Lukaku, Grealish And Sancho All Feature In The Top 10 Costliest Transfers Based On Points Earned

While we’re in a probable purple patch of the summer transfer window ahead of the Premier League returning, BettingOdds.com has once again examined the most and least successful arrivals who debuted / returned / switched allegiance in the Premier League in the 2021/22 campaign, and whether there are any lessons to be learned. We have looked at the Cost of the Player, Salary Earned and Points Gained while on the pitch to see the lowest and highest cost per point for each newly arrived player.

Chelsea’s high-profile purchase of prodigal son Romelu Lukaku (who has subsequently been pushed out again) clearly has a place at the top of the list of costliest transfer arrivals based on subsequent points the player helped their club earn across 2021/2022. Lukaku helped Thomas Tuchel’s side gain 49 points, equating to a cost per point of £2,346,938.78.  He placed second on the overall list. Manchester City’s Jack Grealish and Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho help complete the top five, at £1,920,833.33 per point and £1,911,111.11 per point, respectively. Overall, the worst purchase was Watford’s January signing Samuel Kalu, who cost the club £2.7m, earned a considerable £252,684 (based on 18 possible gameweeks on an estimated salary of £14,038 per week) but was present on the pitch for just a single point! This totalled an astonishing £2,952,684 per point. Still astonishing that they managed to get relegated.

The most economical acquisition proved to be Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Hee-chan Hwang, who arrived initially on loan from RB Leipzig before being signed on a free at the end of January. Taking into account the winger’s reported salary of £26,000 per week and the 41 points Wolves have earned when Hwang has been in the side, he has cost his club just £22,829.27 per point.  (NOTE: Wolves activated a clause to make his move from RB Leipzig permanent later that year, on a deal until 2026.)

The results of the study can be found below and have been organised into the following 3 categories: 

• Costliest Transfers Per Point Gained In the 2020/21 Premier League Season;
• Least Costly Transfers Per Point Gained In the 2020/21 Premier League Season;
• Largest Amount of Points Helped Acquired For Club (Match Participation Across Full Season).

All figures used are from the Premier League, SpotRac, and Salary Sport.

Costliest Transfers Per Point Gained In the 2021/22 Premier League Season

1. Samuel Kalu (Bordeaux to Watford)  Transfer Cost: £2.7m  Salary: £252,684  Points Earned For Side: 1  Cost per Point: £2,952,684

2. Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan to Chelsea)  Transfer Cost: £101.7m  Salary: £13.3m  Points Earned For Side: 49  Cost per Point: £2,346,939

3. Ozan Kabak (Hoffenheim to Norwich City)  Transfer Cost: £3.15m*  Salary: £1.216m  Points Earned For Side: 2  Cost per Point: £2,138,000 (*Loan Cost)

4. Jack Grealish (Aston Villa to Manchester City)  Transfer Cost: £105.75m  Salary: £9.5m  Points Earned For Side: 60  Cost per Point: £1,920,833

5. Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United)  Transfer Cost: £76.5m  Salary: £9.5m  Points Earned For Side: 45  Cost per Point: £1,911,111

6. Bryan Gil (Sevilla to Tottenham Hotspur)  Transfer Cost: £22.5m  Salary: £1.909m  Points Earned For Side: 13  Cost per Point: £1,877,615

7. Alex Kral (Spartak Moscow to West Ham)  Transfer Cost: £4.68m*  Salary: £840,000  Points Earned For Side: 3  Cost per Point: £1,840,000m (*Loan Cost)

8. Vitaly Mykolenko (Dynamo Kyiv to Everton)  Transfer Cost: £21.15m  Salary: £674,415  Points Earned For Side: 14  Cost per Point: £1,558,887

9. Jannik Vestergaard (Southampton to Leicester City)  Transfer Cost: £15.84m  Salary: £2.85m  Points Earned For Side: 12  Cost per Point: £1,557,500

