Rio Ferdinand, Raheem Sterling and John Stones on the list — but who is shock No 1 in most expensive English player of all-time?
SunSport look at costliest Englishmen in accumulative fees to see if there really is premium on homegrown talent
IT IS repeatedly claimed that there is a premium on English talent — and that big clubs go elsewhere to sign top star because it’s cheaper.
Evidence of this was Leicester turning to Islam Slimani after being priced out of a move for Troy Deeney in the summer.
And the fact that Raheem Sterling, John Stones and Andy Carroll are the three most expensive English players, only serves to further the argument.
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But are these mammoth prices isolated, or is it always more costly to look at homegrown talent?
SunSport takes a look at the top ten most expensive English players in accumulative fees — and assess whether they would have been good enough for Europe’s best clubs.
Joleon Lescott — £29million (Wolves to Everton £5m, to Man City £22m, to West Brom £2m)
LESCOTT was touted as a star at Wolves before David Moyes took him to Goodison Park and transformed him into one of the Premier League’s best defenders.
Mark Hughes took him to City and he was a starter for the team which won the title in 2012.
However, he fell out of favour under Manuel Pellergrini and is now at AEK Athens.
VERDICT: No, impressed at Everton but ultimately nothing more than an average defender.
Scott Parker — £32m (Charlton to Chelsea £10m, to Newcastle £6.5m, to West Ham £7m, to Tottenham £5.5m, to Fulham £3m)
WON the PFA Players’ Young Player of the Year award in 2003 and earned a move to Chelsea.
However, it didn’t work out and Parker became a journeyman before finding his feet at West Ham where he won the FA Writers’ Player of the Year in 2011 and became an England regular.
Moved to Tottenham after the Hammers’ relegation and is now at Fulham.
VERDICT: Only if Harry Redknapp had been manager of Real Madrid or Barcelona.
James Milner — £43m (Leeds to Newcastle £5m, to Aston Villa £12m, to Man City £26m)
BROKE Wayne Rooney’s record when he became the Premier League’s youngest player in 2002.
Milner truly came to the fore at Villa before moving to City for big-money and winning two titles.
Has shown his versatility by slotting in at left-back this season at Liverpool.
VERDICT: A hard-worker who won’t let you down — but never really one of the elite.
Stewart Downing — £44m (Middlesbrough to Aston Villa £12m, to Liverpool £20m, to West Ham £5m, to Middlesbrough £7m)
ON THIS list primarily because of the obscene amount of money Liverpool paid to sign him in 2011.
Downing was certainly a talent and, as a left-sided midfielder, it was hoped he would finally fill the problem slot for England.
But, while never being terrible, failed at Anfield in what was undoubtedly the biggest move of his career.
VERDICT: No.
Rio Ferdinand — £48m (West Ham to Leeds £18m, to Man United £29.1m)
TWICE the most-expensive defender in the world and one of England’s finest.
A Rolls Royce of a defender who breezed through games and often left a pitch without even getting his shorts dirty.
Ferdinand captained United to Champions League success in 2008 and won six Premier League titles.
VERDICT: Yes — at his peak, he could have walked into any team in the world.
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Peter Crouch — £49.56m (Tottenham to QPR £60,000, to Portsmouth £1.5m, to Aston Villa £5m, to Southampton £3m, to Liverpool £7m, to Portsmouth £11m, to Spurs £10m, to Stoke £12m)
ON THIS list because of the amount of different clubs he moved to — and more or less got progressively more expensive.
Crouch is England’s third-highest Champions League goal scorer with an impressive 13 for Liverpool and Tottenham.
Is still playing for Stoke and is just four off 100 Premier League goals.
VERDICT: Arguably an underrated striker, but his 6 ft. 7 in. frame means he is a red card waiting to happen in Europe.
Andy Carroll — £50m (Newcastle to Liverpool £35m, to West Ham £15m)
HE WAS briefly the most-expensive English player ever and the ninth in football history after he moved to Anfield.
Carroll aerial presence makes him ideal for English football — and showed even showed his worth at Euro 2012 with a superb headed goal.
He couldn’t work under Brendan Rodgers’ progressive brand of football at Anfield.
VERDICT: Like Crouch, his height and build would see him concede a free-kick every time he challenged for a header.
John Stones — £50.5m (Barnsley to Everton £3m, to Man City £47.5m)
WAS brought to Everton by Moyes, but given his chance under Roberto Martinez.
The huge outlay on Stones was a tribute to how vital Pep Guardiola considers his effectiveness in playing out from the back.
Still just 22, he will likely become England’s first-choice centre-back for years to come.
VERDICT: 100% — in fact, he’s probably more suited to La Liga or Serie A than the Premier League.
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Raheem Sterling — £54m (QPR to Liverpool £5m, to Man City £49m)
WHEN Pellegrini convinced the Etihad board to make the then 20-year-old Liverpool winger England’s most-expensive player, it looked like madness.
Sterling struggled at first — but has soon found his feet under Guardiola.
Has so far been one of the stars of the season and has a bright future in the game.
VERDICT: Yes — he’s shown he can adapt under one of the great European managers.
Darren Bent — £60m (Ipswich to Charlton £3m, to Tottenham £16.5m, to Sunderland £16.5m, to Aston Villa £24m)
UNBELIEVABLY, you haven’t read this wrong: the misfiring Derby striker is the most expensive English player of all-time.
Despite never playing for a top team, he is the only Englishman to have cost over £15m in three different transfer deals.
Just imagine how much Harry Redknapp’s “missus” would have cost?!
VERDICT: Absolutely not, we’re still trying to work out what possessed these clubs to pay so much for him — again and again!