The greatest signings in Premier League history

The Premier League is known for spending fortunes on signings, but who were the greatest signings in the history of the league?

Before the dazzling heights of his career at Real Madrid, football icon Cristiano Ronaldo made his name in football at Manchester United, joining as an 18-year-old from Sporting Lisbon in 2003.

In six years between 2003 and 2009, Ronaldo became one of the greatest players of a generation, scoring 84 goals in 157 games, winning three Premier League titles and one Champions League, and securing the Ballon d'Or in 2008. He was twice Premier League Player of the Year.

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Premier League GOAT Thierry Henry was unstoppable for Arsenal in the early 2000s, scoring 20 or more goals in five consecutive seasons between 01/02 and 05/06, winning the Premier League twice.

Henry was a vital member of the Arsenal 'Invincibles' team who went unbeaten in the 2003/04 campaign and won the Premier League Golden Boot four times. He scored 175 Premier League goals in 258 matches.

Didier Drogba is a player known to appear on big occasions during his time at Chelsea. He helped them win consecutive Premier League trophies in 2005 and 2006, scoring 12 goals and providing 15 assists in the 2005/06 season.

The two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner saved his best season for the 2009/10 campaign. He scored 29 goals in 32 Premier League games, inspiring Chelsea to their third Premier League title. After leaving in 2012, he returned two years later to win his fourth league title.

After bursting onto the scene with Everton, Wayne Rooney was snapped up by Manchester United in 2004 and spent 13 glorious years at Old Trafford.

Rooney scored a United Premier League record of 183 goals, winning the Premier League five times, including three in a row between 2006/07 and 2008/09. He won the Premier League Player of the Season award in 2010.

Frank Lampard made the short trip across London from West Ham to Chelsea and never looked back, becoming one of the most complete midfielders in football history.

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During his 13 years at Stamford Bridge, Lampard won the Premier League three times and was named Player of the Year in 2005. He is Chelsea's all-time leading scorer in the league, and his 177 goals are the most of any midfielder in Premier League history.

Argentinian Sergio Aguero lit up the Premier League for Manchester City, scoring 184 goals, the most of any overseas player, and having a lifetime of classic moments, including his winner against QPR in 2012, which secured City the trophy.

Aguero won the Premier League title on five occasions and the Golden Boot in the 2014/15 season, scoring 26 goals in 33 games. The city legend will go down as arguably the greatest overseas player in the league's history.

After a failed spell with Chelsea earlier in his career, Kevin De Bruyne returned to the Premier League with Manchester City and became a league icon. He is a six-time Premier League champion and won two Player of the Season awards in 2020 and 2022.

City's magician has created 113 assists in the competition, the second most of all time. He has also claimed three Playmaker of the Season awards, the most ever, and scored 69 goals.

Since joining from Roma in 2017, Mo Salah has established himself as a Liverpool and Premier League great, scoring 163 goals in 272 appearances, winning three Golden Boot awards and one Player of the Season award in 2018.

In the past seven seasons, Salah has never scored below 18 Premier League goals and has only won the title once, in 2020. The Egyptian star secured the Playmaker of the Season award in 2022.

Eden Hazard is the most electrifying talent the Premier League has seen in the past 15 years. The Belgian had the most dazzling feet and could score a goal from anywhere at any time.

The Chelsea legend scored 85 goals in 245 Premier League games and won the league title twice in 2015 and 2017. He was the Player of the Season in 2015 and was the Playmaker of the Year in 2019.

In the late 90s, Arsenal needed a juggernaut in midfield to compete with Manchester United, and the signing of Patrick Vieira was that Player who took Arsenal to the next level, winning three league titles in nine seasons, including the 'Invincibles' season.

Vieira was the first midfielder in the Premier League to mix strength and power with technical ability and flair. He was an offensive and defensive unicorn, and Arsenal hasn't won a league title since he left.

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