Declan Rice is the world’s eighth £100m transfer – here’s what happened to the other seven
England star Declan Rice has joined the likes of Jack Grealish and Enzo Fernandez in costing their new side over £100m – but few have lived up to their expectations.
Declan Rice has joined the famous list of footballers worth over £100m – but that’s no guarantee of success.
Rice has swapped West Ham for Arsenal in a bid to compete for major honors and play Champions League football after a deal worth £105m was agreed by the two clubs.
Only seven players in the history of the sport have ever received a nine-figure fee before Rice — with three notable failures.
Daily Star Sport has taken a look at the fate of those who have dealt with the 24-year-old – who will have plenty of pressure on his shoulders.
Jack Grealish – £100 million
£100m Jack Grealish left his boyhood club Aston Villa for Manchester City for £100m in the summer of 2021.
Grealish took time to adapt to Pep Guardiola’s system as he played a back-row role in winning his first Premier League title.
Last season was a different story, with Grealish playing a central role in their Premier League return triumph before lifting a treble.
Despite admitting he didn’t play well in the Champions League final, Grealish is well on his way to justifying his astronomical price tag.
Joao Felix – £105 million
Atletico Madrid went big with the signing of Joao Felix from Benfica in 2019 – despite critics saying he would not fit into their defensive system.
Although Diego Simeone’s men won La Liga in his second season at the club, the Portuguese left Luis Suarez to do the heavy lifting.
Felix, 23, failed to impress on loan at Chelsea last season with his career already up in the air, with his contract running until the summer of 2027.
Philippe Coutinho – £105 million
Philippe Coutinho became one of the biggest failures in football history after forcing an initial £105 million move to Barcelona from Liverpool in 2018.
That fee could have risen to around £137m with add-ons, but Coutinho couldn’t justify it before being sent out on loan to Bayern Munich and Aston Villa.
A permanent move to Villa Park has followed, scoring once in 20 Premier League appearances last season, having recently celebrated his 31st birthday.
Antoine Griezmann – £107 million
Antoine Griezmann spent five years at Atletico Madrid and became a hero to the fans before joining Barcelona for an initial £107million in 2019.
Griezmann, 32, spent three years at the Nou Camp, scoring 35 goals in 102 appearances before joining Atletico – missing out on a first La Liga title while away.
Now back at Atletico, Barcelona won the league without him, but he managed 16 goals in all competitions.
Enzo Fernandez – £106.8 million
The last member of the £100m club before Rice was Enzo Fernandez, who swapped Benfica for Chelsea at the start of 2023 after winning the World Cup.
The skilful midfielder initially cost £106.8m despite making just 29 appearances in European football.
Chelsea went on to finish 12th in the Premier League table – but fans have seen enough to expect the Argentine to shine under Mauricio Pochettino.
Kylian Mbappe – £163 million
Kylian Mbappe joined PSG from Monaco when he was still a teenager – but he didn’t come cheap with a fee that has risen to £163million.
Mbappe has won 10 domestic trophies while scoring 212 goals in 260 appearances – but has not tasted Champions League glory.
Mbappe, who grew up loving Real Madrid, has also stated that he will not sign a new contract with PSG as he tries to find a solution before he leaves for nothing next summer.
Neymar – £198 million
Neymar remains the most expensive transfer in history after swapping Barcelona for PSG in a bid to lead the club to Champions League glory.
The Brazil icon has been unable to fulfill that quest but has scored 118 goals since his £198 return in 2017.
Neymar has been unable to make more than 22 Ligue 1 appearances in any of his six seasons at the club due to injury – but time is still on his side at the age of 31.
