The English Premier League has witnessed the exit of several of its top stars since its inception in 1992.
These players departed the division to forge ahead in their respective football careers.
Julian Alvarez is expected to be the latest player to leave the Premier League for massive bucks, with the Argentine all but confirmed to join Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.
Alvarez will be moving to Los Merengues for a fee of €95 and this puts him amongst the top 5 biggest Premier League departures.
Julian Alvarez will be the linchpin of Diogo Simone’s side and he will be hoping to delineate brilliance at the club.
Top 5 Biggest Premier League Departures
Anyway, let’s sail you through the top 5 biggest English Premier League departures in history.
Interestingly, all the transfers noted on this list are of players moving from the Premier League to Spanish clubs.
5) Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo left Manchester United in the summer of 2009 to join Real Madrid for a then world-record fee of €94 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo etched his name into the annals of history at Los Blancos and he is considered to be the club’s greatest player.
The 39-year-old made 438 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring a staggering 450 goals and providing 131 assists in all competitions.
Ronaldo won 4 UEFA Champions League titles with Los Merengues alongside 4 FIFA Club World Cups, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 2 Copa del Rey, 2 Supercopa de Espana, and 2 La Liga titles.
Individually, Cristiano Ronaldo also made his presence felt in Spain, clinching the La Liga top-scorer award on 3 occasions.
He also claimed the top-scorer prize for the Copa del Rey in the 2010/11 season with 7 goals.
Ronaldo has played a stunning 1013 matches thus far in his career, scoring 759 goals and providing 238 assists across all competitions.
4) Julian Alvarez
Alvarez will join Atletico Madrid for a fee of €95 million and the deal is expected to be made official in the coming days.
It is unknown if Julian Alvarez will illuminate football in Spain, but fans believe that he has the right ingredients needed to achieve giant strides in the country.
The 24-year-old has made 225 career appearances, scoring 90 goals and providing 49 assists in all competitions.
3) Gareth Bale
Bale, who retired from football in January 2023, moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 for an astonishing then world-record fee of €101 million.
Gareth Bale had several illustrious years at the Madrid-based club, winning many trophies and playing alongside several top stars, including; Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
The 35-year-old claimed 5 UEFA Champions League titles during his stint at Real Madrid alongside 3 FIFA Club World Cups, 1 Supercopa de Espana, 1 Copa del Rey, 3 UEFA Super Cups, and 3 La Liga crowns.
Bale made 258 appearances for Los Merengues, scoring 106 goals and providing 67 assists across all competitions.
Gareth Bale amassed a cumulative 554 career appearances, scoring 185 goals and providing 132 assists across all competitions.
2) Eden Hazard
The Belgian failed to cut it at Real Madrid following his transfer to the club in the summer of 2019 for a mind-blowing sum of €120 million.
Hazard’s spell at the Santiago Bernabeu side was hampered by injuries and the attacker’s apparent lackadaisical attitude.
Eden Hazard enjoyed success at Real Madrid, however, his performances at the club were an eyesore.
The 33-year-old won several trophies at Real Madrid, including; 1 UEFA Champions League title, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 Copa del Rey, 1 Supercopa de Espana, and 2 La Liga titles.
The ex-Chelsea man, who hung up his boots in October 2023, made 76 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring 7 goals and providing 12 assists.
Hazard made 622 career appearances in total, scoring 167 goals and providing 150 assists in all competitions.
1) Philippe Coutinho
Coutinho’s career went downhill after departing Premier League giants Liverpool to Barcelona in January 2018 for a whooping fee of €135 million.
Philippe Coutinho failed to live up to the billing at the Catalan-based club and it resulted in him being shipped out on loan to teams like Bayern Munich and Aston Villa.
The Brazilian was at the peak of his career when he moved to Barcelona but he couldn’t replicate the astonishing showing he displayed at Liverpool.
Coutinho also won several trophies during his time at Barcelona, namely; 2 La Liga titles, 2 Copa del Reys, and 1 Spanish Super Cup.
Philippe Coutinho made 106 appearances for the Blaugrana side, scoring 25 goals and providing 14 assists across all competitions.
Cumulatively, the Brazilian has made 497 club appearances thus far in his career, scoring 115 goals and providing 81 assists.
