Arsenal, Man Utd and Liverpool all facing nine-figure transfer problem this summer

It could very well prove to be the transfer window that shatters the record £3billion spending spree that engulfed Premier League clubs last summer.

Because although deals may not yet be coming thick and fast, the outlays have been significant. Transfer activity among Premier League clubs should accelerate following the conclusion of the World Cup, which was always likely to hamper the more substantial deals involving the biggest stars. And yet, three nine-figure deals have already been struck.

Elliot Anderson was the first domino to fall. Courted by both Manchester clubs, it was Manchester City who agreed to part with £116million to make the 23-year-old midfielder the most expensive British footballer in history.

As it turns out, Anderson did not hold that title for long; Chelsea have since agreed to pay £117m for Morgan Rogers , who finalised his move to Stamford Bridge on Monday. In between those deals, Tottenham signed off a £100m package to lure Sandro Tonali to London.

Since Jack Grealish became the first £100m transfer in Premier League history back in 2021, seven others have joined him in that club.

Never before, though, have three £100m-plus deals happened in a single transfer window — until now. And it is likely more will follow before the September 1 deadline.

Even though others have so far abstained from parting with such astronomical sums, the deals for Anderson and Rogers in particular will distort the market. Once a new level in transfer fees has been met, those sums will be seized upon by clubs as the new benchmark in the market.

That is something Arsenal have already discovered this summer. It's understood that they would have maybe gone to £80m to land Rogers: a figure which may have got a deal done prior to the World Cup. However, Anderson's mega move to Manchester City led to Aston Villa increasing their valuation of the attacking midfielder over the course of the summer.

Indeed, two more of Arsenal's priority transfer targets this summer, Bradley Barcola and Julian Alvarez, are valued in excess of £100m, making those prospective deals difficult unless the Gunners are willing to smash their previous record outlay.

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Arsenal are known to be resolute in sticking to their valuations of targets, hence why they were unwilling to match Chelsea in their pursuit of Rogers. Even if they pivot to alternative targets, they are unlikely to be cheap given the standard of player they will be in the market for after winning the Premier League. If they are to truly level up their attack, it almost feels inevitable that they will have to break the £100m barrier again after doing so to sign Declan Rice previously.

Liverpool are also admirers of Barcola and need to acquire a successor to Mohamed Salah , who brought the curtain down on his legendary Anfield career at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. They do have form for nine-figure splurges, spending £116m to bring Florian Wirtz to Anfield last summer and then a further £125m on Alexander Isak. Both deals represented British record transfer fees, with Isak surpassing Wirtz weeks later.

Again, the calibre of Liverpool's targets means they are likely to be shopping in the nine-figure price bracket this year. Yan Diomande, a player they were keen on earlier in the summer, was valued at £110.4m by RB Leipzig, though a move to Paris Saint-Germain now looks more likely.

Manchester United are the Premier League heavyweight yet to be dragged into paying a nine-figure fee for a player. Furthermore, they will feel they have found value in a vastly inflated market after finalising deals for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans for £50m and £35m respectively.

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The Red Devils are still in the market for one more midfielder plus reinforcements in other areas and even though it feels unlikely they will break the £100m barrier, the state of the market will effect them too.

United have continued to target established Premier League players after successful moves for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha last season, but even deals for those players outside the elite bracket are soaring. Alex Scott of Bournemouth , a player admired by both United and Arsenal, would likely cost in excess of £80m. If a deal were to be done at that level, it would make the 22-year-old the joint-third biggest transfer acquisition in United's history.

That Premier League premium, if you will, has already been seen across other deals. Matheus Fernandes, for example, was another serious target for Manchester United and was sold by relegated West Ham to Tottenham for a staggering £85m: a price United were simply unwilling to met.

The trajectory of the market leaves United and other Premier League clubs in a difficult spot when it comes to their mission to strengthen their respective squads over the remainder of the summer transfer window

With transfer fees continuing to ascend that an extreme rate, it seems like the market is only heading one way. And unless they can get very creative, then the majority of clubs will have to move along with it.