The most expensive Premier League signings ever adjusted based on inflation

A list of the most expensive Premier League signings adjusted based on inflation suggests Alan Shearer's move to Newcastle would now be worth £222 million.

From the introduction of billionaire owners to significant TV deals, transfers have skyrocketed since the turn of the century.

Jack Grealish's much-talked about £100 million move from Aston Villa to Manchester City stands out as one of the biggest deals of late alongside Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea [£106.8m] and Antony to Manchester United [£86m].

But what about transfers from the '90's? Last year, The Athletic published a fascinating report based on a football inflation calculator from football finance expert Kieran Maguire and his colleague Jason Laws at the University of Liverpool.

Roy Keane's move from Nottingham Forest to United, for example, was confirmed at £3.75 million in 1993 but if you take inflation into account, the deal would now cost £94.2 million, according to the calculator.

Other examples include Stan Collymore's £8.5 million move from Nottingham Forest to Liverpool, a deal that broke the English transfer record set earlier in the year by Andy Cole. Now, Collymore's move would be worth £133 million.

So who else features on the list?

Alan Shearer joining Newcastle United from Blackburn for a then-world record fee of £15 million would now be worth a staggering £222 million – which would storm past current record-holder Neymar, who joined PSG for £190 million in 2017.

Manchester United feature heavily throughout, with Juan Sebastian Veron, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Pogba, Wayne Rooney, Dwight Yorke and Ruud van Nistelrooy all included in the top 15.

Here is the list in full, which is accurate as of May 2022.

1. Alan Shearer - Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle United - 1996. Then: £15 million. Now: £222 million

2. Juan Sebastian Veron - Lazio to Manchester United - 2001. Then: £28.1 million. Now: £155.4 million

3. Stan Collymore - Nottingham Forest to Liverpool - 1995. Then: £8.5 million. Now: £132.9 million

4. Rio Ferdinand - Leeds United to Manchester United - 2002. Then: £29.1 million. Now: £132.5 million

5. Paul Pogba - Juventus to Manchester United - 2016. Then: £89 million. Now: £126 million

6. Rio Ferdinand - West Ham United to Leeds United - 2000. Then: £18 million. Now: £124.9 million

7. Wayne Rooney - Everton to Manchester United - 2004. Then: £27 million. Now: £118.6 million

8. Dwight Yorke - Aston Villa to Manchester United - 1998. Then: £12.6 million. Now: £118.2 million

9. Dennis Bergkamp - Inter Milan to Arsenal - 1995. Then: £7.5 million. Now: £117.3 million

10. Fernando Torres - Liverpool to Chelsea - 2011. Then: £50 million. Now: £112.3 million

11. Andriy Shevchenko - AC Milan to Chelsea - 2006. Then: £30.8 million. Now: £113.3 million

12. Andy Cole - Newcastle United to Manchester United - 1995. Then: £7.5 million. Now: £109.5 million

13. Ruud van Nistelrooy - PSV to Manchester United - 2001. Then: £18.5 million. Now: £105 million

14. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - Atletico Madrid to Chelsea - 2000. Then: £15 million. Now: £104.1 million

15. Fabrizio Ravanelli - Juventus to Middlesbrough - 1996. Then: £7 million. Now: £103.6 million

Thoughts on the list? Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Alan Shearer, England, Premier League, Rio Ferdinand, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool

Jack Kenmare

Senior Journalist at SPORTbible with a passion for long-form journalism. Almost 10 years’ experience across online and print.

@jackkenmare_