Footballers are more valuable than ever, and some of the prices teams have recently spent for the top players in the world have been mind-blowing. player market valuations will continue to rise over the following years as elite teams profit from increased TV revenue and money from sponsorship deals. But which players are the most expensive transfers in the world and how much did it cost to get them?
Below is a list of the most expensive transfers
1. Neymar Jr (From Barcelona To Paris Saint-Germain: €222M)
The Brazilian star is the most expensive player in the world after his switch from Barça to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for €222M and he’s still on top of the most expensive transfers in the world of football since then.
Neymar had an amazing season at Barcelona but needed to move out of Lionel Messi’s shadow. So moving out of Camp Nou was the best solution plus the huge amount involved in the transaction.
2. Kylian Mbappe (From AS Monaco To Paris Saint-Germain: €180M)
After the big-money transfer of Neymar to PSG, the billionaires club signed Kylian Mbappe the next year for a record fee of €180M. Mbappe was one of the most promising young players during his time at Monaco and helped them to take the Ligue 1 title from Paris Saint-Germain. The French giants needed to improve their squad after the departure of Ibrahimovic to Manchester United which led them to Mbappe. The Frenchman has been a great addition to the PSG squad and has just signed a new contract with them.
3. Ousmane Dembele (From Borussia Dortmund To Barcelona: €140M)
The departure of Neymar to PSG left a lot of funds with Barcelona and also a space in the squad which needed to be filled. Ousmane Dembele being one of the best players in the German Bundesliga was a top target for Barça and they wasted no time in spending €140M to get him. However, his career took a wrong turn immediately after he joined Barcelona and he’s now among the “most expensive flops” in football history.
4. Philippe Coutinho (From Liverpool To Barcelona: €135M)
Still left with some funds from the Neymar Jr transfer, Barcelona went ahead to add the then Liverpool sensation, Coutinho. The Brazilian was no doubt a midfield maestro who could easily fit into Barcelona’s style of play but that didn’t happen. He ended up going on a loan deal to Bayern Munich and returned after two years to join Aston Villa on a permanent deal.
5. João Felix (From Benfica To Atletico Madrid – €127.2M)
Formerly referred to as the new Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Felix established himself as one of the best young players in the world when he was playing for Benfica. His performance attracted a lot of big teams across Europe but he decided to join Atletico Madrid for €127.2M. However, the Portugal player is yet to showcase the qualities that made the Spanish club sign him.
6. Antonio Griezmann (From Atletico Madrid To Barcelona – €120M)
France international Antonio Griezmann moved to Barcelona in a deal that eventually made them lose Lionel Messi. Barcelona secured the services of Griezmann for a huge sum of €120M shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic and it left them in red when teams were allowed to play again. The financial issues led to an inability to renew Lionel Messi’s contract causing PSG to sign him for free.
7. Jack Grealish (From Aston Villa To Manchester City – €117.5M)
Jack Grealish move to Manchester City last season made him the 7th most expensive player but 1st in the Premier League. The Englishman was a top player in Aston Villa and helped them to gain promotion into the Premier League. However, Manchester City came knocking the next season and it was difficult to resist the EPL champions.
8. Cristiano Ronaldo (From Real Madrid To Juventus – €117M)
The one-time most expensive player in the world Cristiano Ronaldo made a shocking move to Juventus in 2019. Ronaldo was already a legend in Real Madrid and La Liga but he revealed that he wanted a new challenge and decided to join Juventus. The 5 times Ballon d’Or winners spent only two seasons with Juventus before returning to Manchester United last season.
9. Eden Hazard (From Chelsea To Real Madrid – €115M)
The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo left a big hole in the Real Madrid team and they need to fill it with Eden Hazard even though he had just one year left in his contract with Chelsea. Hazard had earlier stated that his dream is to play for Real Madrid and he had to join them immediately they came knocking. Although he has spent up to 4 years at Real Madrid, Hazard is yet to fulfill the expectations of the fans.
10. Romelu Lukaku (From Inter Milan To Chelsea – €113M)
The Belgian man was having a good run in Serie A but decided to return to his childhood club, Chelsea. Lukaku was one of the best strikers in the world then so Chelsea needed to play a huge amount of €113M to get their former player. However, he had a difficult season at Chelsea and has joined Inter Milan again on a loan deal.
