Premier League clubs have spent increasingly large sums on transfers over the years, with the English top flight seeing players come and go for some of the biggest fees in the world. However, not all of them are successful.
There have been plenty of stinkers over the years, with clubs forced to overpay for a player that doesn't match expectations. But there have also been many barnstormers, where teams pluck a world-class talent out of obscurity, or manage to negotiate a price for a player that transforms their fortunes.
To celebrate reaching the latter end of the 2026 summer transfer window, Express Sport have picked out the nine best transfers in Premier League history.
9 - Vincent Kompany to Man City (£7.7m)
One of the first signings of the new-money era at Manchester City, Vincent Kompany originally arrived from Hamburg as a holding midfielder. He was quickly transformed into a defender, and by 2012, the Belgian was a Premier League-winning captain.
Forming the backbone of the club's early success under the Abu Dhabi ownership group, it's safe to say Kompany repaid the £7.7million that City shelled out for him in 2008.
8 - Alan Shearer to Blackburn (£4.1m)
Don't be fooled by the seemingly paltry fee, £4.1m in 1992 was a significant outlay for Blackburn Rovers. But Alan Shearer certainly delivered on the investment, helping Blackburn to the Premier League title.
One of the biggest surprises in Premier League history, Shearer's goals - 34 of them in fact - gave Blackburn their fairytale title win. He was sold for a world record fee to Newcastle the following year. Not a bad signing whatsoever.
7 - Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool (£75m)
Nowadays, £75m gets you squad player fodder if you're one of the league's big clubs, but back in 2018, it changed everything for Liverpool. The purchase of Virgil van Dijk might just be considered one of the most transformative in English football history.
Jurgen Klopp finally had the defensive solidity to play his heavy metal football, with a flurry of trophies following thereafter. It was a substantial fee, meaning it can't go any higher, but that doesn't mean it isn't one of the best Premier League transfers ever.
6 - Gareth Bale to Spurs (£13.2m)
When Tottenham Hotspur took a £13.2m gamble on a scrawny left-back from Southampton in 2007, most would've predicted Gareth Bale was more likely to end up on a list of the 'worst Premier League signings'. Instead, the Welshman transformed into a physical specimen before switching positions to right wing.
He took the Premier League by storm, eventually attracting the attention of Real Madrid, who offered £85m to take him to the Spanish capital. If you're ever bored, do yourself a favour: go back and watch Bale compilations from his time at Tottenham. It is a real delight.
