Biggest ever signings by promoted clubs

Football writer Ninad Barbadikar looks back at some of the most eye-catching signings made by clubs after they secured promotion to the Premier League.

The top priority for teams coming up to the Premier League is to stay up.

Newly promoted sides are therefore often active in the transfer market, adding to the squads that won them promotion from the Championship.

Sometimes the stars have aligned and a big-name talent has been attracted to their cause. Here, we look at some of the biggest examples from past to present.

Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers)

For many fans, Alan Shearer is the best striker the Premier League has ever seen since its inception. So it stands to reason that Blackburn Rovers were willing to part with a British record transfer fee to bring him to Ewood Park from Southampton in July 1992, just after they had been promoted to the top flight for the inaugural Premier League season.

In four seasons with Rovers, Shearer scored an incredible 112 times across 138 appearances in the Premier League. He helped Kenny Dalglish’s team to win the title in the 1994/95 season, as he formed an excellent partnership with Chris Sutton up front.

Watch Shearer score a hat-trick for Blackburn

On an individual level, Shearer was included in the PFA Team of the Year in each of his seasons with Rovers, and was voted PFA Player of the Year twice. He also won the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award for 1993/94. 

Juninho (Middlesbrough) 

Juninho Paulista arrived on Premier League shores in 1995, with Middlesbrough snapping him up from Sao Paulo in Brazil. 

An attacking midfielder possessing exceptional technique and an eye for a goal, Juninho wasted little time in winning hearts at Boro and was affectionately nicknamed "The Little Fella".

Watch a classic Middlesbrough match featuring Juninho

Though he would end up leaving the club after their relegation, he returned once on loan and then permanently for a third spell in 2002, helping Boro win the League Cup in 2003/04. Juninho ended his Premier League career with 125 appearances, 29 goals and 18 assists to his name. 

Nicolas Anelka (Manchester City)

Following a successful loan spell at Liverpool in the previous season, Nicolas Anelka returned to the Premier League in the summer of 2002, when he joined newly promoted Manchester City from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Frenchman consistently delivered high-quality attacking play for Kevin Keegan’s team, with the high points of his first season including a landmark win in the final Manchester derby to be played at Maine Road before Man City moved to the Etihad Stadium.

Anelka, who finished as the club's top scorer in back-to-back seasons, also scored when Man City inflicted Jose Mourinho's first defeat as a Premier League manager by beating Chelsea in October 2004. 

Watch Anelka score v Crystal Palace, September 2004

Edwin van der Sar (Fulham)

Legendary goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was introduced to Premier League football by Fulham, who signed him from Juventus in 2001.

In 127 league appearances for Fulham, the Dutchman kept 42 clean sheets, including 15 in his first season when he helped the club to finish 13th, comfortably clear of relegation.

Watch a classic Van der Sar performance for Fulham v Southampton

Before departing for Manchester United, van der Sar's achievements with Fulham included winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2002. 

Kyle Walker (Burnley) 

Scott Parker’s newly promoted Burnley side have added huge quality in their defence, with the signing of Kyle Walker from Man City. 

A former team-mate of Parker’s at Tottenham Hotspur, Walker has been regarded as one of the most reliable full-backs in the modern Premier League era. After winning six titles with Man City as well as the UEFA Champions League, the Sheffield-born star is set for a new challenge with the Clarets. 

At the age of 35, Walker still has plenty left in the tank to aid Burnley’s efforts in the 2025/26 season. Despite a natural dip from his previously remarkable speed, he can still be a formidable obstacle for the fastest opposition players.

Watch Walker being rapid for Man City

Raphinha (Leeds United)

Now regarded as one of the best players in the world, Raphinha joined Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United in the summer of 2020 from Ligue 1 side Rennes. 

Well-suited to Bielsa’s all-action outfit, Raphinha was the complete player for Leeds, able to score, dribble, create match-winning moments and work hard for the team out of possession as well.

Watch Raphinha in action for Leeds

He helped Leeds to stay in the top flight at the end of his first and second seasons. In 65 appearances in the Premier League, the Brazilian scored 17 times and assisted 12 goals, before departing for Barcelona in 2022. 

