Nine Premier League clubs broke their transfer record this summer, in a window which saw another record-breaking spend from England’s top sides
We’ve looked at the nine names who have become their club’s priciest player of all time, part of a £2.36 billion summer spree across the division.
Every club-record signing made in the Premier League this summer:
Arsenal – Declan Rice (£105m)
Arsenal’s record recruit was arguably the most high-profile of the summer transfer window, as the Gunners launched a £105m move to sign Declan Rice from West Ham.
Rice’s exit from the London Stadium had seemed inevitable since his evolution into one of the Premier League’s best box-to-box influences, with his captaining of the Irons to Europa Conference League success – the club’s first major trophy since 1980 – appearing a fitting note on which to bow out.
Declan Rice has opened up on his first day at Arsenal ???? pic.twitter.com/BMZxkT0vR2
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) September 11, 2023
Mikel Arteta’s search for steel had made Rice his top target and the England midfielder already appears at home in north London. Rice, who led the Premier League for interceptions last season, scored a dramatic last-gasp winner against Manchester United earlier this month to maintain Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the campaign.
Aston Villa – Moussa Diaby (£51.9m)
Aston Villa’s capture of Moussa Diaby appeared a coup on completion, a stance strengthened by the winger’s impressive start to life at Villa Park.
Diaby has scored twice and created another goal in four Premier League appearances to date, producing a number of live-wire performances in Unai Emery’s frontline. Direct and dangerous with his desire to take on defenders, the 24-year-old was voted as the club’s August Player of the Month after hitting the ground running.
He will hope his Premier League form can lead to a regular role with the national team, having won 10 senior caps for France since his debut in 2021.
Your Player of the Month for August…
⭐ @MoussaDiaby_19 ⭐ pic.twitter.com/6f5pO9fzel
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) September 8, 2023
Brentford – Nathan Collins (£23m)
Brentford boast a strong record in the transfer market and the club’s recruitment team decided to break their transfer record to land Nathan Collins this summer. For the third consecutive summer the centre-back has signed for a Premier League club, after swapping Stoke for Brentford, via transfers to Burnley and Wolves, since 2021.
Collins’ £23m fee saw him break his own record as the most expensive Irish footballer of all time, while the 22-year-old is now responsible for three of the top 10 fees involving Irishmen.
Brighton – Joao Pedro (£30m)
Brighton are arguably the best recruiters in English football right now, having forged a reputation for unearthing untapped talent for modest fees.
The Seagulls have struggled to replicate that success when spending a little more lavishly however, and will hope Joao Pedro has considerably more success than a list of past record arrivals that includes Jose Izquierdo, Jurgen Locadia and Alireza Jahanbakhsh.
The former Watford forward replaces Adam Webster as the club’s record arrival and scored on his debut against Luton last month. He faces a tough task to keep the emerging Evan Ferguson out of the side.
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Burnley – Zeki Amdouni (£20m)
Burnley are back in the big time after Vincent Kompany’s transformative impact at Turf Moor, with things looking rather different to the Clarets’ last appearance in the Premier League.
Kompany has stacked his squad with imports from foreign leagues, including the £20m club-record signing of Zeki Amdouni from Basel.
The 22-year-old scored 22 goals in all competitions for Basel last season, while he has fired five goals in his first five appearances for Switzerland at international level.
Chelsea – Moises Caicedo (£115m)
For the second time in six months, Chelsea broke the British transfer record to land a highly coveted midfielder.
Enzo Fernandez’s reign as the Premier League’s priciest player lasted only from January until August, as the west Londoners splashed £115m on Moises Caicedo to partner the World Cup winner in the engine room.
Rival interest from Liverpool saw Caicedo’s price-tag rise to an eye-watering sum, with a deal agreed for a fee which could reach £115m including add-ons.
Chelsea will hope Caicedo can be the perfect replacement for the departed N’Golo Kante, having ranked second in the Premier League for tackles and interceptions last season.
Luton – Ryan Giles (£5m)
Luton’s transfer record before this summer was the £1.3m paid to sign Carlton Morris, a figure the Hatters have eclipsed almost four-fold to bring Ryan Giles to the club. An unexpected promotion has provided funds to invest and Luton have spent £5m to sign the left-back from Wolves.
Giles impressed on loan at Middlesbrough last season and will relish a chance to test himself at Premier League level, having made just one senior appearance for Wolves.
Nottingham Forest – Ibrahim Sangare (£30m)
After the madness of last season’s remarkable recruitment drive, things appeared rather quieter at Nottingham Forest this time around.
Then came deadline day. Steve Cooper’s side signed seven new players in the final hours of the window, including the £30m club-record arrival of Ibrahim Sangare from PSV Eindhoven.
Nottingham Forest is delighted to announce the signing of Ibrahim Sangaré from @PSV on a five-year deal ✍️#NFFC | #WelcomeIbrahim ????????
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) September 1, 2023
The Ivorian has been on the radar of some rather wealthier clubs in recent transfer windows and it will be fascinating to see how the powerhouse midfielder settles at the City Ground.
Wolves – Matheus Cunha (£44m)
Wolves’ search for firepower saw the club sign Matheus Cunha on loan in January, a deal which contained an obligation to make the move permanent for £44m this summer.
Cunha returned just two goals in 20 appearances in all competitions for Wolves last season, a return which will need to improve if Wolves are feel their record investment has been a good value. The lowest scorers in the league last season, Wolves will hope the summer signing can keep them in the division.
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