Rating Crystal Palace's most expensive signings ever - including ex-Chelsea gem and forgotten £26m wonderkid
A look back at Crystal Palace’s biggest ever Premier League signings
Crystal Palace are currently experiencing the most successful period in the club’s recent history. Oliver Glasner’s side were crowned FA Cup winners last season with a shock 1-0 triumph over Manchester City and have subsequently secured qualification for a European competition for the first time in the club’s history after making it to the league-phase of the Europa Conference.
The Eagles have ambitions of competing in Europe on a consistent basis in years to come and also finished 12th in the division last term with 53 points - their highest tally of the Premier League era.
Palace under the guidance of Steve Parish have enjoyed a gradual rise from a team fighting relegation in the Championship to one challenging at the higher end of the Premier League. A great deal of this has been achieved by shrewd business on the transfer front. With that in mind, we take a look at Crystal Palace’s top 10 most expensive arrivals and how they have fared at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace’s transfer prowess displayed in top ten buys
10. Maxence Lacroix: Crystal Palace signed French centre-back Maxence Lacroix last summer for a figure of around £18m. It proved an inspired signing, with the defender racking up 43 appearances in his first campaign and crucially helping his team to FA Cup glory and European qualification. Rating: 8/10
9. Adam Wharton: Palace spent £18m plus a further £7m in add-ons to sign Blackburn Rovers star Adam Wharton. The defensive midfielder has played 49 times, made six assists, won an FA Cup and even broke in England’s senior squad, who he is likely to feature for in the 2026 FIFA World Cup next summer. He’s expected to be a big player again this season and will hope to get plenty of European experience under his belt. Rating: 8.5/10
8. Cheick Doucoure: Mali international Cheick Doucoure had a strong debut season after his £18m move from Lens - winning the club’s Player of the Season in 2022/23. Injuries have since derailed his progress but he’s still seen as a useful player when fit and available. Rating: 6/10
7. Marc Guehi: Club captain Marc Guehi joined Crystal Palace from Chelsea for a figure of just £18m. He’s since racked up 136 league appearances, established himself as an England regular and led the club to their first ever major trophy. He was close to joining Liverpool for £35m before a breakdown in negotiations but has remained professional after the saga and continues to be a big part of the club’s plans this season. He’s likely to be remembered as an all-time great for the club. Rating: 10/10
6. Jaydee Canvot: Crystal Palace have brought in youngster Jaydee Canvot this summer for a reported £23m from Toulouse. He’s seen as someone with plenty of promise but is yet to make his debut for his new club. Rating: N/A
Crystal Palace’s top five most expensive signings
5. Matheus Franca: Crystal Palace signed Brazil youngster Matheus Franca in the summer of 2023 in a deal believed to be worth a combined total of £26m - £17m plus £9m in add-ons. The youngster, still aged only 21, has had next to no impact in a Palace shirt, scoring once and assisting twice in 19 appearances. He’s currently on loan back in Brazil with Vasco de Gama but has a long way to go if he is to live up to his promise. Rating: 3/10
4. Mamadou Sakho: Crystal Palace splashed out £26m to turn Mamadou Sakho to the club following a brief six month loan spell from Liverpool. The Frenchman played 75 times in total, scoring once, over the course of four seasons but his career with the club was marred slightly by injury. Rating: 5.5/10
3. Eddie Nketiah: Ex- Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah joined Crystal Palace for £30m on deadline day in the summer of 2024. He took 27 matches to score his first league goal and finished the campaign with just three goals. He did, however, form part of the team which won the FA Cup and got a couple of goals on the road to victory. He’ll need to improve drastically to be deemed a success. Rating: 3.5/10
2. Yeremy Pino: Crystal Palace reportedly quadrupled Yeremy Pino’s wages when they signed the Spanish international from Villarreal. The winger made his first start in a 0-0 draw with Sunderland and should have found the net. However, he remains a player that fans are excited to see more of. Rating: N/A
1.Christian Benteke: Crystal Palace splashed out a figure in the region of £32m to sign Christian Benteke from Liverpool. The Belgian international hit the ground running with 15 goals in his debut season, but scored a combined total of just six league goals in the three campaigns that followed. The former Aston Villa forward returned to his best in the 2020/21 season with 10 league goals before scoring four in his final campaign for the Eagles. Ultimately, the powerful forward lacked consistency but does find himself third on the club’s list of Premier League goalscorers. Rating: 6.5/10