Players who perform well in the Championship regularly get signed for lavish fees by those in the upper echelons of the Premier League.
Take Archie Gray, for example. The 18-year-old shone for Leeds United in the second tier last season, helping the club reach the playoff final. Despite losing, it wasn’t long before Tottenham Hotspur came in with a £30m offer, which was duly accepted.
Elsewhere, Jude Bellingham emerged from the Birmingham City academy to establish himself as one of the finest talents in the Championship. He may have only played 41 games for the Blues, yet this didn’t stop Borussia Dortmund calling in 2020.
The 15 biggest transfer sales in EFL Championship history
Championship clubs have received some eye-watering fees from the biggest clubs in the country and beyond.
ByRoss KilvingtonJan 29, 2025
Over the years, clubs from the second tier have also spent a lot on players. With finances steadily improving due to more lucrative TV deals, while most clubs have bolstered their profits by selling their best talent for premium prices, Championship sides have never had it so good.
As such, we at Football FanCast look deeper into the top 15 record signings made by clubs from the division below the Premier League.
Rank
Player
From
To
Transfer Fee
Ruben Neves
Porto
Wolves
Shea Charles
Man City
Southampton
Britt Assombalonga
Nottingham Forest
Middlesbrough
Jonathan Kodjia
Bristol City
Aston Villa
Joao Carvalho
Benfica
Nottingham Forest
Helder Costa
Benfica
Wolves
Joel Piroe
Swansea
Leeds
Harry Wilson
Liverpool
Fulham
Benik Afobe
Wolves
Stoke
Ross McCormack
Fulham
Aston Villa
Matt Ritchie
Bournemouth
Newcastle
Isaac Mbenza
Montpellier
Huddersfield
Maxime Esteve
Montpellier
Burnley
Dwight Gayle
Crystal Palace
Newcastle
Andre Gray
Brentford
Burnley
15 Andre Gray Brentford to Burnley (£9m)
Burnley’s 2014/15 season ended in relegation after just one season in the top flight, and Sean Dyche wasted no time splashing out the cash.
Andre Gray signed for £9m, becoming a club-record purchase at the time. He netted 23 times to fire Burnley back into the big time, carrying on this form during 2016/17 as the club avoided relegation. Money well spent indeed.
14 Dwight Gayle Crystal Palace to Newcastle (£10m)
Newcastle United suffered relegation at the end of the 2015/16 Premier League campaign, but it was clear they wanted a swift return to the top flight. This led to the club signing striker Dwight Gayle, who arrived from Crystal Palace in a deal worth a reported £10m.
A return of 23 goals in just 32 matches for the Magpies signified how important a signing Gayle was, helping lead the club back to the promised land after just one season away.
The 35-year-old is currently playing for Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership.
13 Maxime Esteve Montpellier to Burnley (£10m)
Vincent Kompany signed Maxime Esteve on a loan deal in January 2024, hoping that his presence would help Burnley avoid the drop.
While the Frenchman became a key member of the starting XI, it wasn’t enough to save the club from slipping back into the Championship. However, this didn’t stop the Clarets from splashing out £10m to secure his services permanently after their relegation.
At the time of writing, he has yet to miss a league game for the club as they seek an immediate return to the Premier League.
12 Isaac Mbenza Montpellier to Huddersfield (£11m)
Isaac Mbenza moved to Huddersfield Town on loan ahead of the 2018/19 season, but he couldn’t keep the club in the top division, despite netting against Manchester United.
A reported fee of £11m was agreed so that Mbenza would remain at Huddersfield, yet the winger would play just 43 games over the next two seasons before departing in 2021. Not the best way to spend a chunk of their parachute payment.
11 Matt Ritchie Bournemouth to Newcastle (£12m)
Rafa Benitez wasted no time in bolstering his Newcastle squad after relegation in 2016. Dwight Gayle had joined, but it was the signing of Matt Ritchie which looked like the most impressive piece of business.
10 goal involvements for Bournemouth the season prior went a long way in the Cherries retaining their Premier League status, and this saw Newcastle spend £12m to secure his signature.
He went on to make over 200 appearances for the Magpies across the next eight seasons.
10 Ross McCormack Fulham to Aston Villa (£12m)
In the same summer that Villa spent big money on signing Jonathan Kodjia, another striker also arrived at Villa Park. Ross McCormack had sparkled at Fulham, but a bid of £12m was always going to be accepted, despite his talents in front of goal.
The move soon turned into a nightmare. McCormack would manage just three goals during his spell with the club, working out at £4m each. Hardly money well spent in the transfer market.
9 Benik Afobe Wolves to Stoke (£12m)
Benik Afobe helped Wolverhampton Wanderers secure the Championship title in 2018, leading the club to make his loan deal permanent.
However, he was on the move just two weeks later to Stoke City, who offered £12m for the striker. The move didn’t exactly work out as expected, especially considering the fee spent.
Across 51 matches for the Potters, Afobe managed a paltry nine goals and has since embarked on a nomadic career which has seen him play in Turkey and Qatar.
8 Harry Wilson Liverpool to Fulham (£12m)
Fulham spent big during the summer of 2021 in a bid to secure promotion to the Premier League with Harry Wilson joining the Cottagers for £12m – and it turned out to be a crucial signing.
The Welshman was excellent throughout 2021/22, scoring 10 league goals while registering 20 assists in the second tier. He has continued to impress in the top flight, helping the club establish themselves as a solid Premier League outfit under Marco Silva.
7 Joel Piroe Swansea to Leeds (£12m)
Joel Piroe emerged as one of the deadliest strikers in the second tier during his time with Swansea City. He scored 46 goals in 96 games for the Welsh side, ensuring there was plenty of interest in him during the summer of 2023.
Indeed, it would be Leeds United who would win the race, splashing out £12m on the Dutchman – and it looks like money well spent.
Since making the move to West Yorkshire, Piroe has netted 24 goals, and he will be hoping to end the club’s exile from the top flight this season.
6 Helder Costa Benfica to Wolves (£13m)
Wolves spent what was a club-record fee of £13m to bring Helder Costa to the Midlands in January 2017, despite sitting 18th in the league table at the time.
He enjoyed a remarkable start, contributing 18 goal involvements during his first six months, before aiding the side as they cruised to the Championship title the following season, scoring five times.
That was as good as it would get for the winger, who scored only once more for Wolves.