The transfer market is a whirlwind of chaos. Players forcing moves, clubs being depleted, records being broken, and midtable clubs suddenly becoming title candidates. Sometimes all hopes rest on one player to transform the team into something special.
That's especially the case with the players on this list: the list of most expensive forwards in Premier League history. The big-money players are bought to score goals and make the difference, but some of them also turn out to be massive transfer flops.
The English Premier League is often hailed as the most prestigious and richest league in the world. It makes the list of British record signings one to reckon with. But who are the most expensive forwards in Premier League history? Which striker broke the British transfer record, and who lived up to the massive fee? Flashscore finds out.
10: Nicolas Pepe (€80 million, Lille to Arsenal, 2019)
Coming in tenth is the transfer of Ivorian winger Nicolas Pepe from former French champions Lille to Arsenal. Pepe had just completed a stellar 2018/19 season in Ligue 1, having scored 22 goals and given 12 assists in 38 games, prompting Arsenal to hand him a 5-year contract and put €80 million (£72M) on the table for him to make him the club's most expensive forward ever.
His big Premier League move did not pan out: Pepe never lived up to the hype after his clinical tenure at Lille, scoring just 16 goals in 80 Premier League appearances as he was regularly phased out of the Arsenal ranks. After winning an FA Cup and Community Shield, and a loan spell at Nice, Pepe left Arsenal on a free to join Turkish side Trabzonspor in 2023.
9: Romelu Lukaku (€84.7 million, Everton to Manchester United, 2017)
The only two-time offender on the list is Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, who joined Manchester United from Everton in 2017 for €84.7 million (£75M), with another €17.5 million (£15M) in add-ons. Lukaku had just completed a 25-goal campaign with Everton, while Manchester United were looking for fresh blood to bolster their attack, which included 32-year-old Wayne Rooney and 36-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Like with Pepe, Romelu Lukaku's time in Manchester wasn't all that great. It started well with 16 goals and 7 assists in the Premier League, while also scoring 10 goals in 14 games across the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League, but the big Belgian took a step back in the 2018/19 season, scoring just 15 goals in 45 appearances.
It was enough for Manchester United to wave Lukaku goodbye already, selling him to Inter for €74 million in 2019.
8: Jadon Sancho (€85 million, Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United, 2021)
We continue down the Manchester path with a player that's often been discussed as a massive flop: Jadon Sancho. The English winger dazzled at Borussia Dortmund and became an assist king, providing 47 assists in three Bundesliga seasons while also scoring 37 goals in the same timeframe.
It warranted an 85-million-euro move to Manchester United, which never panned out. Sancho appeared in 55 Premier League games in his first two seasons in Manchester and recorded just 9 goals and 6 assists. The Englishman became an afterthought in Manchester and played just 3 Premier League games before being loaned out to Dortmund in 2024. Loan spells at Chelsea and Aston Villa followed, but any future at United looks out of the question.
7: Darwin Nunez (€85 million, Benfica to Liverpool, 2022)
The famous Benfica talent factory delivered another pricey transfer when Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez made the move to Liverpool for €85 million, with an initial fee of €75 million upped by €10 million through performance-related bonuses.
Nunez joined Liverpool on the back of a season with 30 goals and assists in 28 games, but once on Merseyside, things were a bit different. The Uruguayan became known for missing big chances and never replicated his Benfica form for Liverpool, for whom he scored 40 goals in 146 appearances.
Nunez often played second string, and following a five-goal season in Liverpool's championship campaign 2024/25, Nunez was let go for a fee of €53 million to Al Hilal.
6: Antony (€95 million, Ajax to Manchester United, 2022)
After a long summer filled with rumours, Brazilian winger Antony broke the Dutch transfer record by moving to Manchester United for a staggering €95 million. Antony made heads turn in the Netherlands with his lightning-quick dribbles, but didn't have the numbers to back this big-money move, logging 12 goals and 10 assists in 33 games across all competitions in 2021/22.
Nonetheless, Manchester United broke their club record fee for a forward and brought the Brazilian to Manchester. It's safe to say that his time in England did not live up to the huge fee, as he scored just 12 goals in 96 appearances. Following a more fruitful loan spell at Real Betis, Antony joined the Verdiblancos for €22 million in 2025.
5: Hugo Ekitike (€95 million, Eintracht Frankfurt to Liverpool, 2025)
Staying with the same fee, French striker Hugo Ekitike joined Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt for €95 million in 2025. Ekitike had scored 22 goals in the 2024/25 season and arrived on Merseyside to fill the void left by Darwin Nunez and the late Diogo Jota.
Ekitike did an admirable job in his maiden season in England, scoring 17 goals in 45 games for Liverpool. His season was cut short after rupturing his Achilles tendon against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League. The injury also cost him the FIFA World Cup, but at 24 years of age, the Frenchman might still be young enough for it not to ruin his career.
4: Kai Havertz (€100 million, Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea, 2020)
Kai Havertz was the next big thing in Germany and got the chance to show the world his skills after joining Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen for €100 million. After scoring 19 goals and providing 9 assists in the previous two Bundesliga seasons, Havertz got off to a slow start in West London, scoring just 9 goals in 45 games.
Havertz's form picked up somewhat in the years after, but the love story between him and Chelsea never got past the honeymoon phase. In 2023, the Blues sold Havertz to London rivals Arsenal for €75 million, where he started with a season with 20 goals and assists in the Premier League alone.
3: Romelu Lukaku (€113 million, Inter to Chelsea, 2021)
For the second and final time, Romelu Lukaku appears on this list. The all-time Belgium top scorer moved from Inter back to Chelsea in 2021 for a club-record fee (and Serie A record fee) of €113 million.
In his first season in Chelsea blue since 2013/14, Lukaku couldn't produce the numbers asked of him, scoring 15 goals in 44 appearances. Lukaku disappointed under Thomas Tuchel, and just a year after his 113-million-euro move, he moved back to Inter on loan before leaving Chelsea altogether again in 2024.
Being on this list twice has nearly earned Lukaku the fascinating title of most expensive football player ever by accumulated fees. Combined with his other transfers, Romelu Lukaku has cost a total of €369.92 million over his career. Only Neymar (€400M) has cost more.
2: Jack Grealish (€117.5 million, Aston Villa to Manchester City, 2021)
Aston Villa's biggest star, Jack Grealish, left Aston Villa after 14 years to join dominant Manchester City in 2021. The Cityzens broke their transfer record for Grealish after a season with 6 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League.
In Manchester, Grealish never reached either of those numbers again. The English winger disappeared into the rotation of Pep Guardiola's City squad and never scored more than 5 goals in one season. Grealish joined Everton on loan in 2025 and recorded 8 goals and assists in 20 league games before being hit with an injury.
1: Alexander Isak (€145 million, Newcastle United to Liverpool, 2025)
It took a whole summer of drama and intrigue before Liverpool broke the British transfer record for Alexander Isak. The Swedish striker refused to join Newcastle United's summer training camp and finally left the club for €145 million (£125M) on September 1st. Through add-ons, the fee could still rise to €152 million (£130M) - almost double the fee Newcastle paid Real Sociedad for Isak in 2022 (€77.5M).
His first season on Merseyside did not live up to expectations. Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League and Isak, who struggled with fitness and competed with Hugo Ekitike, scored just three goals in 14 league appearances.
His massive move to Liverpool shot Isak up in the all-time transfer-fee rankings, with the Swede now the fourth-most expensive player in football history at €246.1 million.
*Data from Transfermarkt
