Rating the Premier League's £70m+ signings as Declan Rice heads to Arsenal | OneFootball

After days of waiting, West Ham have finally confirmed that Declan Rice has left the club.

The Irons' captain is set to join Arsenal for a reported fee of £105 million in what is one of the most high-profile moves of the summer transfer window.

It brings an end to Rice’s 10-year stay in east London, with the midfielder posting an emotional statement to confirm the news.

“Everyone knows how special West Ham is as a club that goes for all managers, coaches, back room staff and of course, my teammates.

"Thank you for some amazing memories and some of the best days of my life.

"Love you all. Love Dec."

The total cost of Rice’s move means that he becomes the second-most expensive transfer in Premier League history, behind Enzo Fernandez’s move to Chelsea.

He also joins an elite group players who have cost at least £70 million.

Well, the team at GIVEMESPORT has decided to take a look at all 16 players who cost at least £70 million and rate them either a flop or a success.

Some players on this list have only been at their clubs for a short space of time though, so to be fair, we’ve given them a "to be decided" rating.

Spoiler alert - most of the expensive recruits did not fare well. Arsenal fans will desperately hope that their new man will excel for them in the next campaign.

The 16 Premier League players who cost more than £70 million

We’re starting strong here, with Casemiro shining at Old Trafford in his first season.

To be honest though, how surprised can we be? The man was a key part of Real Madrid teams who dominated the Champions League.

Now that he has settled in at the Theatre of Dreams, United fans will be excited to see how he links with new signing, Mason Mount.

Verdict - success.

Fofana became one of the league’s most exciting talents while at Leicester, and has the potential to excel at Stamford Bridge.

But the centre-back was ruled out with injuries at points last season and had games to forget when fit too, including one horror show against Man United at Old Trafford.

Chelsea as a whole were abysmal last year, so the Frenchman could return to the elite levels he has exhibited before. But for now, it’s not looking good.

Verdict - to be decided.

Kepa Arrizabalaga - Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea, £71.6 m

It was never going to be easy to replace Thibaut Courtois, but Chelsea are still looking for a permanent successor to the Belgian.

After signing in 2018, the Blues eventually dropped Kepa after a series of mistakes and replaced him with Edouard Mendy.

The Spanish shot-stopper did regain his first-team spot last season, but every Chelsea fan will tell you that they still need a new number one.

Verdict - flop.

Nicolas Pepe - Lille to Arsenal, £72 million

Pepe arrived after an incredible season in Ligue 1 where he scored 22 times and registered 11 assists as well.

But he has never rediscovered that form in the Premier League, and with Mikel Arteta not seeing him as part of the squad, he spent last season on loan at Nice.

Now, the Gunners are looking to sell him permanently.

Verdict - flop.

Jadon Sancho - Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United, £73 million

Sancho dazzled at Dortmund and had incredible output in attack, with 89 goal contributions in 104 games for Die Schwarzgelben.

United chased him for ages before a deal was finally completed in 2021. But it just hasn’t worked out like fans would have expected.

He now finds himself out of the first team and behind another £70m+ signing in the pecking order. But don’t worry, we’ll get to him.

Verdict - flop.

Virgil van Dijk - Southampton to Liverpool, £75 million

They have been a rarity on this list so far, but this is definitely a success.

Every penny spent by Liverpool on this move has been worth it, with Van Dijk helping the club win a Premier League and Champions League under Jurgen Klopp.

At one point, the Dutchman was undoubtedly the best defender in the world. He has looked shaky since returning from a nasty injury, but don’t let that cloud your judgement.

Verdict - 100% success.

Belgium international Lukaku had been sensational for Everton, scoring 68 times for the Toffees in 141 league appearances.

But while he would manage 16 in his first season at United, the striker would become a figure of ridicule at points, with rival fans keen to mock his first touch.

He would depart for Inter Milan in 2019 and is still regarded as one of United’s worst signings in the Glazer era.

