A stubborn West Ham were determined to garner a British record fee for stalwart captain Declan Rice.
The Premier League's leading clubs as well as an overseas juggernaut in Bayern Munich made their interest in the midfielder well-known, with Arsenal and Man City eventually duelling in a surprisingly entertaining race for Rice's signature.
The saga concluded rather swiftly with Arsenal agreeing to smash their record transfer fee to bring Rice to north London and the England international has also become the most expensive British player of all-time.
The 10 most expensive English players of all time
10. John Stones (£47.5m to Manchester City)
Deep down, Pep Guardiola always knew Stones would evolve into his current imperious iteration when City spent £47.5m to sign him from Everton in 2016.
Raw but blessed with bags of talent, it hasn't always been plain sailing for Stones in Manchester, but he's now regarded as one of the very best defenders around following another excellent season.
His unique hybrid role played a key role in City's treble triumph.
9. Raheem Sterling (£49m to Manchester City)
Sterling's £47.5m move to Chelsea just misses out on the top ten, but the winger's first major transfer does make the list.
The spritely dribbler burst onto the scene under Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool and quickly became regarded as one of the country's brightest talents following an excellent 2013/14 season.
He'd spend another year at Anfield before the newly forming monopolisers of the Premier League swooped in 2015.
8. Ben White (£50m to Arsenal)
Arsenal's recruitment has been spot on over the past couple of years and their summer window of 2022 was a watershed period in the club's rise under Mikel Arteta.
Brighton defender White was the showpiece signing and it didn't take long for the athletic, technically proficient centre-back to settle in north London. His game was taken to another level in 2022/23 as Arteta successfully converted him into an up and down right-back.
7. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£50m to Manchester United)
Man Utd are synonymous with boasting England's finest talent and the club have continued in their attempts to snag the very best the country's got.
However, their hit rate in terms of big-money English signings is pretty poor. While Wan-Bissaka impressed at Crystal Palace, his woes in possession always rendered him a questionable fit for a club of United's stature.
The right-back has produced some remarkable defensive performances for the Red Devils, but not enough to justify his £50m fee.
6. Mason Mount (£60m to Manchester United)
United's 2023 summer transfer window kicked off with the £60m arrival of Mount from Chelsea.
A player that divides opinion, the crafty creator is bound to fit right in at Old Trafford. His supreme athleticism, relentless running out of possession and wily positioning render him a distinct upgrade for Erik ten Hag in midfield.
United supporters will hope he doesn't endure a similar fate to the vast majority of the club's priciest arrivals.
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5. Jadon Sancho (£72.9m to Manchester United)
The dullest of transfer sagas that spanned several windows concluded with Sancho joining United for just shy of £73m.
The Englishman dazzled in the space haven that is the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, but Sancho is yet to marvel in the Premier League. Sure, he perhaps hasn't been given the best conditions to excel, but time is seemingly running out for the creative wide man to shine.
4. Harry Maguire (£78m to Manchester United)
While Maguire had stood out in the top flight with Hull and Leicester, very few regarded the vintage centre-half as a £78m defender.
Supreme in the air and comfortable enough in possession, Maguire is a good defender who has persistently impressed for the national team. However, his struggles defending in a high line has seen his flaws manifest at Old Trafford with Ten Hag reducing his minutes during his first season at the club.
3. Jude Bellingham (£88.5m to Real Madrid)
The aura of a superstar.
Bellingham has long been destined for stardom and he couldn't have picked a better club to harbour his development than Borussia Dortmund.
The midfielder evolved from a boy into a man at BVB, with his majestic work on the field catching the eye of the footballing world. Bellingham's now a fully fledged England international and is poised to develop into Real Madrid's next Galactico after joining for £88.5m.
2. Jack Grealish (£100m to Manchester City)
The loveable wide man put Aston Villa on his back and steered them to Premier League safety during the 2019/20 season before enjoying another productive campaign in 2020/21.
A big move away from Villa Park became inevitable and Man City opted to splash what was then a British record fee to bring Grealish and his bulging calves to the Etihad.
After a quiet debut season, Grealish was excellent in year two as City claimed a historic treble.
1. Declan Rice (£105m to Arsenal)
Grealish's transfer record lasted just two summers.
Arsenal's core is tinged with supreme English talent and Mikel Arteta firmly believes Declan Rice could be the transformative signing that could catapult the Gunners to Premier League glory.
A hotly-contested race for Rice's signature concluded with Arsenal paying a British record £105m to prise the midfielder away from West Ham's grasp.
This article was originally published on 90min as The 10 most expensive English players of all time.