With the January transfer window having reached a conclusion not so long ago, it wasn’t too surprising to see West Ham’s transfer activity limited in terms of incomings. However, it’ll be pleasing for the club’s supporters to see the likes of Jarrod Bowen stick around, with the forward being a key member of David Moyes’ squad.
The Hammers have made some notable signings in the last few years, with some proving more costly than others. Experts at BonusCodeBets have revealed to us the top-five most expensive West Ham signings of all time using data from Transfermarkt.
1) Sebastian Haller – £42.7m
Sebastian Haller is top of the list as West Ham’s record signing, as the club forked out £42.7m for his services from German outfit Eintracht Frankfurt. Haller signed a five-year deal at the time, although his stay with the Hammers only lasted two years, before he departed in favour of a move to Ajax.
Haller scored 14 goals in his 54 appearances for the club, and is now playing his football back in Germany, but for Borussia Dortmund, where he’s caught the eye with some strong showings both in the Bundesliga, and in the Champions League.
2) Mohammed Kudus – £36.7m
Kudus signed for a fee of £36.7m in the summer of 2023, as he arrived from Dutch giants Ajax. The winger scored 27 goals for Ajax, but made the bold move in moving to the Premier League, and with a sizeable fee paid for him, there will have been pressure on the Ghana star.
However, it seems as though he’s a player that relishes the pressure of justifying his transfer fee, as Kudus has gone on to score nine goals already this season for David Moyes’ side, which shows that he’s more than capable of performing to a high standard in one of the best leagues in world football. At the age of 23, you’d imagine that he’s still got his best years ahead of him.
3) Lucas Paqueta – £36.6m
Paqueta has established himself as a firm fans-favourite since signing for West Ham for a fee of £36.6m back in 2022, when he arrived from French side Lyon. The Brazilian midfielder caught the eye with plenty of impressive showings for Lyon, which prompted the Hammers to make their move for the 26-year-old.
He has gone from strength to strength since that move to the Premier League and has chipped in with ten goals and 13 assists for West Ham. Paqueta has been a regular in the starting XI for the club, and will be a key player moving forwards into future years if the first couple of years of his spell with the Hammers are anything to go by.
4) Edson Alvarez – £32.5m
Alvarez signed for West Ham in the summer of 2023 for a fee believed to be in the region of £32.5m from Ajax, where spent the previous four years of his senior career. Alvarez is a versatile option to have, as he can operate in the centre of midfield, or at centre-back if required.
The Mexico international won two Eredivisie titles in his time with Ajax, and will be keen to win further trophies with the Hammers in future seasons, as he’s contracted with the club until the summer of 2028. Alvarez has made 25 appearances so far for West Ham, and it’ll be interesting to see whether he can strike up a strong partnership alongside Manchester City loanee Kalvin Phillips.
5) Felipe Anderson – £32.5m
Anderson signed for West Ham United back in 2018 from Italian side Lazio, where he arrived with a strong record in terms of goal contribution. He scored 55 goals, and was on hand to provide 63 assists for Lazion, and the West Ham supporters will have been eager to see a similar return on their investment in the Brazilian winger.
However, he wasn’t quite able to replicate the sort of form that saw him become such a strong player in Italy, as Anderson went on to score 12 goals and provide 13 assists for his West Ham team-mates from his 73 appearances. He spent the final year of his contract at West Ham with Portuguese giants FC Porto, before leaving the club to return to Lazio for an undisclosed fee.
Image Source: unsplash.com