Jack Grealish to Man City leads top 10 British transfers, but who else was a hit or a miss?

Many British clubs are on a spending spree just now, following the Brexit vote and the government’s decision to leave the European Union. Topping the list are Premier League giants Manchester City, who splashed £45 million on the teenage midfielder Jack Grealish . Grealish signed from Aston Villa, where he’d spent his entire career, for an eye-watering £25 million. Grealish is arguably the most talented young English player, with the ability to play in almost any midfield role in a team. The only question is whether he can add consistency to his play, and build on his promising start to the new City team.

Jack Grealish, one of the most exciting young talents in the country, is on the verge of a move to Manchester City. He has been the subject of speculation, particularly after the Tottenham midfielder’s father admitted that he had been approached by the Premier League champions.

This summer’s transfer window came with plenty of noise and saw many big names leave their respective clubs for new homes. One of the most high-profile transfers saw the 18-year-old Jack Grealish join boyhood club Aston Villa for a fee of around £30 million. But who else made the top 10 British transfer list?. Read more about jack grealish transfermarkt and let us know what you think.

After completing his £100 million move from Aston Villa on Thursday, Jack Grealish is now a Manchester City player.

Grealish had spent the previous 19 years with childhood club Villa, appearing in 213 games, scoring 32 goals, and ultimately captaining the squad after making his professional debut in 2014.

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The 25-year-old offensive midfielder has taken the step up by signing a six-year deal with the reigning Premier League winners after they paid his release clause. He was a key part of the England team that reached the Euro 2020 final this summer.

The huge £100 million price is a new British transfer record, and it’s the second time City has held it since their £32.5 million deadline-day purchase of Robinho from Real Madrid in 2008. Manchester United, on the other hand, has held the record seven times, while Chelsea has done so twice in recent years.

However, for the teams involved, large investments haven’t always paid off, with the top 10 British record transfer prices including a mix of players who immediately returned the trust, those who took their time to get going, and those who simply failed to offer any value for money.

1. Jack Grealish: £100 million transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City in 2021.

Jack Grealish is currently a record move from the United Kingdom. Manchester City FC’s Matt McNulty via Getty Images

Given that Grealish has only worn the jersey once, it’s obviously too early to say whether Man City’s big investment will pay off (and strictly for promotional purposes).

What we do know is that the midfielder was excellent for England at Euro 2020, even if just in cameo appearances, and that he seems ready, eager, and capable of competing at the highest level.

Still, that’s a lot of money for a guy who hasn’t scored in the league since January (despite being out for two months due to injury), and at a position where City already possesses Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva, and Raheem Sterling.

TBC is the verdict.

2. Paul Pogba: £89.3 million transfer from Juventus to Manchester United in 2016.

Manchester United set a global record (not just a British record) by signing a player who had left Juventus at the conclusion of his contract four years before for only £800,000 in compensation.

The hype was palpable, the #Pogback marketing campaign included Stormzy, and Pogba seemed to be precisely the kind of big-name signing United needed to breathe new life into their stale team.

Pogba has yet to completely persuade everyone of his worth since then, but the France midfielder has shown that he is a world-class player and a cut above on his best days (which is roughly once a fortnight). His contract with United expires in 2022, therefore he may depart in the following weeks.

Conclusion: HIT

3. Harry Maguire: £80 million transfer from Leicester City to Manchester United in 2019.

Many people were surprised when Leicester centre-back Maguire moved to Old Trafford for such a hefty price so soon after excelling for England at the 2018 World Cup, but the risk has now paid off.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer immediately appointed the rugged defender as club captain, giving a rock-solid foundation for United’s most comforting backline in years.

Conclusion: HIT

4. Romelu Lukaku: £75 million transfer from Everton to Manchester United in 2017.

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Shaka Hislop discusses why Romelu Lukaku’s destiny may be dictated by money as speculations of a transfer to Chelsea grow.

For United, it was the one that got away. Lukaku never appeared to fit in at Old Trafford under Jose Mourinho, and despite a respectable goal return (42 goals in 96 games) during his two seasons at the club, the Belgian international was permitted to join Inter Milan for roughly £74 million in the summer of 2019.

