The 15 biggest sales in Championship history

The Championship is the perfect breeding ground for clubs to sign players at a relatively modest price and develop them before selling for a vast fortune to teams in the Premier League looking to strengthen.

Previously, only those lingering at the bottom of the top flight would poach players who had shone in the league below.

As time has passed, especially due to the finances involved in the English game, better players have moved to the second tier. This means clubs in the upper echelons have begun to take notice and spend big money to sign Championship players.

These types of moves have increased exponentially in recent years. With this in mind, we have explored the top 15 record sales by Championship clubs over the years.

15

Wilson Odobert

Burnley to Tottenham (£25m)

Burnley may have been relegated after winning just five games in the top flight last season, but one of the few bright sparks was Wilson Odobert.

The teenager registered six goal contributions

for the club, and this alerted clubs in the Premier League, who were looking to take advantage of the Clarets’ relegation.

Tottenham Hotspur won the race, splurging £25m to bring the Frenchman to London. So far this season, he has made just five appearances for Spurs amid injury problems. Hardly money well spent so far.

14

Crysencio Summerville

Leeds to West Ham (£25m)

Crysencio Summerville wasn’t someone who was going to linger around for long in the second tier. During his three full seasons at Leeds United, the winger scored 25 goals while chipping in with 12 assists for the club.

After 19 goals last term, West Ham United emerged as the frontrunners to sign the Dutchman, finally securing his signature in a deal worth around £25m.

With just one goal for the Irons thus far, he is finding life a tad more difficult in the top flight.

13

Joao Pedro

Watford to Brighton (£30m)

Joao Pedro had some Premier League pedigree before moving to Brighton, featuring 28 times for Watford as they suffered relegation in the 2021/22 season.

The south coast side had seen enough to bid for the forward themselves, especially as he scored 11 times in the second tier the following season. According to reports, Brighton spent just under £30m on the Brazilian, and he has looked like a solid signing thus far.

25 goals across 56 matches certainly represents a success, and he will only get better.

12

Moussa Sissoko

Newcastle to Tottenham (£30m)

Moussa Sissoko was one of the few positives for Newcastle United throughout the 2015/16 season amid the club’s relegation.

He played six times for France at Euro 2016, and these displays impressed Spurs, who spent £30m to bring the midfielder to north London.

Spurs got value for money, as Sissoko went on to play over 200 times for the club, although he couldn’t help them win a trophy.

11

Ryan Sessegnon

Fulham to Tottenham (£30m)

Ryan Sessegnon made his debut for Fulham aged just 16 years and 81 days back in August 2016. Three years and 120 appearances later, Spurs earmarked the youngster as the next big thing.

A fee in the region of £25m was paid by Spurs to bring the Englishman to north London, which totalled £30m with add-ons. On the surface, it looked like it could be a wise investment, but Sessegnon failed to sparkle for the club, scoring just three goals during his spell there.

10

James Ward-Prowse

Southampton to West Ham (£30m)

James Ward-Prowse demonstrated his dead-ball skills throughout his Southampton career, and during their relegation campaign in the 2022/23 season, he scored four direct free kicks along with three penalties, and his availability alerted West Ham United.

David Moyes was keen on signing the Championship star, and £30m was enough for Southampton to let him go.

However, it didn’t quite work out for the midfielder at the London Stadium, and he has spent the current season on loan at Nottingham Forest, trying to regain the confidence that was on display at St Mary’s.

9

Archie Gray

Leeds to Tottenham (£30m)

Archie Gray was among one of the most promising players in the Championship last season. The 18-year-old missed just two league matches as Leeds United reached the play-offs.

His performances convinced Ange Postecoglou to spend £30m on the youngster, who has a bright future ahead of him.

The Englishman has already featured plenty for Spurs this term, filling in across the backline due to several injury problems in the squad. Keep improving, and the initial £30m could turn into a bargain.

8

Jude Bellingham

Birmingham to Borussia Dortmund (£30m)

Of everyone on this list, Jude Bellingham has had the best career, yet he is still only 21. He emerged as an extraordinary talent during his spell at Birmingham City, despite making just 44 appearances for the club.

His potential alerted Borussia Dortmund, who reportedly spent over £30m on the midfielder including add-ons in 2020 – and the move worked out fairly well. After three seasons in Germany, Real Madrid came calling and Bellingham can now count himself as one of the finest players in the world.

7

Ollie Watkins

Brentford to Aston Villa (£33m)

Ollie Watkins’ journey from non-league to the Premier League has been well-documented, especially after he scored the winner for England against the Netherlands at Euro 2024.

His spell at Brentford produced 49 goals across 143 matches in the Championship, which led Aston Villa to splash out a club-record fee of up to £33m to bring him to the Midlands.

Fast-forward five years, and the Englishman has scored 80 goals for the club, proving he has been an excellent signing.

6

Harvey Barnes

Leicester to Newcastle (£38m)

The Magpies raided the relegated clubs in the summer of 2023, with Leicester City among their targets. They signed Harvey Barnes for £38m – a staggering amount for a Championship player.

The left-winger has already notched up 10 goals for the Toon since arriving 18 months ago. This number would likely have been higher had injury issues not played their part.

5

Nathan Ake

Bournemouth to Man City (£40m)

After a difficult time at Chelsea, Nathan Ake found his feet at Bournemouth, making over 100 appearances for the Cherries. They suffered relegation following the end of the 2019/20 season, which meant the defender would likely be departing.

Manchester City came in with an offer of £40m as Pep Guardiola aimed to bolster his options at the back, and he has been a superb signing. Ake has gone on to win four league titles with the club, along with the Champions League in 2023.

4

James Maddison

Leicester to Tottenham (£40m)

With James Maddison experiencing relegation with Leicester in 2023, it was always the case that his services would be up for grabs in the following summer.

Indeed, he was in high demand after scoring 10 goals for Leicester in their relegation campaign, with Spurs splashing the cash in the process.

A fee in the region of £40m was agreed to take the player to north London, but it remains to be seen whether this has been money well spent.

3

Tino Livramento

Southampton to Newcastle (£40m)

The summer of 2023 saw plenty of top-flight clubs raid those in the second tier for players, especially from the teams who had been relegated.

Southampton weren’t going to be able to hold on to Tino Livramento for long, and when Newcastle came in with an offer of up to £40m, it was accepted.

The youngster has emerged as a key member of Eddie Howe’s squad, even winning his first England cap late last year.

2

Georginio Rutter

Leeds to Brighton (£40m)

Scoring eight goals and registering 18 assists during his spell at Leeds United ensured Georginio Rutter wouldn’t remain in the second tier after the Whites lost the play-off final last term.

Under Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton signed the forward for £40m last summer, and with six goals in 22 games for the south coast side, it has been an encouraging start for the Frenchman on his return to the top flight.

1

Romeo Lavia

Southampton to Chelsea (£58m)

Roméo Lavia became the most expensive player to be sold by a Championship club back in 2023 when he joined Chelsea for a staggering fee of £58m.

Due to injury issues, the 21-year-old managed to play just once for the Blues during his maiden season and has yet to establish himself in the starting XI under Enzo Maresca.

As of late January 2025, 12 appearances across all competitions this season indicate that he has plenty of work to do, but he has missed several games due to a hamstring problem.

If Maresca can get the Belgian starlet back 100% fit and healthy, Lavia could turn out to be an excellent long-term player for the club.

The £58m it took to sign him could well be a Championship record for quite some time.