How the threshold was calculated
This list includes permanent transfers completed or taking effect during the 2026 summer window, with a cutoff of August 4. Reported add-ons have been included, although some of those payments may depend on future appearances, trophies or other performance targets. According to the European Central Bank’s reference-rate sheet, the latest available rates on August 3 valued one euro at approximately $1.15 and one pound at approximately $1.35, making the $80 million threshold roughly equivalent to €69.4 million or £59.4 million. On that basis, nine confirmed deals qualify, with a potential combined value of approximately $994 million.
1. Morgan Rogers to Chelsea ($158 million)
Chelsea moved to the top of the summer spending chart by signing Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for £117 million, approximately $158 million. According to Sky Sports’ report on the completed transfer, the deal made Rogers the most expensive British player in football history, surpassing the record set by Elliot Anderson only weeks earlier. The England international signed a contract running until 2033 and became the central attacking addition to Xabi Alonso’s first Chelsea squad. It is also the largest confirmed transfer anywhere in world football during the window so far.
Rogers arrives after establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s most productive young attacking players at Aston Villa. He recorded 31 goals and 29 assists across 125 appearances for the club, while his performances for England at the World Cup further increased his profile. Chelsea have paid for both his current ability and the expectation that his strongest years are still ahead of him. The size of the fee, however, means he will be judged as an established match-winner rather than a long-term project.
2. Elliot Anderson to Manchester City ($156 million)
Manchester City completed the £116 million signing of Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, a fee worth approximately $156 million at the August exchange rate. According to Sky Sports’ account of the transfer, Anderson briefly became the most expensive British footballer before Chelsea paid £1 million more for Rogers. The midfielder signed a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium after developing into a leading figure for both Forest and England. City’s investment also exceeded the £100 million they paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021.
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Anderson’s rise has been unusually rapid for a player who left Newcastle United for a comparatively modest fee in 2024. His energy, ball progression and ability to operate in several midfield roles made him an obvious fit for a City squad entering another period of transition. The fee reflects the premium attached to proven English players, but also City’s belief that Anderson can become a long-term centrepiece. Only the Rogers deal prevents him from heading the global list.
3. Sandro Tonali to Tottenham ($135 million)
Tottenham broke their transfer record by signing Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United in a deal worth up to £100 million, approximately $135 million. According to Sky Sports’ report on the completed move, Spurs agreed to pay £92.5 million initially, with a further £7.5 million available through achievable add-ons. Tonali’s relationship with new Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi was influential in the move, while Newcastle received one of the largest midfield transfer fees in football history. The Italian was assigned the number 16 shirt following his arrival in north London.
Tottenham have purchased a midfielder already familiar with the physical and tactical demands of the Premier League. Tonali helped Newcastle win the League Cup in 2025 and played a central role in the club’s return to Champions League football. His ability to dictate possession while matching the intensity of English football gives De Zerbi an experienced foundation for his midfield. At £100 million, however, Tonali must deliver immediately rather than gradually grow into the role.
4. Mateus Fernandes to Tottenham ($115 million)
Only days before completing the Tonali deal, Tottenham had already broken their transfer record by paying £85 million, approximately $115 million, for Mateus Fernandes. According to Sky Sports’ report on the signing, the Portugal international joined from West Ham after Tottenham overcame competition from Manchester United. His status as the club’s record signing lasted less than a week before Tonali’s arrival pushed the ceiling even higher. Fernandes was given the number 18 shirt after completing the move.
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The fee is particularly striking because Fernandes had experienced two relegations during the early stages of his career in England. Tottenham have nevertheless invested in his press resistance, passing range and ability to carry the ball through central areas. At 22, he offers greater long-term potential than several of the window’s other expensive recruits. His arrival alongside Tonali also demonstrates how heavily De Zerbi’s Tottenham rebuild is centred on controlling midfield.
5. Anthony Gordon to Barcelona (up to $104 million)
Barcelona made Anthony Gordon their first signing of the 2026/27 season after reaching an agreement with Newcastle United. Because neither club published the financial terms, reported figures have varied, but according to Transfermarkt’s detailed account of the deal, Barcelona agreed to pay €80 million initially with another €10 million available in add-ons. That values the total package at approximately $104 million, while the guaranteed portion alone is worth about $92 million. According to Barcelona’s official announcement, the England winger signed a five-year contract running until 2031.
Gordon provides Barcelona with pace, direct running and the ability to play on either wing or through the centre. His performances for Newcastle and England made him one of the most established Premier League attackers available during the window. Barcelona’s willingness to commit such a large fee is notable given the financial restrictions that have affected their recent transfer business. The move also leaves Newcastle having sold two of their most influential players, Gordon and Tonali, during the same summer.