He has now completely recovered his status as one of Europe’s most dangerous strikers, scoring 64 goals in 95 appearances last season as the Nerazzurri won their first Serie A championship in almost a decade. However, a return to Chelsea may be in the cards, with the Blues allegedly making a £110 million bid that was turned down last week.

MISS is the verdict.

Virgil van Dijk: £75 million transfer from Southampton to Liverpool in 2017.

Van Dijk is a world-class centre-back who seems to hardly break a sweat while easily containing forwards from the Premier League and beyond.

With clubs now willing to pay as much for unflappable defenders as they do for 20-goal strikers, it’s clear that Liverpool’s astronomical fee to sign the Dutchman was a wise investment, as the Reds won their first Premier League title in two decades in 2019-20 and the Champions League the year before.

Indeed, Van Dijk’s significance and impact on Liverpool were highlighted during his injury-plagued absence in the second half of last season, during which Jurgen Klopp’s team gradually crumbled at the seams.

Conclusion: HIT

6. Jadon Sancho: £73.9 million transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United in 2021

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Mark Ogden of ESPN FC outlines what a good season for Jadon Sancho would entail after his big-money transfer to Manchester United.

After tearing it up in the Bundesliga over the last few years, United have splashed the cash to bring Sancho to the Premier League after his youth career at City ended in 2017, when he was sold for £8 million without making a single appearance.

In 137 games for Dortmund, the England winger has 50 goals and 64 assists, indicating that he is the kind of quick-footed offensive spark Solskjaer was looking for last season.

TBC is the verdict.

7. Nicolas Pepe: Lille to Arsenal for £72 million in 2019.

Pepe’s influence has been so fleeting at Arsenal that it doesn’t seem like the Ivory Coast striker has been there for two years.

With just eight goals in 42 games in his debut season, things changed dramatically in 2020-21, when the former Lille star substantially increased his output. Pepe scored 16 goals in all competitions for the Gunners, second only to Alexandre Lacazette, and his improved form was one of the few bright spots in Mikel Arteta’s poor mid-tablers’ otherwise forgettable season.

At this point, he hasn’t done enough to be deemed anything other than a miss.

MISS is the verdict.

8. Kepa Arrizabalaga: £71.6 million transfer from Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea in 2018.

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Kepa Arrizabalaga of Chelsea says he is unaffected by his status as the world’s most expensive goalkeeper.

Kepa failed to win over the Blues fans with a series of underwhelming performances, which were compounded by an ill-advised show of insubordination during the 2019 EFL Cup final.

The goalkeeper resisted being replaced in the dying seconds of extra time in favor of penalty shootout specialist Willy Caballero, prompting an enraged rant from head coach Maurizio Sarri after the Blues’ eventual loss to Man City.

The 26-year-old Spanish goalkeeper has since been replaced as first-choice by Edouard Mendy, who arrived from Rennes in September 2020 for only £22 million and immediately established a club record for clean sheets — an absolute steal by contrast.

MISS is the verdict.

9. Rodri: £62.8 million transfer from Atletico Madrid to Manchester City in 2014.

Rodri was recruited to the Etihad as a long-term successor for Fernandinho, just beating off City colleague Ruben Dias (£61.6m from Benfica).

The 25-year-old Spain midfielder hasn’t exactly been electrifying for City, but then again, he wasn’t supposed to be, with Pep Guardiola often choosing him for his deep-lying, midfield-controlling presence.

Rodri also scored the game-winning goal in City’s EFL Cup final victory against Villa in 2020, so that’s another bonus.

Conclusion: HIT

10. Kai Havertz: £62 million transfer from Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea in 2020

Havertz rapidly established himself as a wunderkind at Leverkusen, netting 46 goals for the club before turning 21 and notably missing numerous first-team games to study for his college exams.

The German playmaker started slowly at Chelsea, but he quickly found his stride, scoring nine goals in his first season, the last of which was a winner in the Champions League final.

Conclusion: HIT

As we near the end of the transfer window, players are starting to settle in at their new clubs. The process of figuring out which of the Premier League’s new boys can be a hit and which ones will be flops is well underway. So which of these new signings has made the most impact?. Read more about jack grealish kevin de bruyne and let us know what you think.

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