The art of goal-scoring is the most coveted asset in football, and clubs are willing to break the bank to acquire the services of prolific forwards.
The transfer market has witnessed some staggering deals in recent years, with clubs shelling out astronomical fees to secure the services of the world’s best strikers.
Here are the top ten most expensive transfer strikers
1.Neymar
Leading the pack of the most expensive forwards is Neymar Jr., who made a record-breaking move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 for a whopping €222 million.
The Brazilian superstar’s transfer fee remains the highest in football history, a testament to his exceptional skill and goal-scoring prowess.
The Brazilian star Neymar now plays in Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, having joined the club in the summer of 2023 for €90m.
2. Kylian Mbappe
Hot on Neymar’s heels is French star Kylian Mbappe, who joined Paris Saint-Germain from Monaco in 2018 for €180 million.
The 22-year-old who joined Real Madrid this summer has lived up to the hype, scoring goals for fun and leading PSG to numerous titles.
3. Ousmane Dembele
The third in the exclusive list of most expensive forwards is Dembele, who made a €135 million switch from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona in 2018.
4. Joao Felix
Rounding fourth in this list is Joao Felix, who joined Atlético Madrid from Benfica in 2019 for €127.2 million.
The Portuguese youngster has shown glimpses of his immense talent, but has yet to fully justify his hefty price tag.
5. Eden Hazard
The former Chelsea football maestro Eden Hazard made headlines following his switch from England to Spain.
Hazard departed Chelsea to join Real Madrid in 2019/20 for a mouthwatering transfer fee of €120.8 million.
The legendary Belgium footballer retired from the sport in 2023, deciding to hang up his boots after experiencing disuse at Los Blancos and a decline in form.
Other expensive forwards in the list
6. Antoine Griezmann
French striker Antoine Griezmann completed a high-profile transfer from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona.
The transfer fee was reported to be around €120 million, making Griezmann one of the most expensive transfers in football history.
Griezmann joined Barcelona after he spent five successful seasons with Atletico Madrid, establishing himself as one of the top forwards in Europe.
He returned to Atletico Madrid in 2021, becoming the club’s all-time top goalscorer.
7. Jack Grealish
Grealish became the most expensive British player having joined Manchester City from Aston Villa for €117.5 million in the summer of 2021.
However, Declan Rice claimed the title of the most expensive British player when he transferred from West Ham to Arsenal in July 2023 for a staggering €116m deal.
8. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, is another name on this list. His €117 million move from Real Madrid to Juventus in 2019 marked a huge boost for the Portuguese icon.
9. Romelu Lukaku
Lukaku, who joined Chelsea as a teenager from Anderlecht in 2011 reunited with the club by signing a five-year contract in 2021/22 season.
The transfer reportedly worth €113 million and it made him the highest-paid player with a weekly salary of £200,000 after tax.
10. Gareth Bale
The last on this list is former Real Madrid star Gareth Bale who joined the Champions League hero in September 2013 for a then world-record transfer fee of €101 million.
