The 10 most expensive summer Deadline Day transfers of all time

Cameron Smith

• 14 Feb 2025 05:30 GMT
• 6 min read

The summer transfer window is one of the busiest events on the football calendar and Deadline Day is always extremely hectic.

While most clubs would ideally avoid conducting business on the final day of the window, some of the biggest deals in football history have been finalised on Transfer Deadline Day.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 10 most expensive summer Deadline Day transfers of all time.

READ MORE: The 10 most expensive January Deadline Day transfers of all time

10. Mesut Ozil - €47m (Real Madrid to Arsenal, 2013)

Gareth Bale’s world record move to Real Madrid forced Mesut Ozil to leave the Spanish giants and he joined Arsenal for €47m on Transfer Deadline Day in 2013.

The Germany midfielder had excelled across a three-year stint at the Santiago Bernabeu, but he became Arsenal’s most expensive signing of all time upon his arrival in north London.

Ozil failed to collect meaningful silverware during his spell at the Emirates Stadium, but he still mustered over 250 appearances for the club before an unceremonious departure in January 2021.

READ MORE: What are the most expensive transfers of all time? The 50 highest fees in history

9. Cole Palmer - €47m (Man City to Chelsea, 2023)

Chelsea were expected to make a huge move on Transfer Deadline Day in 2023 and fans were therefore slightly surprised when their chosen signing was Manchester City’s Cole Palmer.

The Englishman had barely featured in Pep Guardiola’s senior side, mustering just 13 first-team starts, yet Chelsea opted to pay €47m to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

Palmer instantly became a revelation in west London and he registered 40 goal contributions in 45 games during his first season at Chelsea.

8. Thomas Partey - €50m (Atletico Madrid to Arsenal, 2020)

Arsenal were interested in signing Houssem Aouar during the 2020 summer transfer window, but they soon pivoted their attention to Thomas Partey after failing to reach an agreement for the Frenchman.

Mikel Arteta’s side agreed to match Partey’s €50m release clause and he joined Arsenal on Transfer Deadline Day, with Lucas Torreira moving in the opposite direction on loan.

Partey left Atletico having made 188 appearances for the club across an eight-year association.

7. Manuel Ugarte - €50m (PSG to Man Utd, 2024)

Manuel Ugarte opted to join Paris Saint-Germain instead of Chelsea in 2023, but the Uruguayan secured a Premier League move just one year later following an underwhelming season in France.

Ugarte made 37 appearances in all competitions during his time at PSG, but he lost his place during the second-half of the campaign and the Parisians opted to sell him after agreeing a deal to sign Benfica wonderkid Joao Neves.

After weeks of negotiations, Man Utd finalised a €50m move for Ugarte and he arrived at Old Trafford on Deadline Day.

6. Brennan Johnson - €55m (Nottingham Forest to Tottenham, 2023)

Tottenham Hotspur paid €55m to sign Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson in 2023 and he is currently the sixth-most expensive summer Deadline Day signing of all time as a result.

After helping Forest to promotion from the Championship, Johnson netted eight goals in 38 games during his first season in the Premier League, which prompted Spurs to fork out a huge transfer fee to land him.

The Welshman spent 14 years at Forest and he became the club’s most expensive sale in history upon confirmation of his move to Tottenham.

5. Anthony Martial - €60m (Monaco to Man Utd, 2015)

Antony Martial became the most expensive teenager in football history when he left AS Monaco to join Man Utd for €60m in 2015.

The French wonderkid enjoyed a sublime Old Trafford debut, scoring off the bench against Liverpool, but his nine-year spell at the club was marred by inconsistency and injuries.

Martial left Man Utd to join AEK Athens on a free transfer in 2024, having scored 90 goals in 317 appearances for the Red Devils.

4. Matheus Nunes - €62m (Wolves to Man City, 2023)

Manchester City made the surprise decision to spend €62m on Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes on summer Transfer Deadline Day in 2023.

Pep Guardiola was a huge fan of the Portuguese star during his time at Sporting CP, but Nunes was fairly underwhelming during his sole campaign at Wolves, and he struggled for game time upon his arrival at the Etihad Stadium.

Nunes started just nine Premier League matches across his first season at Man City and he has rarely been deployed in his preferred position of central midfield.

3. Antony - €95m (Ajax to Man Utd, 2022)

Erik ten Hag’s arrival at Man Utd saw the Red Devils dip into the Eredivisie transfer market and they agreed a deal to sign Brazil winger Antony for a whopping €95m before the end of the 2022 summer window.

Man Utd officially confirmed the arrival of Antony on Transfer Deadline Day and he enjoyed a sublime start at Old Trafford, scoring in each of his first three Premier League appearances for the club.

However, the Brazilian’s form soon tailed off and he endured a torrid few years before joining Real Betis on loan in January 2025.

2. Randal Kolo Muani - €95m (Eintracht Frankfurt to PSG, 2023)

Randal Kolo Muani joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer in 2022 and the Bundesliga giants turned an eye-watering profit when Paris Saint-Germain paid €95m to sign him 12 months later.

Kolo Muani registered 26 goals and 17 assists in 50 games for Eintracht Frankfurt, while he impressed during France’s run to the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.

Amid PSG’s desire to sign more French stars, they opted to spend just shy of €100m on Kolo Muani in 2023, although he was loaned out to Juventus in January 2025 after falling out of favour under Luis Enrique.

1. Gareth Bale - €101m (Tottenham to Real Madrid, 2013)

Gareth Bale’s record-breaking transfer from Tottenham to Real Madrid was agreed on 1 September 2013, but he was formally unveiled the following day and he is therefore widely considered to be the most expensive summer Deadline Day signing ever.

The Wales legend established himself as one of the world’s best players during the latter stages of his Spurs career and he immediately became a pivotal part of Real Madrid’s all-conquering team, alongside fellow forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

Bale’s time with Los Blancos ended on a sour note, amid his love for golf, but he still racked up 258 appearances, 106 goals and 16 trophies during a nine-year spell at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 10 most expensive summer Deadline Day transfers of all time