10 most expensive West Brom signings of all time: From £15m Tony Pulis flop to Matheus Pereira
West Brom have had several record transfers pass through The Hawthorns over the years.
West Brom have a rich history, from The Hawthorns turning 125 to all-time players walking the halls, the Baggies have seen it all.
In addition to this are numerous transfers that Albion were confident would work out.
Some did, but others didn’t, as West Brom News looks at their 10 most expensive signings of all time.
10. James Chester – £8m from Hull City
Defender James Chester joined West Brom on 29 July 2015 from Hull City for a widely reported fee of £8million.
However, the former Hull star never found his footing at The Hawthorns with Tony Pulis deploying him at fullback rather than centre back.
He made his debut in the Baggies’ defeat to Manchester City on 18 August, with one of his most memorable games coming when he netted the decisive penalty in the shootout for Albion in a League Cup game against Port Vale.
Chester signed for Aston Villa after just one year at West Brom.
9. Matheus Pereira – £8.25m from Sporting Lisbon
Albion signed Matheus Pereira on a permanent transfer for £8.25m in June, according to Sky Sports on 17 August 2020.
Pereira had joined the season prior on an initial season-long loan, netting his first goal in a 2-0 win against QPR on 28 September.
- He won Supporters’ Player of the season with 65 per cent of the votes
- West Brom announced his permanent signing on a four-year contract on 17 August 2020
The versatile attacker spent the 2020/21 season with the Baggies in the Premier League, before parting ways after their subsequent relegation.
His exit was a tense one with former manager Valerien Ismael referencing Pereira’s lack of commitment. The former Baggies star later stated on his social media that he had found Ismael’s comments disrespectful.
8. Jake Livermore – £10m from Hull City
West Brom completed the transfer of Hull City midfielder Jake Livermore for a widely reported fee of £10m on 20 January 2017.
The former Hull player debuted for Albion in their 2-0 win over Sunderland the following day, where he replaced James Morrison for the final 20 minutes.
His first goal for the Baggies was during his 50th game when Albion came from behind to draw level with Liverpool on 21 April 2018.
Livermore netted again just two years later against his former side, Tottenham, to keep Albion from immediate relegation.
He was named on West Brom’s release list on 23 May 2023, where the club paid tribute to all the years he had stayed at the Hawthorns.
7. Brown Ideye – £10m from Dynamo Kiev
Albion signed Nigerian striker Brown Ideye from Dynamo Kiev for a widely reported fee of £10m on 18 July 2014.
The striker will be best remembered among Baggies fans for his stint in February 2015, where he netted four times in six days. Twice against Swansea and Burnley in the Premier League and a double against West Ham in the FA Cup.
Despite becoming a club-record signing at the time, Ideye spent just one season at West Brom.
Ideye later joined Olympiacos on 31 August 2015 for an undisclosed fee.
6. Salomon Rondon – £12m from Zenit St Petersburg
Salomon Rondon was widely reported to have joined West Brom from Zenit St Petersburg on 10 August 2015, for a £12m fee.
After arriving for a club-record fee at the time, Rondon debuted during Albion’s goalless draw to Watford in the Premier League.
- Rondon ended his first season in England with ten goals
- On 14 December 2016, he netted his first Premier League hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Swansea City
- Rondon was reduced to tears on 20 January 2018, having accidentally broken James McCarthy’s leg in an away fixture against Everton
He later joined Newcastle United on a season-long loan swap with Dwight Gayle before signing with Chinese club Dalian Yifang on 19 July 2019.
5. Jay Rodriguez – £12m from Southampton
West Brom signed striker Jay Rodriguez from Southampton for a fee of £12m on 2 July 2017.
He spent two years at The Hawthorns, where he debuted for Albion in a 1-0 win over Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Rodriguez’s most controversial moment in a West Brom shirt came in December 2018, where he scored a stoppage-time equaliser against rivals Aston Villa. However, he later admitted to having guided the ball into the net with his hands.
Albion’s got their money’s worth when he returned to Burnley for £10m on 9 July 2019.
4. Nacer Chadli – £13m from Tottenham
Nacer Chadili joined Albion for a reported club-record £13m fee from Tottenham on a four-year contract on 30 August 2016.
The former Spurs man spent two seasons at West Brom, where he netted six goals and provided five assists in 38 appearances.
Furthermore, two of those goals were during his second league appearance for the Baggies in a win against West Ham.
A thigh injury saw him sidelined for large parts of his final season with Albion before he joined Monaco on 30 August 2018.
3. Karlan Grant – £15m from Huddersfield Town
It was widely reported that West Brom paid £15m to Huddersfield Town for striker Karlan Grant on 15 October 2020.
The striker netted his first league goal for West Brom on 26 October 2020 during a 1-1 draw to Brighton.
- Grant has made 149 appearances for Albion since arriving
- He has netted 31 goals and provided 10 assists
Grant spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Cardiff City before returning at the end of the season.
He played 49 minutes during Albion’s win over Blackburn Rovers earlier in the season, but Grant is currently sidelined for West Brom due to injury.
2. Oliver Burke – £15m from RB Leipzig
West Brom signed Oliver Burke for £15m from RB Leipzig on 23 August 2017, in a deal that at the time broke his own record as the most expensive Scottish player in history.
He made his debut for Albion during a 1-1 draw against Stoke City before he was sidelined with a Hamstring injury. Following that, he appeared for the Under-21s in the EFL Trophy, netting in a group stage defeat to Coventry City on 7 November.
It was not until 14 August 2018 that Burke scored his first goal for Albion against Luton Town in the Carabao Cup.
- Burke was loaned to Celtic on 5 January for the remainder of the 2018/19 season
- He spent the following season on loan at La Liga side Alaves
He signed for Sheffield United in September 2020, having netted just once for Albion in what was one of Tony Pulis’ greatest transfer flops at The Hawthorns.
1. Grady Diangana – £18m from West Ham
Grady Diangana tops the list, having cost West Brom a reported £18m including add-ons from West Ham on 4 September 2020.
The DR Congo attacker had initially joined the Baggies on a season-long loan the previous season, where he netted eight goals and provided seven assists.
West Ham chairman David Sullivan’s decision to sell Diangana was a controversial one. Indeed, former Hammers captain Mark Noble stated he was “angry” the attacker left.
Following his transfer, he became a regular starter for Albion before Diangana left West Brom to join La Liga side Elche over the summer.
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