Where does Arsenal new boy Declan Rice rank in the all-time most expensive Premier League transfers?

Declan Rice finally completed his long-awaited move to Arsenal over the weekend, joining the Gunners for a fee believed to be £100m plus a further £5m in easily achievable add-ons.

Long-touted as a player who would break the British transfer record when he eventually left West Ham, Hammers boss David Moyes predicted back in January that the midfielder would ‘blow it out of the water’.

It was a record move for Arsenal, with the £105m package overtaking the £72m that they paid for Nicolas Pepe all the way back in 2019, and they will be hoping that this investment ends up serving them better than the move for the Ivorian did.

It was also a record sale for West Ham, whose previous most expensive departure had been a measly 29m euros that they received for Dimitri Payet in 2017 (as per transfermarkt), meaning that this move smashes that record by over 3x.

However, Moyes didn’t get his wish. The move was not an all-time record move for a Premier League club, with that honour still belonging to Rice’s boyhood club Chelsea. The Blues forked out a massive £106.8m in January for Enzo Fernandez, who they signed on deadline day in January.

London, UK. 18th February 2023; Stamford Bridge, Chelsea, London, England: Premier League Football, Chelsea versus Southampton; Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea acknowledging the fans during warms up. Credit: Action Plus Sports Images/Alamy Live News 2NGM463 London, UK. 18th February 2023; Stamford Bridge, Chelsea, London, England: Premier League Football, Chelsea versus Southampton; Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea acknowledging the fans during warms up. Credit: Action Plus Sports Images/Alamy Live News (Alamy Stock Photo)

Rice does, however, slot nicely in behind the Argentine should all of the add-ons be met, just ahead of fellow Englishman Jack Grealish, who moved to Manchester City for a fee of £100m back in 2021.

The second highest fee paid by an English club…🤑 pic.twitter.com/8pJuW7Hwkk

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 15, 2023

The top 10 most expensive Premier League transfers ever

1. Enzo Fernandez (Benfica to Chelsea) – £106.8m

2. Declan Rice (West Ham United to Arsenal) – £105m

3. Jack Grealish (Aston Villa to Manchester City) – £100m

4. Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan to Chelsea) – £97.5m

5. Paul Pogba (Juventus to Manchester United) – £93.25m

6. Romelu Lukaku (Everton to Manchester United) – £90m

7. Antony (Ajax to Manchester United) – £82m

8. Harry Maguire (Leicester City to Manchester United) – £80m

9. Virgil Van Dijk (Southampton to Liverpool) – £75m

10. Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United) – £73m