It looks increasingly likely that Jack Grealish will be a Manchester City player before too long, with a fee of £100 million being touted for the 25-year-old. That would make Grealish the most expensive British transfer of all time, and there will certainly be pressure on his shoulders to deliver on that exorbitant price tag.
Anytime a player makes a big move to a Premier League club, the facts, and stats surrounding the biggest transfers in history come out. With Grealish set to top the list of British transfer fees should he complete his move to Manchester City, it’s worth having a look at the big-money deals that English clubs have made in the past.
Paul Pogba – £89 million
Even after five seasons at Manchester United, it’s fair to say that the jury is still out on Paul Pogba. On his day, the Frenchman is simply unplayable, but there have been too many occasions where he has gone missing, and many feel that his inconsistency doesn’t justify the mammoth £89 million United paid for his services in 2016.
Back then, Pogba had made a real impression at Juventus, helping the team reach the Champions League final the year before and causing many to believe that United had made a mistake in selling him as a young player. He has produced some magical moments for the club, but it’s probably fair to say that he hasn’t lived up to this price tag.
Harry Maguire – £78 million
There were eyebrows raised again at Old Trafford when Manchester United shelled out nearly £80 million to prise Harry Maguire from Leicester City, breaking the transfer record for a center-back.
Not everyone was convinced that Maguire was worth the huge fee, especially given his lack of pace, but the defender has since established himself as a fixture in Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side, and he was sorely missed at the end of last season after suffering an injury.
Romelu Lukaku – £75 million
All three of the top British transfers were made by Manchester United, though it’s fair to say that Romelu Lukaku is one that certainly didn’t work out. The Belgian striker showed excellent form during his time at Everton.
But after joining United he just couldn’t seem to cope with the pressure of playing for one of the world’s biggest clubs. Often slow and ponderous on the ball, Lukaku eventually left the club after just two seasons, heading to Italy to join Inter Milan.
Virgil van Dijk – £75 million
Arguably the most successful transfer of our top-five list, Virgil van Dijk’s arrival at Liverpool from Southampton took the Reds from a top-four side to a winning machine challenging for major honors — consistent favorites on sites like Betdaq.
The center-back positions had long posed problems for Liverpool prior to Van Dijk joining, but the Dutchman’s supreme confidence and composure were a major factor in Liverpool conceding just 22 goals in his first full season at Anfield.
Jadon Sancho – £73 million
The latest addition to the list, until Grealish heads to City at least, Jadon Sancho has arrived at Manchester United with a lot of pressure on his shoulders.
Having been sold by arch-rivals Manchester City as a youth player, Sancho developed into a fine young player at Borussia Dortmund and has now earned a move back to the Premier League to prove that his old club made a mistake in letting him go in the first place.
If Sancho can play with freedom and avoid getting bogged down in the pressures of playing for Manchester United, especially in the absence of Marcus Rashford, he could become a club legend for years to come.