The Premier League’s All-Time 10 Most Expensive Managers Hired
- Think Football Ideas
- Jun 14
- 5 min read
When Big Clubs Break The Bank For The Man In The Dugout
We’re well past the days of quietly promoting the assistant coach or waiting for someone to fall out of work. These days, if a Premier League club wants a particular manager, they're writing cheques like they’re buying a new striker. Seriously.
The sideline has become just as expensive as the spotlight. Welcome to the wild world of the Premier League’s most costly manager hires of all time, where Chelsea feature a lot.
Here Are The Premier League’s All-Time 10 Most Expensive Managers Hired
=9. Maurizio Sarri (Chelsea) - £5m
In 2018, Chelsea decided Napoli’s chain-smoking tactician Maurizio Sarri was their guy. So they paid £5 million to get him out of Naples. It was a curious move that paid off – kinda. Sarri led Chelsea to a third-place finish in the Premier League and topped it off with a Europa League title.
Then, in a heartbeat, he was gone, back to Italy with Juventus. Short and slightly sweet, his time in London is a classic case of clubs spending big to fix something fast. One of the more puzzling examples in Premier League manager buyout fees history.
=9. Ronald Koeman (Everton) - £5m
Everton fancied a bit of Dutch flair in 2016 and decided Ronald Koeman, then riding high with Southampton, was worth a fiver. £5 million, that is.
His first season brought hope: seventh place and European football. But by October 2017, with the Toffees drowning in poor form, the Dutchman was dismissed. A quick rise and a quicker fall. That £5 million fee aged about as well as milk.
8. Jose Mourinho (Chelsea) - £5.2m
Now, this was money well spent. In 2004, Chelsea paid Porto £5.2 million for the man who had just stunned Europe by winning the Champions League: Jose Mourinho. The Special One. The game changer.
He delivered Chelsea’s first league title in 50 years, then another the season after. Among the highest transfer fees for Premier League managers, Mourinho’s move might just be the gold standard.
7. Brendan Rodgers (Leicester City) - £8.8m
After revitalising his reputation in Scotland with Celtic, Brendan Rodgers was lured back south in 2019. Leicester paid a hefty £8.8 million to snap him up mid-season.
It paid off initially: two consecutive fifth-place finishes and a historic FA Cup win in 2021. But 2023 brought relegation fears, and Rodgers was shown the door. One of the most expensive football manager transfers in Premier League history, with very mixed results.
6. Ruben Amorim (Manchester United) - £9.42m
Manchester United aren’t shy when it comes to spending, and they didn’t hesitate to pay Sporting Lisbon £9.42 million for Ruben Amorim. It happened after an underwhelming Erik ten Hag extension turned costly.
But so far, the Amorim era has been shaky, with United finishing 15th in the league. That fee puts him right among the top-paid manager transfers in English football, but the jury's still out on the Portuguese.
5. Arne Slot (Liverpool) - £9.42m
After Jurgen Klopp's emotional departure in 2024, Liverpool looked to the Netherlands. Arne Slot, fresh off success with Feyenoord, cost the Reds £9.42 million.
A bold move, but it did pay off as Slot led Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th league title in his debut season. It's early, but already one of the smarter investments among Premier League manager buyout fees. These 10 Arne Slot facts from childhood provide more insight into the Liverpool boss.
=3. Enzo Maresca (Chelsea) - £10m
Chelsea again! When Enzo Maresca guided Leicester to promotion in 2024, Chelsea wasted no time. They shelled out £10 million to land the Italian, despite his short track record. It was a gamble, but so far, it’s working.
Chelsea returned to the Champions League and picked up the Conference League trophy in his first season as Blues boss. Whether this becomes one of the highest transfer fees for Premier League managers that pays off long-term remains to be seen.
=3. Thomas Frank (Tottenham) - £10m
Tottenham Hotspur, fresh off winning the Europa League under Ange Postecoglou, made the surprise decision in June 2025 to replace the Australian with Thomas Frank from Brentford, paying £10 million to secure his services.
His calm presence and clever tactics made him a natural fit. It was a pricey switch, but in today’s landscape of how much did Premier League clubs pay for managers, Frank's move is just another day at the bank. The Dane is Tottenham's fourth permanent manager since June 2021.
2. Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea) - £13.3m
In 2011, Chelsea paid an eye-watering £13.3 million to bring in Andre Villas-Boas from Porto. He was dubbed ‘Mini Mourinho,’ but the results never matched the hype.
Barely a season in, with player unrest and fan frustration mounting, AVB was sacked. That fee is still among the most expensive football manager transfers in Premier League history. This was a cautionary tale wrapped in a blue suit.
1. Graham Potter (Chelsea) - £21.5m
And at the summit? Graham Potter. Chelsea dropped a jaw-dropping £21.5 million to pry him away from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2022. He lasted seven months. Seven!
In that time, Chelsea barely got off the ground. At roughly £3 million per month, Potter's tenure stands as the most extravagant misfire on this list. Still, he holds the title for the Premier League’s most expensive manager hires of all time – for now.
So, What Have We Learned?
The modern Premier League isn't just a showcase of billion-pound squads. It’s also a theatre for mega-money managers.
From Mourinho’s glory days to Potter’s short-lived project, top-paid manager transfers in English football show how high the stakes have become.
And as long as clubs chase quick fixes and ideal fits, expect Premier League manager buyout fees to keep climbing. After all, sometimes the man in the dugout costs as much as the star striker.
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