In a summer transfer window dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo’s fairytale return to Manchester United, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City broke the bank for Jack Grealish, signing him for £100million and making him the first player in Premier League history to command a nine-figure fee. 

Since Grealish’s historic transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City in 2021, as many as 11 high-profile signings worth £100million or more have arrived in the English top-flight.

Five of the 10 biggest transfers in club football history were completed in this summer’s Premier League transfer window. Enzo Fernandez became the first footballer ever to transfer for over £100million twice after Man City acquired the services of the Argentine World Cup winner from Chelsea.

Has Fernandez lived up to his billing this season? The difference between the best and worst of this season’s newest recruits to the £100m club is starting to show.

Sandro Tonali (£100m, Newcastle to Tottenham)

It only took 10 minutes for Sandro Tonali to sign a club-record deal with Tottenham Hotspur following his meeting with Roberto de Zerbi. The pair bonded over their shared love for Brescia – each of their boyhood clubs. 

Spurs looked like Tonali’s best solution, but the early impressions are telling a very different story. Averaging 86 minutes per game in five starts and scoring a blank in goal contributions, Tonali has struggled to present a strong case for himself. The 26-year-old has created just one big chance for Spurs, who sit rock bottom without a single win to their name.

The £100m club is no longer exclusive, but performances from high-profile signings cannot be mediocre. Tonali has even struggled to lift his key-passing rate (0.80 per game), while his successful dribbles stand at just 0.40 so far this season.

But according to stats boffins Sofascore, Tonali’s displays have been far from disastrous, with the Italian scoring an average rating of 7.20 to date.

Sandro Tonali is still waiting for his first league win with Tottenham after joining for £100m

Elliot Anderson (£116m, Nottm Forest to Man City)

When Elliot Anderson arrived at the Etihad, the England international was branded as the perfect signing for Manchester City’s rebuild, joining after the Premier League giants parted ways with Bernardo Silva while on the cusp of losing Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. 

City agreed a handsome £116m fee with Nottingham Forest to bring him to the ‘kings of Manchester’. 

An impressive World Cup with England saw Anderson establish himself as a high-volume passer and presser in Enzo Maresca’s revamped midfield. Operating in a deep-lying role, assists and goals were never his benchmarks; he is judged on line-breaking passes and recoveries (4.6).

Making five starts at Manchester City, Anderson has also featured once in the team of the week. The 23-year-old averages two clearances per game and has created two big chances for his free-scoring new team. 

Quiet but key in his new city: Anderson deserves credit for Man City’s 100 per cent record. His new club has conceded only five goals – three of them arriving when Brian Brobbey scored his memorable hat-trick for Sunderland before the international break. 

As per the stats boffins, Anderson has the most touches (537) in the Premier League, and no player has produced more passes (441) than him so far this season. His average rating is better than all but one of the new £100m men – at 7.44. 

Elliot Anderson has the most touches and passes in the Premier League this campaign 

Morgan Rogers (£117m, Aston Villa to Chelsea)

With three goals and one assist in five starts, Morgan Rogers is already living to the lofty standards of being a £100m man after joining Chelsea from Aston Villa. 

After disappointing Arsenal fans by joining the Stamford Bridge club in a staggering £117m move, Rogers then silenced the Gunners again at Emirates with his stunning volley in the London derby.

Forging a successful partnership with best mate Cole Palmer at Stamford Bridge, Rogers’ key-passes-per-game rate is more than double Anderson’s and the best among the £100m club this season. 

Creating two big chances in five matches, the 24-year-old is the complete package – averaging 4.6 balls recovered per game, drawing at least one foul along with a healthy passing accuracy (75 to 80 per cent). 

Enjoying bragging rights against the likes of Fernandez, Tonali and Anderson, the Chelsea midfielder has the best shots on goal average (3), and he is also the highest-rated player in the ultra-expensive club. 

It will come as no surprise, then, that Rogers is top of the charts among his £100m peers, with a Sofascore rating of 7.68.  

Morgan Rogers has had a productive start to life at Chelsea with three goals and an assist

Enzo Fernandez (£125m, Chelsea to Man City)

With Rogers’ arrival in London, Chelsea are also settling into life after Enzo, who joined Man City in a deal that equalled the joint-British transfer record of £125m. 

‘I give absolutely everything, and I can promise Manchester City that will continue now I’m here,’ Fernandez said after joining before the window closed. 

He has already begun to live up to that promise, it seems. When City were reduced to ten men after Phil Foden’s red card in the Manchester derby, Fernandez stood up as the leader among men at the Theatre of Dreams. Even though Bruno Fernandes was lucky to stay on the pitch, the Manchester United captain remained a mere spectator to the Argentine’s heroics after the red card.

The City midfielder created more big chances than the entire Man United side in the derby. Starting three of his four matches, the former Chelsea star has scored a goal and created one big chance for his new club. Already feeling comfortable in the Man City midfield, Fernandez looks ready to be more creative and take up more responsibilities under Maresca.

It’s an open secret that Fernandez likes to polish his set-piece skills in training, and his Sunderland stunner was one such prime example. Fernandez is already becoming a fan favourite among Man City fans. Maybe that’s why the Citizens were happy to give The Cranberries’ 1994 smash hit ‘Zombie’ a new rendition for their blockbuster summer signing.

Among his peers, he rates better than Tonali and Barcola, but trails Anderson and Rogers with a score of 7.28.  

Enzo Fernandez is already becoming a favourite with Manchester City fans 

Bradley Barcola has had a quiet start to life with Liverpool after joining from PSG for £123m

Bradley Barcola (£123m, PSG to Liverpool)

Bradley Barcola has had a quiet start at Anfield but if he does become a roaring success, he will be unique in the pantheon of Liverpool players for doing so in a number 29 shirt.  

‘When I was younger, I used to play FIFA. In the story mode with Alex Hunter, this number became symbolic for me. I thought to myself, “The day I go pro, it’ll be No 29.” And here I am,’ Barcola said after joining the Reds for £123m from Paris Saint-Germain. 

Barcola has struggled to become a real-life Alex Hunter, although it would be unfair to criticise his modest start at Anfield. Only two starts in three outings with Liverpool, the new Liverpool striker averages 56 minutes in the Premier League.

He has already missed one big chance this season. No goals, no assists and nothing yet to make a compelling case: Barcola is still a work in progress. With Alexander Isak (4) leading the way, Liverpool have scored seven goals in five games. Much will be expected from him when the Premier League resumes on October 10.