Most Expensive Transfers of the 2023 Summer Transfer Window

With the Saudi boom, the transfer market 2023 will be memorable for years to come. Yet, despite these eastbound stories dominating the headlines, only one of the top 10 most expensive transfers of the 2023 summer transfer window have gone to the Middle East.

The Premier League still dominates the transfer market and it's quite easily proven by looking at the top 10 list of the 2023 summer window. Even more broadly, it's an hour of pride for English football as three of the top four most expensive signings were English players.

Most expensive transfers of summer 2023

Unsurprisingly, only one player in the top 10 is a defender. Yet midfielders' prices have surged following the years in which wingers and strikers were the only ones having nine-figure price tags attached to their names.

10. Dominik Szoboszlai - RB Leipzig to Liverpool for €70,000,000

An early candidate for the signing of the season as for today's standards, the versatile Dominik Szoboszlai came in quite cheap. Especially considering the Hungarian is still only 22 and has already 23 Champions League games behind him, with nine goal involvements to his name.

Szoboszlai provides both goalscoring and assisting, with a proclivity for pressuring that is required from attacking players today, while still being a rarity. At RB Leipzig, the man with 34 caps for Hungary already, played in 91 games, scoring 20 times and making 22 assists. All while starting off with an injury. With 60 goal involvements in 83 games for Red Bull Salzburg, it's easy to see why Jurgen Klopp wanted the superstar in the making for his team.

9. Kai Havertz - Chelsea to Arsenal for €75,000,000

Arriving at Chelsea three years ago, Kai Havertz has since scored the massive Champions League final-winning goal for the Blues, but they've still deemed him unnecessary. With a return of 32 goals and 15 assists in 139 games, after bagging 46 goals and 31 assists for Bayer Leverkusen, it's hard to blame them.

Yet, no one is thinking that Arsenal made a foolish purchase. Seemingly, Havertz will fit Mikel Arteta's team far better and he is still only 24. With 13 goals in 39 games for Germany, clearly Kai is a top player far from using up all his credit.

8. Rasmus Hojlund - Atalanta to Manchester United for €75,000,000

The man with the least experience and statistics backing his inclusion on the list of most expensive transfers of the 2023 summer transfer window. With only 34 games for a top five leagues side behind him, Manchester United made a big bet on the 20-year-old Dane.

Hojlund did score 10 in those 34 games for Atalanta, with four assists, and had solid returns in his previous senior football episodes. Although 12 goals for Sturm Graz in 21 games isn't the pedigree, Man United fans are used to from their primary strikers. With the return of five goals in 32 matches for Copenhagen can be written off to his youth at the time. A sunshine ray in those stats - that might make United fandom believe they got a version of the beast their neighbours have - could be the six goals in eight matches for Denmark.

7. Neymar - Paris Saint-Germain to Al-Hilal for €90,000,000

Still the world's most expensive transfer and the man whose move in 2017 changed the transfer market forever. In a way, Neymar is the one responsible for these most expensive transfers of the 2023 summer transfer window being as expensive as they are. Even though he played fewer games for PSG in six seasons than for Barcelona in four, Neymar sustained his star power. Which is why Al-Hilal got the chequebook for the Brazilian.

With 118 goals and 77 assists in 173 games for PSG, the 31-year-old can still provide in the Saudi league. If he chooses to.

6. Josko Gvardiol - RB Leipzig to Manchester City for €90,000,000

Defending the honour of all the defenders as the only one from the backline amongst the most expensive transfers of the 2023 summer transfer window. Josko is another very young footballer as well, aged only 21, but with 87 games for Leipzig, scoring five and making three assists from his position.

The versatile left-footed Croatian is seemingly what Pep Guardiola needed to further cement his rule over England and Europe. Only two seasons in Germany were enough for the former Dinamo Zagreb player to reach the pinnacle of club football.

5. Randal Kolo Muani - Eintracht Frankfurt to Paris Saint-Germain for €90,000,000

Even though he was the man who could've brought France the World Cup title in the dying minutes of the final, failing to convert a one-on-one, Kolo Muani impressed so much in his performances with Eintracht Frankfurt to make a top five expensive transfer of the summer. Even though 26 goals in 50 games isn't that much, especially for Frankfurt strikers of recent years, Muani also added the 17 assists that write a different story.

The 24-year-old also played in France with Nantes, scoring 21 goals and making 13 assists in 79 games. Alongside his international record of one goal and one assist in 10 games, the move has some potential to backfire on PSG.

4. Harry Kane - Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich for €100,000,000

Not the most expensive transfers of the 2023 summer transfer window, but certainly the most high-profile one. Harry Kane finally left Spurs and England both, forsaking his amazing chance at becoming the Premier League's most expensive player for a chance at the Champions League trophy. The Bundesliga is a given most likely.

Aged 30, with 278 goals behind him at THFC, alongside 64 assists in 430 games, Kane's move to Germany might not be deemed worthwhile unless he wins at least two CL trophies. With perhaps season goalscoring records in the Bundesliga to go with them.

3. Jude Bellingham - Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid for €103,000,000

Aged 20, Jude Bellingham reached Santiago Bernabeu not as a prospect, but as a key player for the squad. With 132 competitive games at Borussia Dortmund already, giving a record of 24 goals and 25 assists. At Real, he already started strong with five goals in his first four matches. Bellingham already has 26 caps for England and as much as this transfer is expensive, Real is seemingly on the course for a bargain if the steam doesn't run out on the way for a legendary career.

2. Moises Caicedo - Brighton to Chelsea for €116,000,000

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Becoming one of the most expensive players of all times as an Ecuadorian was a major feat for Moises Caicedo. Doing it as a 21-year-old is a whole different level of achievement. His position as a defensive midfielder adds yet another layer to the impressive resume. Considering Chelsea wrote the cheques, it might make some observers be reasonably sceptical of Caicedo, after all, a sample of 53 games for Brighton isn't the most in-depth reassurance there is.

1. Declan Rice - West Ham United to Arsenal for €116,000,000

The third Englishman in the top five of the most expensive transfers of the 2023 summer transfer window. While also showing that defensive midfielders are in demand now as the top two spots are reserved for this position. Considering Decland is far more experienced than Caicedo with 245 games for WHU and 45 caps for England, it is a safer bet and a better deal. With the English tax being overshadowed by the contract length he had with WHU.

Rice scored 15 goals and made 13 assists for the Hammers and while his goals are not his primary selling points, the numbers are more likely to increase under Mikel Arteta. With them or without, Rice seems like the perfect piece of the puzzle for AFC.