Premier League Transfer Records - with a quiz!

The 33rd season of the Premier League is well under way, and after another record-breaking summer in the transfer market, it's time to look back at all the record transfers in Premier League history.

31 years, or 32 seasons, is a long time, so this article will be divided into two parts. The first part will explore what many now consider ancient history. We'll journey back to the very first season of the Premier League and work our way into the new millennium.

But first, let's start with a quiz! Test yourself before you dive into the article and see how close you get. Five questions to challenge yourself and your friends:

Remember, only transfer records where a Premier League club is the buying club are included here. Thus, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale’s transfers from Manchester United and Spurs to Real Madrid aren't on the list. These are just a few of the significant outgoing transfers during this period.

Another crucial point: for the very first transfer window in the summer of 1992, only the highest transfer is counted as a record. Otherwise, we would have multiple records that summer, beginning with the first.

Question 1: How many times has the Premier League transfer record been broken? We're including the first name on the list as the initial record. The timeline is from the summer of 1992 to the present day.

Question 2: Two players feature on the list more than once. Can you name them both?

Question 3: Which club, as the buyer, broke the record the most times?

Question 4: How many years did it take for the record transfer fee to tenfold?

Question 5: How many defenders are on the list?

Jot down your answers. We'll reveal the answers soon.

PART ONE: THE PIONEERING ERA 1992 - 2001

£3.6 million: Alan Shearer from Southampton to Blackburn Rovers, 1992.

Alan Shearer is the OG Premier League Transfer Record, and a titan in Premier League history. He won the Premier League only once but will always be remembered for scoring the most goals in its history. With Harry Kane's recent move to Bayern Munich, it seems Shearer's record might stand for quite some time, perhaps forever.

Shearer also set the benchmark for transfer records with his move from Southampton to Blackburn in July 1992. The deal was worth £3.6 million, and it's safe to say he repaid every penny of that on the pitch.

£3.75 million: Roy Keane from Nottingham Forest to Manchester United, 1993.

A year after Shearer set the record, Manchester United surpassed it. They outbid Blackburn for Roy Keane, and Sir Alex Ferguson secured his transfer to Manchester. The rest is history. Keane won the Premier League seven times, becoming a linchpin of the dominant Manchester United side.

£5 million: Chris Sutton from Norwich to Blackburn, 1994.

A year after Roy Keane's transfer, Blackburn, with their deep pockets, reclaimed the record. Having Alan Shearer in their ranks, they sought a partner for him, and Chris Sutton was their chosen man.

£7 million: Andy Cole from Newcastle to Manchester United, 1995.

The first January transfer on this list belongs to Andy Cole. After his move, he quickly proved his worth, slamming in twelve goals before the season concluded. His scoring prowess remained evident in the subsequent seasons, making it money well spent.

£7.5 million: Dennis Bergkamp from Inter Milan to Arsenal, 1995.

The first non-British player on our list, and notably the first to arrive from a club outside the Premier League, is Dennis Bergkamp. An integral piece in Arsene Wenger’s vision, his signing transformed Arsenal from a mid-table team to genuine title contenders. This fee dramatically surpassed Arsenal’s previous record of £2.5 million.

£8.5 million: Stan Collymore from Nottingham Forest to Liverpool, 1995.

Bergkamp and Arsenal held the record for only a brief period before Liverpool eclipsed it by acquiring Stan Collymore. This marked the third time the record had been shattered within six months and remains the only instance where Liverpool set the record.

£15 million: Alan Shearer from Blackburn to Newcastle, 1996.

Alan Shearer made history again four years after his transfer to Blackburn. This time, his move to his boyhood club, Newcastle, didn’t just establish a Premier League benchmark, but a global one. For context, the previous world record transfer was the £13.2 million Barcelona paid PSV for the young Brazilian sensation, Ronaldo, just weeks prior.

£18 million: Rio Ferdinand from West Ham to Leeds, 2000.

Alan Shearer's world record stood unchallenged for over four years. However, in November 2000, Leeds United crowned Rio Ferdinand as the world's most expensive defender with their hefty payment to West Ham. Unfortunately, this spree was indicative of Leeds' eventual financial troubles.

£19 million: Ruud van Nistelrooy from PSV to Manchester United, 2001.

Though Ruud van Nistelrooy’s transfer faced a year-long delay due to a significant ACL injury, his eventual arrival at Old Trafford was worth the wait. He consistently found the net, amassing an impressive average of 30 goals a season until his departure in 2006.

That concludes part one of this article. Stay tuned for part two, where the transfer fees escalate to staggering proportions!