Chelsea have two £100m midfielders in Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, and now it looks like everyone wants one!
Elliot Anderson recently completed his £116m move from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City, while Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali is set to join Chelsea’s London rivals Tottenham Hotspur for £100m.
So which club can claim they have the best £100m midfielder? We have ranked each one here on The Chelsea Chronicle.
Who is the best £100m midfielder in the Premier League?
5. Elliot Anderson — £116m
The jury is still out on Anderson, with many questioning the fee that City have paid for the England international.
Anderson is a fantastic passer and proved that at Forest last season. His passes through the lines and over the top are extremely accurate, but he is yet to achieve what his rivals on this list have and has not really had too many outstanding campaigns.
4. Sandro Tonali — £100m
We are still waiting for confirmation on this one, but Tottenham have agreed a £100m deal with Newcastle to sign Tonali.
Technically, Tonali is an amazing midfielder. He is excellent in possession and works very hard on the pitch. The Italian does not score enough goals, though, failing to net in any of the 35 Premier League games he played last season.
3. Enzo Fernandez — £107m
Fernandez is the man who kick-started the £100m midfielder market when he joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2023.
At the time, his transfer came under a lot of scrutiny, with many feeling that the Blues had overpaid for his signature. When you look at the player Fernandez has become and how much other midfielders are going for today, though, the Argentine now looks like a bargain.
Before being moved into the No.10 position, Fernandez had really mastered the No.8 role. The 25-year-old’s runs into the box were timed to perfection, helping him score some crucial goals for Chelsea.
Real Madrid have cooled their interest in Fernandez, which is good news for Xabi Alonso.
2. Moises Caicedo — £115m
At one stage last season, Caicedo looked like the best player in the Premier League outright. He was winning every tackle and scoring goals.
In the second half of the campaign, his form really dipped. Nevertheless, Caicedo is still a really dominant midfielder.
Tonali and Anderson are not as influential as the Ecuadorian in games. At the World Cup, Caicedo even showed his creativity, though what he produced at the tournament was not enough to get his nation past the round of 32.
1. Declan Rice — £105m
If you want to talk about influence and dominance, sorry, Chelsea fans, but Declan Rice comes out on top.
Like Caicedo, Rice is brilliant defensively. The Arsenal star can make tackles and interceptions, but he also has a wicked set-piece delivery in his locker now.
Rice’s presence is always felt on the pitch, while he helped Arsenal win the Premier League title and reach the Champions League final last season. The former West Ham United captain is always available, has an elite mentality and has developed into a proper leader.
For now, that 2025/26 campaign probably puts him above Caicedo, who needs to win a big trophy to be mentioned alongside the really elite midfielders in football like Manchester City’s Rodri and Paris Saint-Germain duo Vitinha and Joao Neves.
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