6. Gonçalo Ramos to AC Milan (more than $85 million)
AC Milan broke their club transfer record to sign Gonçalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain. According to Transfermarkt’s report on the agreement, the initial fee was reported at €74 million, approximately $85 million, with further add-ons potentially increasing the final cost. According to AC Milan’s official statement, the Portuguese striker signed a contract until June 2031. The deal surpassed Milan’s previous spending record and gave new head coach Rúben Amorim an established centre-forward.
Ramos leaves PSG after scoring 45 goals in 131 appearances and collecting a substantial list of domestic and European honours. Milan are investing in a striker entering his prime rather than a younger player who may require several seasons of development. His movement inside the penalty area and willingness to press should suit Amorim’s preferred approach. The price also places considerable responsibility on Ramos to become the reliable scorer Milan have lacked.
7. Crysencio Summerville to Al-Hilal ($81 million)
The Saudi Pro League enters the list through Al-Hilal’s signing of Crysencio Summerville from West Ham United. According to Sky Sports’ report on the completed deal, Al-Hilal paid an initial £55 million with another £5 million available in add-ons. The full £60 million package is worth approximately $81 million, narrowly taking the transfer above the required threshold. Summerville signed a four-year contract after spending two seasons with West Ham.
The Dutch winger leaves English football at 24, an age at which most major moves to Saudi Arabia have traditionally been uncommon. He scored seven goals and supplied five assists during his final season at West Ham before representing the Netherlands at the World Cup. Al-Hilal have therefore acquired a player who should still be approaching his peak rather than moving towards the end of his career. West Ham, meanwhile, have collected major fees for both Summerville and Fernandes following their relegation.
8. Jérémy Jacquet to Liverpool ($81 million)
Liverpool’s deal for Jérémy Jacquet was agreed during the winter window, but the Rennes defender officially joined the Premier League club ahead of the 2026/27 season. According to Sky Sports’ report on the transfer, Liverpool paid £55 million initially with £5 million in performance-related add-ons. The maximum £60 million package converts to approximately $81 million, placing Jacquet just above the cutoff. The 20-year-old remained with Rennes for the second half of last season after completing his medical in February.
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Jacquet is the youngest player on the list and the only defender to reach the $80 million level during the window. Liverpool’s investment reflects both his potential and the increasing cost of elite young centre-backs. His arrival also formed part of the club’s preparations for a defensive rebuild following uncertainty surrounding Ibrahima Konaté. Unlike several players above him, Jacquet may initially be given time to develop before becoming an automatic starter.
9. Johan Manzambi to Aston Villa ($80 million)
Johan Manzambi occupies the final position by the narrowest margin. According to Sky Sports’ report on Aston Villa’s agreement, Villa paid a club-record £59.5 million for the Switzerland midfielder after beating Newcastle United to his signature. At the August 3 exchange rate, that package is worth approximately $80.2 million. His arrival followed an impressive season with Freiburg and a breakthrough World Cup for Switzerland.
Manzambi represents a significant reinvestment of the money Villa received for Rogers. The midfielder had already faced his new club in the Europa League final before choosing Villa over Newcastle, with Champions League football reportedly influencing his decision. At 20, he is another signing whose fee is based partly on expected development rather than a long record at the highest level. Villa will hope he can help replace both Rogers’ creativity and the midfield quality lost elsewhere in their squad.
The Premier League dominates the market
Six of the nine qualifying players have joined Premier League clubs, with Tottenham responsible for two of the deals. Barcelona, AC Milan and Al-Hilal are the only clubs outside England to have completed a transfer package worth at least $80 million. No incoming signing in the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 or MLS had crossed the threshold by August 4, although clubs in Germany and France have received major fees for Manzambi, Jacquet and Ramos. According to Football365’s worldwide ranking of the largest completed deals, the remaining leading transfers all sit below the converted $80 million line.
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MLS remains far outside this spending category despite its continued commercial growth. According to FootballTransfers’ review of MLS transfer records, Son Heung-min’s €22 million move to Los Angeles FC in 2025 remains the league’s record incoming transfer. That figure is less than one-third of the minimum required for this list. MLS has attracted major names, but not through transfer fees approaching those now routinely paid by leading Premier League clubs.
Nine deals and almost $1 billion
The nine transfers have a potential combined value of approximately $994 million when converted using the latest available ECB reference rates. Several portions of that total remain dependent on add-ons, meaning the final amount paid could be lower if performance targets are not reached.
Even so, the list shows how quickly the market has expanded, particularly for young players with Premier League experience or strong World Cup performances. With the window still open, football could yet produce another deal large enough to push the combined total comfortably beyond $1 billion.
