The Premier League is the ‘premier’ destination for the world’s best soccer players. There have been some world-record transfers in Premier League history, but the best signings aren’t always necessarily the biggest. The best signings are players who have a gloriously profound impact at their respective clubs. These are six of the best Premier League signings in history.
Some were surprised when Liverpool signed Salah for £36.9 million. Salah had an underwhelming Chelsea spell, but he set the world alight at Anfield. The Egyptian forward and winger scored 257 goals for Liverpool. His arrival at Anfield had quite a transformative impact on Liverpool. The Reds won the Champions League in 2019 and then the Premier League in 2020, with Salah banging in the goals.
So, there can be little doubt Salah was one of the best Premier League signings in history, with his lethal pace and ruthless finishing. He also became an influential playmaker by assisting more and more Liverpool goals. He received the Premier League Playmaker of the Season award for most assists twice.
Cantona was the can opener Manchester Utd needed to end their title drought when the Red Devils signed him for a mere £1.2 million (roughly equivalent to £3.2 million today). As a deep-lying forward, Cantona injected much-needed creativity and penetration to unlock defences for Man Utd. His vision, passing, and goalscoring prowess propelled Manchester Utd to four Premier League titles across five seasons and a couple of FA Cups.
Henry was Arsène Wenger’s most inspired signing when he joined the Gunners for £11 million in 1999. Wenger converted the Juventus winger into one of the most formidable Premier League strikers in history. Henry’s blistering pace, attacking versatility, playmaking vision, and ruthless goalscoring made him one of the best Premier League signings in history.
This striker scored a record 228 goals for Arsenal and also set up many others. He won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups for the Gunners. Arsenal made history by winning the Premier League without losing a game, with Henry scoring goal after goal. The Gunners also sold Henry to Barcelona for £16 million, which amounted to a decent transfer profit.
Chelsea signed Lampard for £11 million in 2001, and this midfielder was worth his weight in gold for the Blues. Lampard was one of the best Premier League signings for how he redefined the midfielder position with his elite stamina and perfectly timed runs. His clinical finishing from inside and outside the box made him the highest-scoring midfielder in Premiership history.
Lampard scored a record 211 goals for the Blues, a total many strikers would be proud of. He was the heart of Chelsea’s midfield in three of their title-winning teams. His goals also helped Chelsea win the Champions League, four FA Cups, two League Cups, and the Europa League.
Although Shearer played most of his games for Newcastle Utd, he was at his most prolific for Blackburn Rovers. Shearer joined Blackburn Rovers for a then-British record £3.6 million transfer in 1992. He was one of the best Premier League signings in history because of his unmatched goal-scoring consistency, aerial dominance, and considerable strength for holding off defenders.
Shearer eclipsed the 30-goal-a-season mark across three consecutive seasons when playing for Blackburn. He scored 34 goals in Blackburn’s title-winning season. Thus, Shearer was the primary player who won Rovers the league. Blackburn sold Shearer to Newcastle for a record-breaking £15 million, which amounted to a substantial profit on his original transfer.
Ronaldo joined Manchester Utd for £12.5 million at 18, which was a high transfer fee for a teenage player. Yet, his move to Old Trafford turned out to be one of the bargains of the century. Ronaldo took the Premier League by storm with his pace, power, dazzling dribbling, aerial prowess, and clinical finishing efficiency.
When playing for Man Utd, Ronaldo was more of a winger who scored 145 goals and made 59 assists. He was an integral player in the Man Utd teams that won three consecutive Premier League titles and one Champions League. He was at his explosive best in 2007/2008 when he scored 31 goals for the Red Devils. Manchester United sold Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a then-world-record £80 million, resulting in a huge transfer profit.
Those were the best Premier League signings in history because the players had transformative impacts on the teams they joined. It’s no coincidence that Cantona, Shearer, Ronaldo, Lampard, Henry, and Salah all won Premier League titles because they were influential signings. They were the catalysts for glorious eras at their clubs.
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