Top 10 most expensive transfers from Bundesliga to Premier League | OneFootball

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GiveMeSport

·7 February 2023

Top 10 most expensive transfers from Bundesliga to Premier League

Article image:Top 10 most expensive transfers from Bundesliga to Premier League

The Premier League has long since benefitted from the abundance of talent in the Bundesliga and has been dipping into the German market for years for new signings.

Some players have been more successful than others but, even when some big-money arrivals do not quite hit the required standard in England, the country's top-tier clubs keep coming back for more.


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Plenty of money has changed hands - after all, Bundesliga outfits want to avoid seeing their biggest assets go for peanuts. The 10 most expensive deals of all time, from the German top division to the Premier League, are as follows (all sums and playing stats throughout the article were taken from Transfermarkt to ensure consistency):

10 - Leroy Sane, £43.729 - Sebastian Haller, £45.15m8 - Timo Werner, £47.8m7 - Erling Haaland, £51.32m6 - Kevin De Bruyne, £55.22m5 - Naby Keita, £55.54m4 - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, £55.75m3 - Christian Pulisic, £57.91m2 - Kai Havertz, £71.32m1 - Jadon Sancho, £73.86m

But how has each of those purchases fared in the Premier League? Let's have a look.

10. Leroy Sane, Schalke 04 to Manchester City, £43.72m

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Sane took a little while to warm up in England after he made the move from Schalke to Manchester City in 2016 but, at his best, he was a key player for Pep Guardiola's side.

He particularly impressed during the 2017/18 Premier League campaign, picking up ten goals and providing 15 assists as the Citizens won their first Premier League title under Guardiola.

However, a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury kept him out for the majority of the 2019/20 campaign, and it soon became apparent that he wanted to return to Germany, where he joined Bayern Munich in 2021. He has had his moments in Bavaria but has yet to quite hit the level many expected him to.

9. Sebastien Haller, Eintracht Frankfurt to West Ham United,£45.15m

Haller shone for Eintracht Frankfurt throughout the 2018/19 season, especially during their run to the Europa League semi-finals, where they lost to Chelsea on penalties.

Those performances convinced West Ham to break their transfer record to take the Ivory Coast forward to the London Stadium. Unfortunately, the transfer didn't really work out - partly because he was not used correctly - and he managed just 14 goals in 54 appearances before moving to Ajax.

He excelled in the Netherlands, even netting 11 goals in just eight Champions League outings during the 2021/22 season, and is now playing for Borussia Dortmund after overcoming testicular cancer.

8. Timo Werner, RB Leipzig to Chelsea, £47.8m

After Werner had scored 34 goals in 45 games in all competitions for Leipzig during the 2019/20 campaign, there was a clamour for his services in the Premier League.

Many expected him to move to Liverpool, but he eventually joined Chelsea, and it looked like he would be a star after scoring three in his first three league matches.

However, while the Germany international was a regular creator of goals, he struggled to find the back of the net himself after that initial spurt and returned to his former club back home last summer. At least he has recovered some of that confidence back in familiar surroundings.

7. Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City, £51.32m

Haaland's relatively low release clause at Dortmund meant every man and his dog around Europe was eager to capture his services last summer. Guardiola and Man City were the eventual victors in that race.

The striker has treated the Premier League like his playground, scoring at a rate of more than a goal per game. Most defenders are finding it almost impossible to stop him at the moment.

Unlike Werner and Haller, it is hard to see him returning to the Bundesliga any time soon.

6. Kevin De Bruyne, Wolfsburg to Manchester City, £55.22m

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Everyone remembers Paul Merson's reaction to City signing De Bruyne in 2015 - the internet will never let him forget - and, up until that point, the player was best remembered for his short and unsuccessful spell with Chelsea.

However, the Belgium international had been named the Bundesliga's Player of the Year during the 2014/15 term and, although he was, at the time, City's most expensive signing of all time, he has been worth every penny.

He is now one of the Premier League's best playmakers and has twice won the division's Player of the Season award, as well as four league titles.

5. Naby Keita, RB Leipzig to Liverpool, £55.54m

It is hard to believe that Keita has been at Liverpool for five years, especially when you consider that he has not yet managed to play in 100 Premier League matches.

Unfortunately, despite him showing glimpses of his talent during his time on the pitch, injuries have massively hampered his development, and he has never been able to put a long run of games together.

His contract is up at the end of the 2022/23 season, and it seems highly unlikely that the Reds will look to keep him at Anfield any longer.

4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal, £55.75m

Aubameyang may have made an acrimonious exit from the Emirates Stadium, but, bar the last 12 months of his four-year stay in north London, he was the talisman for Arsenal.

Ten goals in his first 13 matches after joining during the January 2018 transfer window were followed by 44 across the next two league seasons - his 22-strike haul during the 2018/19 campaign earned him a share of the Golden Boot.

He left with 92 goals in 163 matches, a fantastic record, with Barcelona his next stop. Now at Chelsea, it is clear his best days are behind him.

3. Christian Pulisic, Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea, £57.91m

Pulisic was a prodigy, making his Dortmund first-team debut at the age of 17 and, as the poster boy of U.S men's football, there was plenty of noise surrounding his move to Chelsea in 2019.

The winger initially displayed his potential, scoring a hat-trick early into his Blues career versus Burnley before terrorising Liverpool's backline during a short cameo towards the end of the campaign.

Unfortunately, the time in between was hampered by spells on the sidelines, a running theme throughout his stint in southwest London. Following Chelsea's winter spending spree, it is hard to see Pulisic regaining a first-team spot when he returns to fitness.

2. Kai Havertz, Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea, £71.32m

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The third of three Chelsea signings on this list, Havertz is the most successful of that trio, although the standard to beat isn't exactly high.

The former Leverkusen ace is clearly talented but has often been used elsewhere than his favourite attacking midfield position, instead deployed as a centre-forward due to his side's lack of alternative options. His nonchalant demeanour on the pitch does also not help to improve public opinion of him.

The Germany international did score the goal that won the Blues 2020/21 Champions League, however, and, at the age of just 23, he has plenty of time on his side to truly prove his worth.

1. Jadon Sancho, Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United, £73.86m

Manchester United waited 12 months to finally sign Sancho in 2021 after Dortmund had previously stood firm. However, whether it was worth the hassle is up for debate.

Sancho was a star in Germany, scoring 50 times and providing 64 assists for Die Schwarzgelben in all competitions in just 137 matches. Seeing him go to a top English club for a substantial fee was no surprise.

Unfortunately, he has struggled to settle back into life in his homeland, and has reportedly grappled with mental issues as things have gone against him. Now back in the United fold after a spell away, let's hope he can push on and retrieve his best level.

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