The Championship is widely regarded as the most competitive league in football. With each team playing 46 matches, it is a gruelling division that puts even the most gifted players to the test.
Most Expensive Championship Signings
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Ruben Neves – £15.8 million
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Britt Assombalonga - £15 million
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Helder Costa - £15 million
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Harry Wilson - £14 million
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Joël Piroe - £14 million
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Joao Carvalho - £13.2 million
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Helder Costa - £13 million
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Ross McCormack – £12 million
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Benik Afobe – £12 million
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Scott Hogan – £12 million
It’s common knowledge that the average Championship wage is significantly lower than the Premier League but transfer fees in England’s second tier have certainly increased in recent years.
10 – Scott Hogan
Aston Villa paid an estimated £12 million to sign Scott Hogan back in 2017 but he never justified that price tag during his time at Villa Park. In fact, he was even loaned out to three different clubs in 18 months.
Since flopping with Villa, Hogan has been playing across the Second City for Birmingham. He has not scored more than 10 goals in a season since 2016-17.
9 – Benik Afobe
Once regarded as one of the brightest prospects at Arsenal, Benik Afobe has developed into something of a football journeyman over the years. Prior to signing a permanent contract with Stoke City in 2019, Afobe had played for nine different clubs.
Unfortunately for Stoke, Afobe scored just nine goals in 51 matches in all competitions. That is a hefty ‘price per goal’ figure seeing as the Potters paid £12 million for the striker.
8 – Ross McCormack
Ross McCormack was a fantastic striker during his stints at Leeds United and Fulham – and his goal scoring exploits in west London were enough to convince Aston Villa to fork out £12 million to sign the Scotland forward in 2016.
His time at Villa Park was a major disappointment, with McCormack scoring just three goals in 24 appearances. He was released by the club in 2019 having spent most of his Villa career out on loan.
7 – Helder Costa
When Chinese investment group Fosun International bought Wolves in 2016, football fans across the country knew that there would be plenty of comings and goings at Molineux.
Helder Costa was one of the first players to join the club after the takeover. Initially on loan before joining on a permanent deal, Costa scored 19 goals in 109 appearances for Wolves during his time at the club.
6 – Joao Carvalho
Nottingham Forest moved to sign Joao Carvalho from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2018 – a move that signalled Forest’s intent to challenge for Championship glory.
The Portugal under-21 midfielder cost Forest a hefty £13.2 million and it is fair to say that he hasn’t quite lived up to the hype at the City Ground, recording just five goals and nine assists in 61 Championship appearances.
5 - Joël Piroe
After suffering relegation, Leeds splashed a reported figure of £14 million on Joël Piroe from Swansea City.
Piroe had scored 44 goals over two seasons with the Welsh club, and was named the club’s Player of the Year in 2021-22.
As Leeds pursued a return to the Premier League, Piroe was a regular in the first team. Only Daniel James and Crysencio Summerville have scored more goals for the Yorkshire club in 2023-24.
4 - Harry Wilson
Initially on loan from Liverpool, Harry Wilson completed a permanent move to Fulham in 2021-22. The fee was believed to be in the £14 million range.
Wilson was named to the Championship Team of the Year in 2021-22 as the west London club racked up 90 points and earned automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Wilson finished the season with 11 goals, which was the joint-second most of any Fulham player that term. His 19 assists in 2021-22 were six more than any other Championship player.
3 – Helder Costa
Costa appears on this list for the second time – Leeds United made Wolves an offer they couldn’t refuse in the summer of 2019. The Portuguese moved to Elland Road on loan for a year with a four-year contract to be signed in July 2020.
While Rui Patricio, Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho flourished at Wolves, Costa found himself out of favour but he has thrived since joining Leeds and featured regularly in the Premier League.
2 – Britt Assombalonga
Middlesbrough set their sights on Britt Assombalonga back in 2017, forking out an estimated £15 million to sign the striker from Nottingham Forest. Having scored 30 goals in 65 matches for Forest, Boro fans were expecting big things from their new striker.
Assombalonga notched 15 goals in his first season at the club and helped Boro reach the playoff semi-finals. After finding the net just five times in 2020-21, Assombalonga left the club, and has had two separate stints in Turkey.
1 – Ruben Neves
Technically gifted and a class above his peers, Ruben Neves is arguably the greatest player to grace the Championship - £15 million was a bargain. And that is not an exaggeration in any way, shape or form.
Neves was central to Wolves’ promotion campaign and held his own in the Premier League. Despite regularly being linked with a move to a Champions League club, Neves opted to chase the money and signed with Saudi Pro League outfit Al Hilal in 2023.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alamy*
