West Ham’s most expensive signings of all time
West Ham United have splashed the cash in recent years following their move to the London Stadium, with a period of ups and downs under numerous different managers.
A European trophy came the Hammers’ way under David Moyes, but there have also been struggles, with some big-money additions failing to hit the heights.
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Here is a look at West Ham’s most expensive signings of all time to see which ones were a hit and which ones weren’t.
Rank
Player
Fee
Signed from
Year
Lucas Paqueta
£51m
Lyon
2022
Sebastian Haller
£45m
Eintracht Frankfurt
2019
Mateus Fernandes
£42m
Southampton
2022
Max Kilman
£40m
Wolves
2024
Mohammed Kudus
£38m
Ajax
2023
Felipe Anderson
£36m
Lazio
2018
Gianluca Scamacca
£35.5m
Sassuolo
2022
Jean-Clair Todibo
£35m
Nice
2025
Edson Alvarez
£35m
Ajax
2010
Nayef Aguerd
£30m
Rennes
2022
James Ward-Prowse
£30m
Southampton
2023
Kurt Zouma
£29.8m
Chelsea
2021
Niclas Fullkrug
£27m
Borussia Dortmund
2024
Nikola Vlasic
£26.8m
CSKA Moscow
2021
Luis Guilherme
£25.5m
Palmeiras
2024
Crysencio Summerville
£25m
Leeds United
2024
Pablo Fornals
£24m
Villarreal
2019
Issa Diop
£22m
Toulouse
2018
Andre Ayew
£20.5m
Swansea City
2016
Said Benrahma
£20m
Brentford
2021
Marko Arnautovic
£20m
Stoke City
2017
Mads Hermansen
£20m
Leicester City
2025
Detailed look at West Ham's 10 most expensive signings… 10 Nayef Aguerd £30m from Rennes
Nayef Aguerd came in with a big reputation and a hefty £30m price tag but got injured almost immediately.
He spent just over three years at the London Stadium before being sold to Marseille for £20m in 2025.
9 Edson Alvarez £35m from Ajax
It was something of a coup for the Hammers to land Edson Alvarez, given the interest from both Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea in the midfielder in 2023.
However, just over two years on, the Mexico international was loaned out to Turkish side Fenerbahce.
8 Jean-Clair Todibo £35m from Nice
Jean-Clair Todibo initially joined West Ham on loan, but the defender’s move became permanent in 2025 for an eye-catching £35m fee.
After making 24 Premier League appearances in 2024/25, the obligation to sign Todibo became active from Nice.
7 Gianluca Scamacca £35.5m from Sassuolo
Despite scoring eight goals in 27 games for the Hammers – three of which came in the Conference League – things just never worked out for Gianluca Scamacca in East London.
While injuries certainly didn’t help, there was something that just never clicked with this move, and it’s hard to call it anything other than a flop.
6 Felipe Anderson £36m from Lazio
Felipe Anderson was undoubtedly a good player when he arrived at the club, but given that he came in as the club-record signing – a cool £36m – it’s hard not to view his spell as a disappointment.
The Brazil international made 73 appearances and provided 25 goal contributions, which feels like an underwhelming set of numbers. He was sold back to Lazio in 2021.
5 Mohammed Kudus £38m from Ajax
Mohammed Kudus cost West Ham £38m from Ajax in 2023, and the Ghananian was electric at the London Stadium for a period of time.
However, fast forward to 2025, he headed across London to sign for Tottenham Hotspur, although the Irons did make a profit by cashing in for £55m.
4 Max Kilman £40m from Wolves
During Julen Lopetegui’s time at West Ham, the club splashed the cash on Wolves centre-back Max Kilman.
A player Lopetegui worked with at Molineux, Kilman cost £40m and signed a seven-year deal through until 2031.
3 Mateus Fernandes £42m from Southampton
Mateus Fernandes
2 Sebastian Haller £45m from Eintracht Frankfurt
Sebastian Haller was a flop at West Ham, and an expensive one at £45m. He scored 14 goals in 54 games for the club and often looked utterly lost.
Since his spell with the Irons, the forward hit the best form of his career at Ajax, earning a move to Borussia Dortmund.
1 Lucas Paqueta £51m from Lyon
Top of the charts as West Ham’s record signing is Lucas Paqueta, and it’s probably fair to say he had a slow start to life at the London Stadium.
The Brazilian has gone from strength to strength with the Hammers and is under contract until 2027.