10 most expensive British footballers of all time

With the ever-growing significance of money in football, it is no surprise that four of this top 10 list have made moves for fees in excess of €100m.

Here is an up-to-date list of the top 10 completed moves involving British players. 

1. Jack Grealish - Aston Villa to Manchester City - €117.5m

Taking the top spot in the list for the most expensive English footballers of all time is Jack Grealish.

While leaving your boyhood club is never a simple decision to make, leaving to play under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City makes the decision that bit easier.

Since arriving at the Citizens, he has won the Premier League three times, the UEFA Champions League once and the FA Cup once.

2. Declan Rice - West Ham to Arsenal - €116.6m

After captaining West Ham to European glory in 2023, winning the UEFA Europa Conference League, Arsenal and Manchester City contested for Rice's signature.

The Gunners came out on top, earning Rice the title as the club's most expensive signing of all time. He has established himself as one of Europe's top central midfielders, with his ability to play as a six or an eight hugely beneficial to Mikel Arteta.

3. Jude Bellingham - Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid - €113m

Bellingham was a player in high demand in 2023, with a move away from Borussia Dortmund expected following an incredible three seasons at the club.

European giants Real Madrid came calling, a move that Bellingham could not turn down. Questions are expectedly asked when a fee is as high as this one, but Bellingham sharply shut down any doubts with a phenomenal debut campaign, winning La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

4. Gareth Bale - Tottenham to Real Madrid - €101m

Arguably the first real mega-money deal involving a British footballer, Gareth Bale's move from Tottenham to Real Madrid saw him become the most expensive player on the planet in 2013.

The mercurial Welshman won five UEFA Champions League titles at the Bernabeu and excelled in a front three also featuring Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

While injuries and questions over his attitude soured his final years in Spain, Bale's record speaks for itself and arguably justifies him becoming the first player to be sold for over €101m.

5. Harry Kane - Tottenham to Bayern Munich - €95m

In the summer prior to the start of the 2023/24 season, Harry Kane had a huge decision to make. Stay at Tottenham and chase Alan Shearer's all-time Premier League top goalscorer record, or make a move to Bayern Munich in a hunt for trophies.

As you can see by this list, he chose the latter. Despite having not won a trophy since his move to Germany, his numbers have been remarkable. With Bayern's record for winning major honours, you would expect it's only a matter of time before Kane gets his hands on some silverware.

6. Harry Maguire - Leicester to Manchester United - €87m

Once blessed with the likes of Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Jaap Stam, in 2019 Manchester United turned to Leicester's Harry Maguire to restore some solidity into their backline.

Signing for €87m, becoming the most expensive central defender of all time, Maguire would have to do more than the ordinary centre back to justify his price tag.

While he remains in the Red Devils' setup, Maguire's Man United career hasn't been plain sailing, with a mixture of injuries and poor form hindering his time at the club.

7. Jadon Sancho - Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United - €85m

Like Bellingham, Jadon Sancho also excelled at Dortmund and Manchester United won the race for his signature in July 2021. 

However, he is another who has struggled to produce his best form at Old Trafford, with neither illness nor injury having been kind to the winger.

Despite a strong loan spell at his former side Dortmund, Ten Hag decided Sancho was not part of his plans at the club. He is currently on loan at Chelsea, where he is yet to register his first goal, but has looked more like the player that was once signed for €85m.

8. Dominic Solanke - Bournemouth to Tottenham - €64.3m

After losing Kane prior to the start of the 2023/24 season, Spurs lacked a cutting edge in front of goal.

Richarlison and Son Heung-min filled the gap that Kane left throughout the 2023/24 season, but in the summer of 2024, Spurs took action, signing Solanke from Bournemouth for €64.3m.

9. Mason Mount - Chelsea to Manchester United - €64.2m

Famously a friend of Rice when the pair played youth football at Chelsea, Mason Mount made the grade with the Blues, starring under Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel before losing momentum under Graham Potter.

His status as a homegrown player made him an extremely sellable asset heading into the final year of his contract and Manchester United were happy to oblige.

Ten Hag approached the summer of 2023 looking to add a midfielder who can both carry the ball and arrive late in the box and Mount was the man he and his superiors settled on for a reported €64.2m.

Injuries have held him back at the Red Devils, but the arrival of new manager Ruben Amorim may give Mount the chance to kickstart his United career.

10. Raheem Sterling - Liverpool to Manchester City - €63.7m

Raheem Sterling starred for Liverpool before controversially joining Manchester City for €63.7m in 2015.

The fee was questioned then, but he repaid the faith shown in him by the Etihad hierarchy, helping the club win four Premier League titles before moving to Chelsea in 2022 after netting 131 times in 339 appearances.

Chelsea reportedly paid a fee slightly lower than the one that saw him swap Liverpool for Manchester, with that deal potentially worth €56.2m if all the clauses are met.

(All transfers in Euros. Source: Transfermarkt.co.uk.)