Fernandez, Antony, Aubameyang: The most expensive Premier League transfer deadline day signings of all time

The Premier League is widely regarded as the biggest and strongest league in world football where the best players on the planet dream to play at some stage in their careers.

England’s top division also boasts some of the richest clubs who can afford to splash the cash on record-breaking transfers and eye-watering salaries.

The 2025 summer transfer window has already seen Premier League clubs spend in excess of £2.2bn, an increase of more than 12% on the £1.97bn forked out during the summer of 2024.

In an ideal world, clubs would purchase their top targets and sell those deemed surplus to requirements as soon as possible in the transfer window, but various circumstances may lead to teams frantically conducting business as the clock ticks down on deadline day.

With less that a week remaining until the current transfer window slams shut, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the most expensive deadline day signings in the Premier League across summer and winter transfer windows.

=11. Cole Palmer | Manchester City to Chelsea | £42.5m

Cole Palmer made the brave decision to leave Manchester City in search of regular first-team football and joined Chelsea on deadline day in the summer of 2023 for an initial £40m, rising to £42.5m with add-ons.

The 2023-24 PFA and Premier League Young Player of the Year has since developed into a star player at Stamford Bridge, contributing to over 70 goals in almost 100 appearances, and he played an integral role in the club’s Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup triumphs in 2025.

=11. Mesut Ozil | Real Madrid to Arsenal | £42.5m

Following the arrival to Gareth Bale at Real Madrid for what was then a world-record fee, Los Blancos were prepared to sell Mesut Ozil to Arsenal for £42.5m, ending his three-year spell at the Santiago Bernabeu where he had established himself as one of the best playmakers on the planet.

Arsenal had failed with a comical £40,000,001 bid for Luis Suarez earlier in the 2013 summer transfer window before finalising the deadline day signing of Ozil, who certainly made his mark at the Emirates Stadium, scoring 44 goals and registering 77 assists in 254 games as well as winning four FA Cups with the Gunners.

9. Thomas Partey | Atletico Madrid to Arsenal | £45m

Fast-forward seven years, Arsenal splashed the cash again on another midfielder from La Liga, as they completed the £45m signing of Ghana international Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid in the final few hours of the 2020 summer transfer window.

The deep-lying midfielder, who now plies his trade back in Spain with Villarreal, played a key role in helping Mikel Arteta’s side transform into genuine Premier League title contenders during the 2022-23 season and he went on to make a total of 167 appearances in all tournaments, chipping in with nine goals.

8. Brennan Johnson | Nottingham Forest to Tottenham Hotspur | £47.5m

Tottenham Hotspur used a significant chunk of the cash generated from the sale of Harry Kane to sign versatile forward Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest for £47.5m on deadline day in the summer of 2023.

The Wales international has since recognised himself as a first-team regular in North London and he concluded the 2024-25 season as the club’s top scorer with 18 goals, netting the only goal in Spurs’ Europa League final triumph over Manchester United.

=5. Manuel Ugarte | Paris Saint-Germain to Manchester United | £50m

After just one season at Paris Saint-Germain, midfielder Manuel Ugarte finalised a permanent switch to Manchester United on deadline day in the summer of 2024, moving to Old Trafford for an initial £42m rising to £50m with add-ons.

The tenacious Uruguayan proved to be the final signing made by Erik ten Hag before the Red Devils relieved the Dutch boss of his duties just a few months later. Ugarte has since reunited with his former Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim and he is now closing in on 50 appearances for the Premier League club.

=5. Nico Gonzalez | Porto to Manchester City | £50m

Manchester City were in desperate need of midfield reinforcements in the absence of injured lynchpin Rodri before they eventually completed a £50m deal for Porto’s Nico Gonzalez in the closing stages of the 2025 winter transfer window.

The strong, technically-gifted Spaniard was thrown straight into Pep Guardiola’s first team before accepting a peripheral role towards the end of the 2024-25 campaign, but he has since stepped up to become a regular once again in Man City’s midfield at the start of the new season.

=5. Fernando Torres | Liverpool to Chelsea | £50m

Arguably one of the most iconic and eye-catching transfers in Premier League history took place on deadline day in the 2011 January window when Fernando Torres swapped Liverpool for Chelsea in a deal worth £50m - a then British-record fee.

Torres enjoyed a glittering three-and-a-half-year spell at Anfield, but the striker was unable to replicate his prolific goalscoring form at Stamford Bridge and struggled to live up to his hefty price-tag. Chelsea fans will, however, fondly remember his important goal against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals en route to winning the 2012 tournament.

4. Matheus Nunes | Wolverhampton Wanderers to Manchester City | £53m

Matheus Nunes went on strike at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the final week of the 2023 summer transfer window in a bid to force through his move to Manchester City, with his £53m switch eventually finalised on deadline day after just one full season at Molineux.

The Portuguese midfielder - signed by City at the time following the departure of Ilkay Gundogan and injury to Kevin De Bruyne - struggled to nail down a regular starting spot in Guardiola’s midfield and he has since morphed into a makeshift right-back, making over 20 appearances in that role since the beginning of 2025.

3. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal | £56m

Arsenal broke their transfer record in the final few hours on deadline day in January 2018 when they signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund for £56m following a prolific four-and-a-half-year spell in the Bundesliga.

Aubameyang scored 92 goals and registered 21 assists in 163 appearances and won the 2018-19 Premier League Golden Boot during an enjoyable four-year spell at the Emirates Stadium, before a fallout with Arteta led to his exit to Barcelona in the 2022 winter window.

2. Antony | Ajax to Manchester United | £85m

Under the tutelage of former head coach Erik ten Hag, Manchester United were determined to secure the signature of versatile attacker Antony and they eventually got their man, confirming his arrival on deadline day in the summer of 2022 following a drawn-out negotiation battle with Ajax.

The Red Devils spent £85m on the Brazilian, who became the fourth-most expensive signing in Premier League history at the time. However, Antony has failed to reach the heights expected at Old Trafford, scoring just 12 goals in 96 appearances.

1. Enzo Fernandez | Benfica to Chelsea | £107m

Chelsea set a new British transfer record when they forked out a reported £107m to sign midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Portuguese giants Benfica on the final day of the 2023 January transfer window.

The Argentina international was 22 years old when he penned an eight-year contract at Stamford Bridge and he has since established himself as an important first-team regular for the Blues, making over 100 appearances in all competitions.