the club’s joint top scorer in the 2018/19 season and helped them win the FA Cup until his unceremonious exit for Barcelona after clashing with Gunners manager Mikel Arteta.
Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon – 2020 – £55m
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been transformative since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in 2020 for £55 million.
He has been a consistent source of goals and assists, bagging 69 goals and 59 assists in 211 appearances for the Red Devils. Even when the team has struggled, his production hasn’t stopped.
Newcastle United – Anthony Gordon from Everton – 2023 – £40m
Some fans thought Newcastle had overpaid for Anthony Gordon when they signed him from Everton for £40 million last January amid interest from Chelsea.
However, the young attacker has proven his doubters wrong, becoming a key player for the Magpies. He has notched six goals and seven assists in 19 appearances this season.
Tottenham Hotspur – Steven Bergwijn from PSV Eindhoven – 2020 – £30m
Tottenham’s priciest January signing is Steven Bergwijn. They signed the left-winger from PSV Eindhoven for £30 million in 2020.
His stint in England was forgettable, and he returned to the Netherlands to sign for Ajax in 2022 for £31.5 million, the highest fee ever paid for an Eredivisie player at the time.
Aston Villa – Lucas Digne from Everton – 2022 – £26m
Aston Villa’s most expensive January signing to date is defender Lucas Digne, who they bought from Everton for £26 million in 2022.
The former Barcelona and Roma left-back is still playing for the club and has been a mainstay in their remarkable season as Unai Emery’s men push for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification.
Everton – Morgan Schneiderlin from Manchester United – 2017 – £20 million
Morgan Schneiderlin’s struggles at Manchester United were well-documented, but Everton surprisingly forked out around £20 million to sign him in January 2017.
He found game time hard to come by at Merseyside. When he did get on the pitch, he struggled with disciplinary issues before they offloaded him to OGC Nice.
Sander Berge – Sheffield United – Genk – £20 million – 2020
Berge signed for Sheffield United from Genk in January 2020, becoming the club’s record signing.
He made 109 appearances for the Blades, scoring 15 goals and assisting 12 before joining Burnley over the summer.
Said Benrahma – West Ham United – Brentford – £20 million – 2021
Said Benrahma joined West Ham in October 2020 on an initial loan deal before it was made permanent for £20 million in January.
The exciting winger had dazzled in the second division but has struggled to live up to the billing in the top flight.
The rest of the list
Rank | Player | Arrived | From | Price | Year |
12 | Ilya Zabarnyi | Bournemouth | Dynamo Kyiv | £19 million | 2023 |
13= | Danilo | Nottingham Forest | Palmeiras | £18 million | 2023 |
13= | Jonny Otto | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Atletico Madrid | £18 million | 2019 |
15 | Wout Weghorst | Burnley | VfL Wolfsburg | £15 million | 2022 |
16 | Alexander Sorloth | Crystal Palace | FC Midtjylland | £14 million | 2018 |
17 | Konstantinos Mitroglou | Fulham | Olympiacos | £13 million | 2014 |
18 | Jurgen Locadia | Brighton & Hove Albion | PSV Eindhoven | £10 million | 2018 |
19 | Halil Dervisoglu | Brentford | Sparta Rotterdam | £3 million | 2020 |
20 | Ian Feuer | Luton Town | West Ham United | £650,000 | 1996 |