6. James Milner, Aston Villa to Manchester City (£26m)
A case of Man City’s owner Sheikh Mansour simply paying top dollar to get the best prospects, James Milner had a phenomenal year with Aston Villa in 2009-10 that resulted in a mega deal with Man City the following season. The 29-year-old midfielder was a solid but somewhat unremarkable player for Man City before the club pulled the plug and let Liverpool have him this past summer.
5. Wayne Rooney, Everton to Manchester United (£27m)
Not a lot of athletes are worth 30 million pounds before they’re old enough to buy a beer, but Wayne Rooney was special. With an absolutely legendary goal against Arsenal, Everton’s superstar became Man United’s super target and the club was more than willing to shell out 27 million and never had to look back. At age 18, Rooney recorded a hat-trick in his Champions League debut against Fenerbahce. 11 years later, Rooney is one of the greatest footballers in all of England and one of the most beloved in the world.
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