Jack Grealish’s move from Aston Villa to Manchester City became the most expensive British transfer in football history after the Premier League champions confirmed they had signed the midfielder for £100 million yesterday.
After enjoying yet another superb season for Villa and emerging as one of England’s brightest sparks during their Euro 2020 campaign, Grealish has quickly become one of the Premier League’s best.
Despite committing his future to his hometown club last year, a move to Pep Guardiola’s side was too tempting for the 25-year-old to resist this summer and he has finally completed a move away from Birmingham.
With such a hefty price-tag comes great responsibility and to be the most expensive British signing ever doesn’t guarantee success for Grealish, with many previous transfers in the same bracket ending up as flops.
Some can't hack the pressure, while some will thrive off it and I fully expect the midfielder to do the latter.
Following Grealish’s move, we take a look at the top 10 most expensive British signings in football history.
5. Jadon Sancho - £73m
Jadon Sancho joined Manchester United for £73 million this summer, after bagging 50 goals and 64 assists during his time with Borussia Dortmund. We are yet to find out whether the move will prove to be a brilliant deal or a flop, but if the winger is able to replicate his Bundesliga form then the Reds have a superb player on their hands. Rating: N/A Photo: Martin Rose
6. Virgil Van Dijk - £75m
Virgil Van Dijk's £75 million move to Liverpool raised questions at the time, but one Premier League medal and Champions League trophy later and it now looks more of a bargain. Up until the Dutchman suffered a serious injury in October, he had been absolutely spectacular for Jurgen Klopp's side and was one of the best players in the world. Rating: 10/10 Photo: Matthias Hangst
7. Romelu Lukaku - £75m
Romelu Lukaku moved to Manchester United for £75m in 2017 after superb spells with West Brom and Everton. While Lukaku received a lot of criticism during his time at Old Trafford, a record of 42 goals in 96 appearances is pretty good. The Belgian may not have been the figure many United fans wanted to lead their line, but his goalscoring ability could never be doubted - proven by his success at Inter Milan. An underrated striker, if anything. Rating: 8/10 Photo: Shaun Botterill
8. Paul Pogba - £89m
Paul Pogba resigned for Manchester United for £89m in 2016 after departing the club for free four years earlier. The Frenchman has become one of the most controversial, talked about players in the Premier League and has struggled to replicate his Juventus form. He has been very inconsistent since the move, often criticised for his poor performances yet will go on spells of being their best player. Rating: 7/10 Photo: CLIVE BRUNSKILL