Joao Palhinha (Fulham) 

After a roller-coaster period between 2017 and 2022, Fulham were promoted back to the Premier League and have stayed there ever since. One of the key signings made in the summer of 2022 was Joao Palhinha from Sporting. 

The Portugal international strengthened his reputation as a defensive midfielder, topping the Premier League charts for tackles in both of his seasons at Fulham.

Watch Palhinha in action for Fulham

Palhinha’s contributions helped Marco Silva’s side secure top-half finishes in both campaigns and reach the EFL Cup semi-finals in 2023/24. He made a total of 68 appearances in the Premier League, scoring seven times. 

Raul Jimenez (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Mexico international Raul Jimenez arrived at Molineux in the summer of 2018, joining initially on loan from Benfica. The move would later be made permanent for a reported club-record fee. 

Jimenez was the perfect No 9 to thrive in the physical environment of the Premier League, and proved himself capable of both converting and creating chances. His first season in England ended with 13 goals and seven assists to his name.

Watch some classic Jimenez goals for Wolves

The second half of his Wolves career would be curtailed by a serious head injury but the Mexican goal-machine still racked up 135 Premier League appearances, 40 goals and 18 assists before joining his current club Fulham in the summer of 2023.

Christian Eriksen (Brentford)

Following his successful recovery from the cardiac arrest he suffered during a European Championship match with Denmark in June 2021, Christian Eriksen resumed his club career by signing for Thomas Frank’s newly promoted Brentford in the January 2022 transfer window.

Eriksen brought the creative spark that the Bees needed to control games and provide quality service to Ivan Toney up front. In fact, in the period from his debut to the end of the 2021/22 season, only Kevin De Bruyne (42) and Martin Odegaard (38) created more chances than Eriksen (30) in the Premier League.

Watch Eriksen in action for Brentford

Though he would go on to join Man Utd in the summer of 2022, Eriksen’s move to Brentford was a fruitful six-month period for both the club and player. 

Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest)

Morgan Gibbs-White joined newly promoted Nottingham Forest in 2022, after an excellent spell on loan to Sheffield United from Wolves.

In his three seasons so far at Forest, the attacking midfielder has taken on the mantle of being the team’s primary playmaker. He finished the 2024/25 campaign with seven Premier League goals and eight assists.

Watch all of Gibbs-White's goals and assists in 2024/25

Gibbs-White’s signing has undoubtedly been transformational for the club since their promotion; in 2025/26, they will play in Europe for the first time since 1995/96.

Joao Moutinho (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Joao Moutinho was fresh from a Ligue 1 title-winning campaign with Monaco when he joined Wolves upon their return to the Premier League in 2018.

Though he lacked a certain physicality needed from midfielders to thrive in the Premier League, Moutinho stamped his authority on the league with his technique and work-rate under Nuno Espirito Santo. His first goal in England came at Old Trafford, where he equalised against Man Utd in a 1-1 draw. 

Watch Moutinho's stunning goals for Wolves

Alongside Ruben Neves in midfield, Moutinho helped Wolves to Europa League qualification and in five years at Molineux, the Portugal international made 175 appearances, scoring five times and registering 18 assists. 

Yakubu (Portsmouth)

Yakubu was instrumental in helping Portsmouth win promotion from the Championship and his final goal would ensure their safety before he departed. 

Joining Pompey on loan in 2003, "The Yak" got to grips with the pace of English football very quickly. In their first season in the Premier League, Yakubu finished as the club’s top scorer with 16 goals. 

Watch Yakubu's top 10 goals for Portsmouth

Although his second season would yield fewer goals (12), Yakubu’s tally of 28 Premier League goals over two seasons made him the club’s all-time top scorer in the competition, a record he still holds today. 

Esteban Cambiasso (Leicester City)

Following the expiry of his contract at Inter and a decorated career in Serie A, Esteban Cambiasso’s decision to join Leicester City in the summer of 2014 became one of the most high-profile signings ever made by a promoted club. 

