Gone are the days when goalkeepers were an afterthought. Now, teams allocate a major chunk of their transfer funds to capture the best goalkeepers in the business. These keepers, even the supposedly best ones, do not necessarily excel at shot-stopping. However, they are brilliant when it comes to distribution, making them integral to teams that build from the back.
Since almost every top Premier League team like to build play from deep, goalkeepers who are excellent with the ball are always in high demand. The trend is evident below as we take a look at the five most expensive goalkeepers in Premier League history. Let’s begin!
#5 David Raya (Brentford to Arsenal): €31.9 million ($34.83 million)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta ruffled a lot of feathers when he brought David Raya on loan from Brentford at the start of the 2023-24 season. Many called it an unnecessary move, as the Gunners already had the in-form Aaron Ramsdale at their disposal. Arteta, however, did not pay attention to the criticism and installed the Spaniard as his goalkeeper of choice for the season.
Raya proved himself both in shot-stopping and distribution, helping Arsenal push Manchester City all the way to the end. Unfortunately, the season did not end in jubilation for him and his team, as they missed out on major silverware. His performances, however, were almost flawless. Having kept 16 clean sheets in 32 matches in the Premier League, Raya took home the Golden Glove award in his debut season at Arsenal.
At the end of the loan, Arsenal unsurprisingly triggered his €31.9 million ($34.83 million) purchase clause, tying him down to a four-year contract.
#4 Ederson (Benfica to Manchester City): €40 million ($43.68 million)
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola practically started the trend of signing better ball players over shot-stoppers in July 2017, bringing in Ederson from Benfica for €40 million ($43.68 million). Ederson’s ability to deal with high-pressing forwards is second to none in the Premier League, and he also has the innate ability to deliver accurate long balls from deep.
Ederson, who still has nearly two years left on his contract (June 2026), has played 332 games for the Cityzens in the last seven seasons, keeping 155 clean sheets and conceding 257 clean sheets. Ederson has helped the reigning English champions to six Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League trophy, and two FA Cups, amongst other honors.
#3 Andre Onana (Inter Milan to Manchester United): €50.2 million ($54.82 million)
Despite David De Gea’s Golden Glove win in the 2022-23 season, Manchester United allowed his contract to run out on June 30, 2023. They signed Andre Onana from Inter Milan as his replacement, paying a whopping €50.2 million ($54.82 million) for him. As per reports, coach Erik ten Hag personally requested for Onana, as he wanted a goalkeeper who was comfortable on the ball, which De Gea was not.
Unfortunately, the move did not pan out the way Ten Hag had hoped. Onana had a lackluster few matches at the start of the season, letting in goals due to his poor shot-stopping and decision-making. He, however, turned it around in the second half of the season, but it was nowhere close to what Manchester United legend De Gea had achieved in 2022-23. Onana, whose contract runs until June 2028, played 51 matches in the 2023-24 season, conceding 83 goals and keeping only 13 clean sheets.
#2 Alisson (AS Roma to Liverpool): €62.5 million ($68.25 million)
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp upgraded his backline significantly in the summer of 2018, signing Alisson from AS Roma for a cool €62.5 million ($68.25 million) fee. The Brazilian goalkeeper has comfortably proven his worth in the last six years, leading the Reds to all the major trophies on offer, including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and the FA Cup.
Alisson, who excels at finding the right pass even under pressure, has played 263 matches for the Merseysiders across competitions, keeping 114 clean sheets and conceding 236 goals. The 31-year-old has also scored for Liverpool. He dispatched a sensational header in injury time to seal a 2-1 win for Liverpool against West Bromwich Albion on Matchday 36 of the 2020-21 season.
Alisson is one of the leaders of the team and should easily retain his place under new manager Arne Slot. His contract with Liverpool runs until June 30, 2027.
#1 Kepa Arrizabalaga (Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea): €80 million ($87.36 million)
Premier League giants Chelsea paid a record €80 million ($87.36 million) fee to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga from Spanish side Athletic Bilbao in August 2018. According to Transfermarkt, the Spanish goalkeeper was only worth €20 million ($21.84 million) at the time.
Arrizabalaga’s story has not panned out the way the Blues had desired. He was a regular in the first two seasons but lost his place after Edouard Mendy joined the Pensioners from Stade Reims in the summer of 2020. Mendy’s injury in the 2022-23 season allowed Arrizabalaga some regular game time, but he could not prove to Chelsea that he was the right man to protect their goal. So, after much deliberation, they sent him out to Real Madrid on a season-long loan. The 29-year-old played 20 matches for Los Blancos before losing his place to Andriy Lunin.
Arrizabalaga, who is currently back at Chelsea, has played 163 games for the London club, keeping 59 clean sheets and conceding 175 goals. His contract expires in June 2025.
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