The January transfer window has closed for another year, as Chelsea shattered the British record in the closing hours of Tuesday’s deadline day by signing Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for £106 million
Chelsea currently has six players in the Premier League’s most expensive XI after spending a whopping £290 million in January.
Virgil van Dijk represents Liverpool, and his £75 million fee remains one of the highest paid for a defender. He is likely one of the better acquisitions on the list, despite the fact that several others have flopped and moved on.
The team is organized in a 4-3-3 formation, with six players purchased by Chelsea, three by Manchester United, one by Liverpool, and one by Manchester City. Continue reading as we walk you through the big money XI…
Kepa Arrizabalaga – £71 million
The first Chelsea player in the starting lineup is goalkeeper Kepa, who has replaced Alisson Becker as the most expensive shotstopper in the world. After being displaced by Edouard Mendy when he was signed in 2020, the Spaniard is currently the number one in Graham Potter’s squad.
Wesley Fofana – £75 million
The Frenchman’s stint at Chelsea hasn’t gone quite as planned, but he’s only been there since the summer. The amount the London club paid for Fofana raised eyebrows, despite him having in some outstanding performances for Leicester City after joining from Saint-Etienne in 2020.
Fofana has enormous potential and could easily live up to his £75 million price tag, but he has yet to justify that fee and is still waiting for his first call-up to the France national team.
Virgil van Dijk – £75 million
When the Dutchman was signed in January 2018, it was a world-record fee for a defender, and Van Dijk has more than lived up to that honor after helping the club win the Premier League.
Van Dijk went on to win the PFA Player of the Year, European Footballer of the Year, and finished second to Lionel Messi in the Ballon d’Or while playing for Liverpool.
For a long period, he was one of the best players to wear a Liverpool shirt.
Harry Maguire – £80 million
Maguire is in his fourth season at Old Trafford and is currently warming the bench after being dismissed by new manager Erik ten Hag due to a bad run of form. After being the most expensive defender in the world, Maguire continues to be underutilized despite a strong World Cup performance with England.
He is still the club captain at Manchester United, although his future is uncertain. It remains to be seen whether the 29-year-old will consider leaving in the summer if his status does not change.
Marc Cucurella – £63 million
Chelsea paid £63 million to sign the 24-year-old from Brighton & Hove Albion following only one season in the Premier League. During his stint at Stamford Bridge, Cucurella’s defence was criticized.
It’s too early to pass judgment on the Spaniard, who has only one cap for his country, but he has a long way to go as part of Chelsea’s new project.
Paul Pogba – £89 million
In so many ways, this was a tragedy for Manchester United. To let Pogba leave the club for free as a 19-year-old and then buy him back for a world-record amount six years later beggars belief.
Pogba failed to live up to his enormous reputation – and price tag – when he resigned from Manchester United in the summer to join Juventus.
The World Cup winner demonstrated his abilities for France and in the Premier League, but he faltered on too many times.
Enzo Fernandez – £106 million
Fernandez, who has now set a British transfer record, will join Chelsea with a tremendous reputation and the expectation that he will hit the ground running. After the deadline day frenzy, the former Benfica man is now the most expensive midfielder ever.
Fernandez cannot be judged in a Chelsea shirt for obvious reasons, but his World Cup performances are a strong indication that Potter has an elite midfielder in his side.
His lack of experience may be questioned, but his performance in Qatar may put an end to that.
Jack Grealish – £100 million
Since moving north in the summer of 2021, the former Aston Villa captain has failed to live up to his hefty price tag. Grealish has battled to establish himself in Pep Guardiola’s starting XI and has only five Premier League goals to his name with City.
There is no doubt that the England international is a superb player, but he has yet to live up to his £100 million transfer fee.
Antony – £85 million
Ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, made it his mission to get the Brazilian to Old Trafford in the summer after working with him at Ajax in the Netherlands.
The 22-year-old has a lot of work to do in his game, and while time is on his side, his price tag will always be addressed.
Romelu Lukaku – £97 million
Chelsea re-signed the Belgian in the summer of 2021 following a successful two-year stint with Inter Milan, but things swiftly went downhill.
Lukaku started well in his second stay in London, but he only made 26 league games before being loaned out to Serie A after falling out with the Stamford Bridge leadership.
Mykhailo Mudryk – £89 million
The price Chelsea paid for the Ukrainian raised eyebrows, but his debut cameo against Liverpool proved he will trouble any defense in the Premier League.
The price Chelsea paid for the Ukrainian raised eyebrows, but his debut cameo against Liverpool proved he will trouble any defense in the Premier League.
Arsenal were attempting to sign the forward before Chelsea grabbed him from under their rivals’ eyes. Mudryk has lightning-fast feet and set a new league record for the fastest spring this season.
If everything goes as planned, Chelsea may have a real player on their hands.
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