Football is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is also one of the most expensive sports in the world. Players are paid huge amounts of money to play for clubs and leagues, and sometimes they even get to play for national teams. Here are the ten most expensive transfers in football history:
10. Gareth Bale (Tottenham to Real Madrid, 2013) – €101m
On the radar of many clubs worldwide, Gareth Bale finally left Tottenham Hotspur to join Real Madrid in 2013. He was one of the most expensive players ever sold to a club, with his transfer fee reaching €101 million.
Bale’s transfer from Spurs to Real Madrid was an unprecedented deal that broke all records in football history. The Welshman became the most expensive player in the world after completing his move from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid.
He joined Los Blancos on a six-year contract worth €10 million per year plus bonuses and incentives. The total amount paid by Real Madrid for Bale’s services came out to around €101 million, making it one of the most expensive transfers ever made in football history.
9. Paul Pogba (Juventus to Man Utd, 2016) – €105m
The transfer of Paul Pogba from Juventus to Manchester United is one of the most expensive transfers in football history. In 2016, the French midfielder was signed by United for a reported fee of €105m (£89m) on a five-year deal.
This made him the most expensive player in world football, and it remains the most expensive transfer involving an English club. However, he was also the first player to be transferred for more than £100m since Gareth Bale’s move from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid in 2013.
Pogba had previously been linked with moves to Barcelona and Real Madrid before signing for Juventus in 2012 after leaving Manchester United when his contract expired at Old Trafford.
8. Ousmane Dembele (Dortmund to Barcelona, 2017) – €105m
Dembele was the second-most expensive transfer in history when he rejoined his boyhood club from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2017. Only Neymar’s move to PSG two years earlier had cost more.
The French international went on to win La Liga with Barcelona and has made a name for himself as one of the best young European players. However, it hasn’t been easy for him at Camp Nou. His career remains full of injuries and squabbles between him and his club over contracts. However, his class on the pitch remains undoubted.
7. Romelu Lukaku (Inter to Chelsea, 2021) – €115m
In the summer of 2021, Inter Milan sold their star striker Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea for an extremely hefty sum of €115m. This transfer was a record-breaking one for the club and the league. The fee is higher than ever paid in Serie A history and is only second to Gareth Bale’s move from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid in 2013.
He had previously won the Serie A title with Inter in 2020 and was named their captain for the 2021-2022 season. However, a bitter move back to Inter on loan turned out to be the beginning of his end at Chelsea, as he never managed to break into the first team and was eventually loaned out to Inter Milan.
6. Jack Grealish (Aston Villa to Man City, 2021) – €118m
Jack Grealish is one of the most exciting young players in English football, and his performances for Aston Villa have made him one of the most sought-after players in England. He is also a very talented midfielder with an eye for goal, which has led to Aston Villa rejecting offers from Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
However, Manchester City finally managed to lure Grealish away from Villa Park with a whopping €118 million offer plus bonuses in 2021.
Aston Villa announced the deal on 12th June 2020, but the transfer window did not open until 1st July 2020. To make sure that Manchester City could sign Grealish before anyone else could swoop in and sign him, they agreed to pay an additional €10 million as a signing bonus. Therefore, they could be sure they were the only club with any chance of signing him before 2020 ended.
5. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid to Barcelona, 2019) – €120m.
Antoine Griezmann is the most expensive transfer in football history, signing for Barcelona in 2019 for €120m. Griezmann was a product of Atletico Madrid’s youth academy and made his debut in 2009, aged 18. He played over 250 games for the club and scored 133 goals.
His time at Atletico saw him win La Liga twice, the Europa League three times, and score the winning goal to win the 2016 UEFA Super Cup. In 2018 he won the Golden Boot at Euros while playing for France and helped them reach the final, where they lost 1-0 to Portugal.
In 2019 he signed for Barcelona as a replacement for Neymar, who had left for PSG earlier that summer. Unfortunately, the move turned sour with the French world cup winner returning to Atletico Madrid on a season loan.
4. Joao Felix (Benfica to Atletico Madrid, 2019) – €126m
When Joao Felix burst onto the scene at Benfica in 2018, he was just 17 years old and had never played a competitive game of professional football. He had only just been promoted from their academy team. However, he quickly showed why he was so highly rated. He scored seven goals in 12 appearances for Benfica B and made his first-team debut in November 2018.
It wasn’t long before Felix was linked with a move away from Portugal. Barcelona was interested, but Atletico Madrid won the race for his signature, paying Benfica €126 million for his services in January 2019. This made him the fourth most expensive signing in history at the time.
3. Phillipe Coutinho (Liverpool to Barcelona, 2018) – €145 Million
Philippe Coutinho was a Liverpool legend. He had spent four seasons with the club and was a fan favorite. However, he decided to move to Barcelona in 2018. The transfer fee was €145 million, making it the most expensive in football history.
Why would Liverpool sell one of their best players for such an exorbitant fee? Barcelona is one of the biggest clubs in world football, and they were willing to pay whatever it took to get Coutinho into their lineup.
The Brazilian midfielder had been playing his best football since joining Liverpool from Inter Milan in 2013. He helped them qualify for the UEFA Champions League during his time there. However, once he became aware of Barcelona’s interest in him in 2017, he started to make noises about wanting out of Anfield.
2. Kylian Mbappe (Monaco to PSG, 2017) – €180 Million
Kylian Mbappe has been a sensation since he came to the world stage in 2017. He’s now one of the most expensive footballers ever.
Mbappe left Monaco for PSG in August 2017 for €180 million, shocking even the most seasoned soccer observers. The then-19-year-old was one of the most sought-after players in Europe then, with Real Madrid and Liverpool also reported being interested in signing him. However, PSG’s Qatari owners were determined to get their man and paid through the nose.
1. Neymar (Barcelona to PSG, 2017) – €222 Million
When Brazilian superstar Neymar joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, it marked the largest transfer deal in football history. The forward left Barcelona for the French club after much speculation about his future, and the move came with a price tag of $244 million. His contract includes a buyout clause set at $263 million.
Neymar is not only the most expensive footballer ever, but also he’s one of the most talented players on the planet. He has scored over 200 goals in just over 400 appearances for club and country—including two goals per game during his time at Barcelona. He’s won multiple league titles and cups and an Olympic gold medal with Brazil in Rio 2016.
In conclusion, we think that the most expensive transfers in football history have been a mixed bag. Some of the players on the list are world-class and have helped their clubs win games. On the other hand, others haven’t contributed as much to their new teams and have been deemed “flops” by some fans.
No matter where you stand on the issue, one thing’s for sure: these players get paid a lot of money to play a game they love. And that’s pretty incredible!
