Where Enzo Fernandez’s £125m Move to Manchester City Stands in Premier League Transfer History

Manchester City completed their pursuit of Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez just before the transfer window closed on September 1. The Argentina international was a key target for manager Enzo Maresca, who is leading a significant rebuild in his first season at the club.

The £125 million fee makes Fernandez the first player ever to be transferred for over £100 million twice, having moved from Benfica to Chelsea earlier in 2023.

How Fernandez’s Transfer Ranks in Premier League History

This transfer fee places Fernandez as the joint-most expensive player in British football history, matching Alexander Isak's move from Newcastle United to Liverpool in September 2025.

Liverpool's recent signing of Bradley Barcola from PSG in August 2026 could reach £123 million if all add-ons are triggered. Meanwhile, Morgan Rogers’ move from Aston Villa to Chelsea set the record for the highest fee paid for an English player. His World Cup teammate Elliot Anderson also briefly held this title after Nottingham Forest agreed to sell him to Manchester City.

Top 10 Premier League Transfers by Fee (Including Add-Ons)

• 1. Alexander Isak: Newcastle to Liverpool, £125m, September 2025
• = Enzo Fernandez: Chelsea to Manchester City, £125m, September 2026
• 3. Bradley Barcola: PSG to Liverpool, £123m, August 2026
• 4. Morgan Rogers: Aston Villa to Chelsea, £117m, July 2026
• 5. Elliot Anderson: Nottingham Forest to Manchester City, £116m, July 2026
• = Florian Wirtz: Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool, £116m, June 2025
• 7. Moises Caicedo: Brighton to Chelsea, £115m, August 2023
• 8. Enzo Fernandez: Benfica to Chelsea, £106.8m, January 2023
• 9. Declan Rice: West Ham to Arsenal, £105m, July 2023
• 10. Jack Grealish: Aston Villa to Manchester City, £100m, August 2022
• = Sandro Tonali: Newcastle to Tottenham, £100m, July 2026

The £116 million transfers of Anderson and Wirtz both set British records before Isak's arrival at Liverpool eclipsed them. All top 10 Premier League transfers have taken place within the last four years, with Grealish’s £100 million move to City in 2022 standing as the oldest on the list.

Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool have each made three signings exceeding £100 million. Aston Villa and Newcastle United lead in sales on this list, each with two players sold above this threshold.

Most Expensive Football Transfers Worldwide

The global transfer record remains with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe’s huge moves to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, at £198 million and £163.3 million respectively. These fees are unlikely to be surpassed soon.

The Premier League dominates the rest of the top 10 biggest transfers worldwide, claiming six spots including Fernandez’s recent deal.

Top 10 Most Expensive Football Transfers Ever

• 1. Neymar: Barcelona to PSG, £198m ($252m), August 2017
• 2. Kylian Mbappe: AS Monaco to PSG, £163.3m ($207.5m), August 2017
• 3. Alexander Isak: Newcastle to Liverpool, £125m ($170m), September 2025
• = Enzo Fernandez: Chelsea to Manchester City, £125m ($169m), September 2026
• 5. Bradley Barcola: PSG to Liverpool, £123m ($166m), August 2026
• 6. Morgan Rogers: Aston Villa to Chelsea, £117m ($157m), July 2026
• 7. Elliot Anderson: Nottingham Forest to Manchester City, £116m ($153m), July 2026
• 8. Florian Wirtz: Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool, £116m ($135m), June 2025
• 9. Moises Caicedo: Brighton to Chelsea, £115m ($147m), August 2023
• 10. Joao Felix: Benfica to Atletico Madrid, £113m ($143.5m), July 2019

Fernandez’s latest transfer pushes his previous move from Benfica to Chelsea out of the top 10, showing how rapidly the market values are evolving.