Thread by @jcdnifg

20 Years of NIFG - The Top 20s!

Day 25: Northern Ireland's Most Expensive Internationals

The players who commanded the highest reported or estimated fees. One transfer per player.

Please see the notes as available information is often inconsistent.

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20. Daniel Ballard
Arsenal to Sunderland
£2,000,000, June 2022

19. Keith Gillespie
Newcastle United to Blackburn Rovers
£2,350,000, December 1999
[Gillespie had already been valued at £1,000,000 during his transfer from Manchester United to Newcastle in January 1995 as a makeweight in a £7,000,000 move for Andy Cole]

18. Isaac Price
Standard Liege to West Bromwich Albion
£2,500,000, January 2025
[Standard Liege had paid a £400,000 development compensation fee to Everton when they signed Price in May 2023]

17. Bailey Peacock-Farrell
Leeds United to Burnley
£2,500,000, August 2019

16. Conor Washington
Peterborough United to Queens Park Rangers
£2,500,000, January 2016
[possibly up to £3,000,000]

15. Roy Carroll
Wigan Athletic to Manchester United
£2,500,000, July 2001
[previously set a club-record of £350,000 when he joined Wigan from Hull in 1997]

14. Pierce Charles
Sheffield Wednesday to Manchester City
£3,000,000, July 2026
[Previously at Manchester City's Academy. Fee could potentially reach £10,000,000 based on performances. Immediately sent on loan to QPR]

13. Chris Brunt
Sheffield Wednesday to West Bromwich Albion
£3,000,000, August 2007
[Initial £2,500,000 plus £500,000 performance-based add-ons]

12. Chris Baird
Southampton to Fulham
£3,025,000, July 2007
[Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez gazumped Sunderland's bid of £3,000,000]

11. Kyle Lafferty
Palermo to Norwich City
£3,600,000, June 2014
[Fee undisclosed, fee of €4,500,000 reported. Previously signed by Rangers for £3m from Burnley and a reported £2.2m from FC Sion by Palermo]

10. Will Grigg
Wigan Athletic to Sunderland
£4,000,000, January 2019
[a record fee paid by a third tier club]

9. Steven Davis
Aston Villa to Fulham
£4,000,000, July 2007
[Davis was loaned to Rangers in January 2008, with the deal becoming permanent in the summer for £3,000,000]

8. Paddy McNair
Manchester United to Sunderland
£5,000,000, August 2016
[Part of a £5,500,000 joint transfer with Donald Love. In June 2018 he joined Middlesbrough for a fee of up to £5,000,000]

7. Neil Lennon
Leicester City to Celtic
£5,750,000, December 2000

6. Jonny Evans
Manchester United to West Bromwich Albion
£6,000,000, August 2015
[Undisclosed fee, reported as £6m plus up to £2m in add-ons. Joined Leicester for £3.5m in 2018]

5. George McCartney
West Ham United to Sunderland
£6,000,000, September 2008
[Had previously moved from Sunderland to West Ham for a fee of around £1m in 2006]

4. George Saville
Millwall to Middlesbrough
£8,000,000, January 2019
[Had been on loan since August 2018. Final fee between £7m-£8m, a record fee received by Millwall]

3. Ethan Galbraith
Swansea City to Stoke City
£10,200,000, July 2026
[Initial £5,000,000 plus installments and add-ons]

2. Shea Charles
Manchester City to Southampton
£10,500,000, July 2023
[Initial £10.5m potentially rising to £15m]

1. Jamal Lewis
Norwich City to Newcastle United
£13,500,000, September 2020
[fee also reported as £15m potentially rising to £20m]

More at:
nifootball.blogspot.com/2026/07/20-yea…

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