10. Ibrahima Konaté (RB Leipzig to Liverpool)  Transfer Cost: £36m  Salary: £2.698m  Points Earned For Side: 25  Cost per Point: £1,547,920

Least Costly Transfers Per Point Gained In the 2021/22 Premier League Season

1. Hee-chan Hwang (RB Leipzig to Wolverhampton Wanderers)  Transfer Cost: £0m  Salary: £936,000  Points Earned For Side: 41  Cost per Point: £22,829

2. Aaron Lennon (Kayserispor to Burnley)  Transfer Cost: £0m  Salary: £874,000  Points Earned For Side: 7  Cost per Point: £31,214

3. Callum Chambers (Arsenal to Aston Villa)  Transfer Cost: £0m  Salary: £511,556  Points Earned For Side: 15  Cost per Point: £34,104

4. Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace to Everton)  Transfer Cost: £0m  Salary: £818,444  Points Earned For Side: 21  Cost per Point: £28,974

5. Matt Targett (Aston Villa to Newcastle United)  Transfer Cost: £0m  Salary: £1.7m  Points Earned For Side: 31  Cost per Point: £54,839

6. Ashley Young (Inter Milan to Aston Villa)  Transfer Cost: £0m  Salary: £1.9m  Points Earned For Side: 33  Cost per Point: £57,576

7. Ademola Lookman (RB Leipzig to Leicester City)  Transfer Cost: £0m  Salary: £1.82m  Points Earned For Side: 29  Cost per Point: £62,759

8. Samir (Udinese to Watford)  Transfer Cost: £450,000  Salary: £234,620  Points Earned For Side: 10  Cost per Point: £68,462

9. Craig Dawson (Watford to West Ham)  Transfer Cost: £2.07m  Salary: £1.615m  Points Earned For Side: 53  Cost per Point: £69,528

10. Zanka (Fenerbahçe to Brentford)  Transfer Cost: £0m  Salary: £722,000  Points Earned For Side: 10  Cost per Point: £72,200

Largest Amount of Points Helped Acquire For Club (Match Participation Across 2021/22 Season)

1. Martin Ødegaard (Real Madrid to Arsenal)  Transfer Cost: £31.5m  Salary: £3.003m  Cost per Point: £500,050  Points Earned For Side: 69

2. Aaron Ramsdale (Sheffield United to Arsenal)  Transfer Cost: £25.2m  Salary: £2.353m  Cost per Point: £417,471  Points Earned For Side: 66  

3. = Ben White (Brighton & Hove Albion to Arsenal)  Transfer Cost: £52.65m  Salary: £4.56m  Cost per Point: £952,500  Points Earned For Side: 60 

3. = Jack Grealish (Aston Villa to Manchester City)  Transfer Cost: £105.75m  Salary: £9.5m  Cost per Point: £1.921m  Points Earned For Side: 60  

5. Emerson Royal (Barcelona to Tottenham Hotspur)  Transfer Cost: £22.5m  Salary: £2.108m  Cost per Point: £439,429  Points Earned For Side: 56  

6. Craig Dawson (Watford to West Ham)  Transfer Cost: £2.07m  Salary: £1.615m  Cost per Point: £69,528  Points Earned For Side: 53  

7. José Sá (Olympiacos to Wolverhampton Wanderers)  Transfer Cost: £7.2m  Salary: £1.089m  Cost per Point: £165,777  Points Earned For Side: 50  

8. = Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus to Manchester United)  Transfer Cost: £13.5m  Salary: £16.8m  Cost per Point: £618,367  Points Earned For Side: 49  

8. = Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan to Chelsea)  Transfer Cost: £101.7m  Salary: £13.3m  Cost per Point: £2,346,939  Points Earned For Side: 49  

10. Marc Cucurella (Getafe to Brighton & Hove Albion)  Transfer Cost: £16.2m  Salary: £1.9m  Cost per Point: £402,222  Points Earned For Side: 45