The most expensive sales from clubs relegated from the Premier League

When football clubs get relegated from the Premier League, the general consensus is that their best player often gets to stay in the Premier League.

Bournemouth have just been relegated to the Championship this season. Now, their best defender, former Chelsea academy graduate Nathan Aké is supposedly on his way to former Premier League champions Manchester City for a fee of reportedly £41 million. This would be Bournemouth’s most expensive sale after letting defender Tyrone Mings go to Aston Villa for an initial fee of £20 million. 

From this proposed transfer, we will look at the top 10 most expensive sales immediately from clubs who have been relegated from the Premier League.

10. Peter Crouch- Southampton to Liverpool £7 million (2005)

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Despite initially being back up, Crouch became the first choice striker upon the arrival of Harry Redknapp towards the start of the 2004-2005 season. Peter Crouch scored some vital goals in the Saints survival charge. His goals earned him his first ever England call up. Despite the Saints being relegated, Crouch scored 16 goals in 33 appearances that season. However, Liverpool payed £7 million during the summer transfer window for Crouch’s services. 

9. Charlie Adam- Blackpool to Liverpool £7.5 million (2011)

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Captain Charlie Adam Adam was the talisman spearheading the Tangerines’ to the Premier league for the first time in their history. In the Premier League, Charlie Adam in the 2010/11 season was a nominee for the PFA Player of the Year award after being involved in 22 goals in all competitions. Unfortunately, Blackpool were relegated on the final day after losing to Manchester United. 

8. Andrew Robertson- Hull City to Liverpool £8 million (2017)

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Left back Andrew Robertson played 33 times for Hull City during the 2016/17 season. Despite being relegated, Robertson’s performances attracted a lot of clubs in England and in Europe. Eight Premier League sides, along with  PSV Eindhoven and Sporting Lisbon, were reportedly interested in the full back. But it was Liverpool who won his signature with a long term contract. 

7. Harry Maguire- Hull City to Leicester £12 million (2017)

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Defender Harry Maguire played 29 times for Hull City in the 2016/17 season. Maguire captained Hull City in a league victory against Middlesbrough on 5 April 2017 and scored his first Premier League goal in the 4–2 win. Although Hull City ended the season with relegation, he was voted Hull’s Player of the Year by both the fans and the players. 

6. Xherdan Shaqiri- Stoke City to Liverpool £13.5 million (2018)

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Xherdan Shaqiri came to the Premier League with high expectations. Having formerly played for Basel, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, It was a huge surprise when Stoke City were able to buy Shaqiri for £12 million back in July 2015. Shaqiri during the 2017/18 season played 38 times for the club and was their top scorer with 8 goals in a season that ended with relegation. Liverpool in the summer, triggered the £13.5 release clause of Xherdan Shaqiri.

5. Darren Bent- Charlton Athletic to Tottenham Hotspurs £16.5 million (2007)

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Darren Bent finished the 2006/07 season with 13 goals in the Premier League. He again finished as Charlton’s top goalscorer, but was unable to prevent them from being relegated into the Championship after seven seasons in the Premier League. Charlton originally accepted a bid from West Ham  after relegation. However, Bent was not interested in a move there and instead waited for another offer to come in. 

4. Georginio Wijnaldum- Newcastle to Liverpool £25 million (2016)

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Wijnaldum joined in the summer before 15/16 Premier League season for Newcastle on a five-year contract, for a reported transfer fee of £14.5 million, making him the most expensive signing under the ownership of Mike Ashley at the time. During the 15/16 season, Wijnaldum scored 11 Premier League goals for the club making him their top goal scorer. Unfortunately, his goals weren’t enough as Newcastle were relegated.  Following transfer window, Wijnaldum was sold to Liverpool for £25 million. 

3. Ryan Sessegnon- Fulham to Tottenham Hotspurs £25 million (2019)

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Ryan Sessegnon made his first team debut for Fulham when he was sixteen in 2016. He became the first footballer born in the 2000s to score a goal in a first-team game in England as a professional. He was also the youngest player to score in the Championship. In the Premier League for Fulham, he scored his first Premier League goal in a 4–2 away loss to Cardiff City, again becoming the first player born in the 2000s to score in the Premier League. Tottenham agreed a £25 million deal with relegated Fulham for Sessegnon with Josh Onomah going the other way.

2. Jordan Pickford- Sunderland to Everton £25 million (2017)

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Sunderland academy graduate Jordan Pickford sign his first professional contract in 2011. Since then, he has been at six different clubs on loan before being recalled to make his first team debut for Sunderland in January 2016. During the 2016/17 season, Pickford was shortlisted for PFA young player of the year. Following Sunderland’s relegation, Pickford was snapped up by Everton for an initial fee of £25 million but rising to £30 million. This made him the most expensive British goalkeeper of all time.

1. Moussa Sissoko- Newcastle to Tottenham Hotspurs £30 million (2016)

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Finally, at number one, we have French International Moussa Sissoko. Sissoko was a vital player in Newscastle’s midfield despite their relegation. Once relegated, Sissoko was selected to be in the France squad for Euro 2016. It was his performances at the tournament that made clubs attracted with him; In particular, his performace in the final against Portugal that got him even more attention. On the 31st August 2016, Tottenham beat Everton to Sissoko’s signature on the final day of the window.

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