A versatile all-action midfielder by trade, the Argentinian scored on his Premier League debut in the Foxes’ famous 5-3 win over Manchester United, announcing his arrival in style.

Watch Cambiasso scoring goals for Leicester

Contributing important goals in Leicester’s "great escape" run of wins in 2014/15, Cambiasso departed King Power Stadium after one campaign with 31 appearances and five goals under his belt. He was voted as Leicester's Player of the Season after his hugely impressive performances. 

Hatem Ben Arfa (Newcastle United)

One of the most memorable players of the 2010s Premier League era, Hatem Ben Arfa joined Newcastle United from Marseille, initially on loan in 2010, before making a permanent move in January 2011. 

After enduring a difficult start on Tyneside because of injuries, Ben Arfa found his feet in the 2011/12 season and gave the Magpies one of the greatest solo goals ever seen in the Premier League. 

Watch Ben Arfa's incredible goal against Bolton

In 76 Premier League appearances, the dribbling wizard scored 13 goals and assisted a further 10 before returning to France with Nice in 2015. 

Teddy Sheringham (Portsmouth)

At the age of 37, following his release from Spurs, Teddy Sheringham signed a 12-month deal with Portsmouth in 2003. Few would have expected the season that followed for him.

Watch Sheringham score his first goal for Portsmouth

Sheringham, who was a Treble winner with Man Utd in the 1998/99 season, would go on to score nine goals and register four assists for Pompey, helping them secure safety in their first Premier League season. 

Youri Djorkaeff (Bolton Wanderers)

The first of Bolton’s "Galactico" signings under Sam Allardyce, Youri Djorkaeff dazzled Wanderers fans for three years after his surprise transfer from Bundesliga side Kaiserslautern in 2001. 

Watch Djorkaeff's best moments for Bolton

The Frenchman arrived as an established international with his country, having won the World Cup, European Championship and Confederations Cup between 1998 and 2001. 

Djorkaeff’s inventive style as an attacking midfielder produced goals of the highest quality. In 78 Premier League appearances, he scored 19 goals and assisted a further nine. He and his fellow international stars Jay-Jay Okocha and Ivan Campo helped Bolton to reach the EFL Cup final in 2003/04.

Pascal Gross (Brighton & Hove Albion)

Arguably Brighton’s most important signing in the Premier League, Pascal Gross joined the Seagulls after they were promoted in 2017, arriving from Bundesliga side Ingolstadt. 

Under Chris Hughton, the German played as a No 10 behind Glenn Murray and became the creative fulcrum of the side, registering seven goals and eight assists in his first season.

Watch Gross scoring and assisting goals for Brighton

Gross remained a key player for Brighton across seven seasons, making a total of 228 Premier League appearances, scoring 30 goals and assisting 45 along the way. In that period, only De Bruyne (602) created more chances than the German (508). He moved to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2024.

Christophe Dugarry (Birmingham City)

Few players have captured the imagination of a fanbase in the Premier League era as well as Christophe Dugarry did with Birmingham City supporters, when he arrived on loan from Bordeaux in 2003. 

Like Djorkaeff, Dugarry was also a part of France’s dominant class of 1998. After a slow start with Birmingham, Dugarry burst into life when the club’s Premier League survival was on the line, scoring five times in four games to help them avoid relegation and finish 13th.

Watch Dugarry score a double for Birmingham

Although he would depart in the following season, Dugarry is still revered by Birmingham fans for his goals, personality and mercurial talents. 

Attilio Lombardo (Crystal Palace)

Attilio Lombardo’s trophy cabinet features Serie A titles with three different teams, the UEFA Cup with two clubs, and the Champions League with Juventus. So it was certainly a shock when he swapped Turin for south London, joining Crystal Palace in 1997.

Watch Lombardo's first goal for Palace

An industrious right-winger by trade, Lombardo’s pace, effective dribbling and impressive goals won the hearts of the Palace fans. In 24 Premier League appearances, he scored five goals and assisted a further six. 

The fans nicknamed him "The Bald Eagle" and his performances earned him a place in Palace’s centenary XI in 2005.