Verdict - flop.

Kai Havertz - Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea, £75.8 million

Everything that you need to know about this move can be summarised by how unenthused Arsenal fans were when Havertz made the switch to north London.

During his three-year stay at Chelsea, Havertz would manage just 29 goal contributions in 91 league outings for the Blues.

Yes, he won them the Champions League and many fans will say that goal and night in Porto alone was worth the huge outlay, but Havertz would frustrate supporters too.

Arsenal fans will hope he can show his quality in a different position at the Emirates.

Verdict - flop.

Harry Maguire - Leicester City to Manchester United, £80 million

Maguire has had a tough time since moving to Old Trafford, and that is despite him still being the club captain.

He has never convinced fans during his stay and now finds himself behind both Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez in the pecking order.

Erik ten Hag is now ready to sell the centre-back, but they are struggling to shift him on because of his high wages.

Verdict - flop.

Nunez has shown brief moments of quality for Liverpool, and at 23, he could yet become one of the league’s most exciting forwards.

In fairness, nine goals and three assists are not terrible totals for last season, so it would be harsh to say he has been a flop.

But Liverpool fans might have expected more from the man who netted 26 times in the league for Benfica the season before, so it is hard to call him a success too.

Verdict - to be decided.

Antony - Ajax to Manchester United, £86 million

Have United made a more polarising signing in recent times?

Antony seems to divide opinion among football fans. For every supporter praising him for his neat footwork and incredible goals like the one he scored against Barcelona, you have Simon Jordan labelling him rubbish.

It is hard to say that he has been worth the significant outlay so far, but labelling him a flop is harsh too. Might he prove the doubters wrong next season?

Verdict - to be decided.

Mykhailo Mudryk - Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea, £88.5 million

After showing glimpses of quality in a brief cameo against Liverpool at Anfield, Mudryk has struggled to adapt to life at Stamford Bridge.

The pacey winger only started seven times for the Blues in the Premier League, with just two assists to his name as Chelsea finished 12th.

Mudryk did shine for Ukraine at the Under-21 Euros during the summer though, so might that be a sign of things to come next season?

Verdict - to be decided.

Paul Pogba - Juventus to Manchester United, £89 million

The excitement United fans felt in August 2016 when Pogba was announced gave way to disappointment over the next few years.

There were some special moments and goals along the way, but the Frenchman would never replicate the performances he put in while at Juventus on a consistent basis.

Pogba left Old Trafford as a free agent in 2022. And hardly anybody would say he was worth the £89 million that United paid for him.

Verdict - flop.

Romelu Lukaku - Inter Milan to Chelsea, £97.5 million

A second entry for Lukaku on this list, and everybody knows where this is going.

After getting back to his best in Italy, Chelsea decided to break the bank to re-sign the striker in 2021.

But things would quickly turn sour after a controversial TV interview where Lukaku complained about life at the club.

He would return to Inter on loan for the following season, and now, Chelsea are desperately trying to get rid of him permanently for a fraction of what they paid him.

Verdict - definite flop.

Jack Grealish - Aston Villa to Manchester City, £100 million

Want to know why we have the ‘to be decided’ category? This is exactly why.

Had we made this list last season, some might have labelled Grealish a flop under Pep Guardiola.

He managed just three goals and three assists in 26 league appearances for City, hardly numbers you would expect from someone signed for a British transfer record.

But in the following year, he was absolutely class.

Verdict - success.

Todd Boehly fell in love with the midfielder after he shone for Argentina at the World Cup, deciding to fork out a huge amount of money to sign him.

And while Chelsea endured a poor season, the 22-year-old was one of the shining lights for them.

Fernandez showed exactly why he was signed in the second half of Chelsea's campaign, with fans loving his vision and crisp, long-range passes.

It might be too soon to label him a success right now, but if he helps Chelsea get back to their best next season, he will be in that camp in a year.