Rating every London PL club’s record signing - including £45m West Ham howler and £115m Chelsea gem
A look at the record transfers of Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham, Chelsea and more
The Premier League is the biggest and most watched league in the world, generating millions of pounds of revenue for clubs to go out and attract some of the most expensive talents on the planet.
Capital sides like Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham in particular have been renowned for their huge spending over the years, but newer teams to the Premier League from the capital such as Crystal Palace, Fulham and Brentford have also significantly increased their spending to compete with the very best in recent years.
This summer has already seen the likes of Mohamed Kudus, Joao Pedro, Martin Zubimendi and Jamie Gittens complete blockbuster transfers. But what is each London club’s most expensive signing and how have they fared at their respective clubs? Here we take a look at each team’s most expensive player while giving them a rating out of 10 based on their contribution after joining.
Arsenal: Declan Rice - 7.5/10 (£105m)
Arsenal splashed out a staggering £105m to sign West Ham United captain Declan Rice in the summer of 2023. Rice had just led the Hammers to Europa Conference League glory and issued an open letter to West Ham fans explaining how hard the decision had been.
The England international arrived with a big reputation and has so far lived up to the asking price making 103 appearances for the Gunners, netting 16 goals and providing 20 assists.
He notably scored a terrific brace against Real Madrid on a famous European night and has twice finished runner-up in the Premier League. The one aspect which stops him scoring higher is the fact he’s still waiting for his first major trophy, but time is very much on his side at 26.
Chelsea: Moises Caicedo - 8/10 (£115m)
Chelsea signed Moises Caicedo from Brighton for a then Premier League record transfer fee of £115m. The Ecuadorian international took time to live up to the price tag in his first few months as the club finished in sixth position but has excelled in his second season, playing a pivotal role in Chelsea’s Conference League, Club World Cup triumph and return into the Champions League places.
Caicedo won Chelsea’s Player of the Season last term and showcased great versatility to also thrive in the right-back role on occasion. At 23, he’ll have high hopes of adding to his list of honours at Stamford Bridge.
Brentford: Igor Thiago - 2.5/10 (£33m)
Brentford replaced Ivan Toney with club-record signing Igor Thiago last summer, in a deal which cost the club a reported £30m. The 23-year-old became the Bees' first ever Brazilian and was expected to be a huge star at the Gtech Community Stadium.
However, injury has so far derailed his progress and he’s failed to score in eight appearances while only starting one league match. New manager Keith Andrews will be hoping for much more from him next term.
Fulham: Emile Smith-Rowe - 6/10 (£27m)
Former Premier League wonderkid Emile Smith-Rowe enjoyed a steady first season at Craven Cottage after completing a £27m move from London rivals Arsenal.
The former England international chipped in with six goals and three assists from his first league season as Marco Silva’s side secured a very respectable 10th place finish while also reaching the FA Cup quarter-final.
Smith-Rowe will hope to show even more in his second season as he looks to earn a place back in the England squad for the first time since 2022.
Crystal Palace: Christian Benteke - 6/10 (£32m)
Crystal Palace splashed out a figure in the region of £32m to sign Christian Benteke from Liverpool. The Belgian international hit the ground running with 15 goals in his debut season, but scored a combined total of just six league goals in the three campaigns that followed.
The former Aston Villa forward returned to his best in the 2020/21 season with 10 league goals before scoring four in his final campaign for the Eagles.
Ultimately, Benteke lacked consistency throughout his time at Palace but the fact he ranks third in the club’s list of Premier League scorers suggests on the whole he was a decent if unspectacular signing.
West Ham: Sebastian Haller - 3.5/10: (£45m)
West Ham have a long history of bad decisions when it comes to signing strikers but one of the most frustrating in recent times has to be the £45m acquisition of Sebastian Haller. The Ivory Coast international had found the net on a regular basis at Eintract Frankfurt and started fairly well in England with three in his opening three appearances.
However, he’d score just four more times in his debut season before leaving the club just 18 months after joining to complete a move to Ajax for a figure of around £20m. He scored for fun in the Eredevisie and went on to play for Borussia Dortmund further adding to fan frustration. At least, he’ll always be remembered for that one wonder goal against Crystal Palace in December 2020.
Tottenham Hotspur: Dominic Solanke 6.5/10: (£65m)
Tottenham spent £55m plus a further £10m in add-ons to prise Dominic Solanke away from Bournemouth last summer. He experienced a mixed league campaign, scoring nine and assisting three in 27 league appearances as the club plummeted to a dismal 17th place finish.
However, his form in Europe, helped the club to a first major trophy in 17 years and a first honour on the continent since back in 1984. Ultimately Spurs are back in the Champions League next year and Solanke’s 16 goals across all competitions, including two in the Europa League semi-final are key to that.