The most expensive football player transfers in history

The world of football has seen some shocking transfer fees over the years, with players commanding record-breaking fees that reflect their immense talent and market value. Among the most expensive football player transfers, Kylian Mbappé’s move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2018 and Neymar’s historic move to PSG in 2017 stand out, reshaping the economic landscape of football. These huge sums of money have not only changed the way clubs invest in players, but have also sparked debates about the true value of football talent. This list from Premiumsoccertips will help you explore the 10 most expensive transfers, highlighting these players with staggering transfer fees and the impact they have had on their respective teams.

The 10 most expensive players ever by total transfer fee

10. Kylian Mbappe

Total transfer fee: £153.3m

Incredibly, the 25-year-old’s move from Monaco to PSG in 2018 is the only transfer fee paid for him to date. He has been one of the most exciting players in world football for some time now and has proven his worth in the French capital, scoring 256 goals in 306 games. His remarkable consistency and ability to perform at the highest level have solidified his status as one of the top players in the world, attracting interest from some of the biggest clubs, including Real Madrid.

That said, PSG were keen to make some financial return on their investment when Real Madrid came calling and took their biggest asset. However, Mbappe let his contract run down and moved on for free. Not that it hasn’t cost Los Blancos a pretty penny, with Madrid paying around £128m directly to the player in signing-on fees alone. The Frenchman’s deal really proves the old adage: nothing in life comes for free.

9. Philippe Coutinho

Total transfer fee: £153.5m

It’s no secret that the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona funded Liverpool’s moves for both Alisson and Virgil van Dijk. Looking back, it’s clear which club got the better deal in that particular deal. A fee of over £100m was agreed to land the brilliant Brazilian in the January 2018 transfer window. His initial move to Liverpool in 2013 was a bargain as he was still a youngster, before developing into a superstar.

That nominal fee proved to be excellent value for money for Liverpool. Coutinho spent five seasons at Liverpool, scoring 54 goals in 201 appearances. Although that came during a rather poor era at Anfield, when they failed to win a single trophy. If only he had stayed under Jurgen Klopp for a little longer.

But Coutinho has had a poor time in Spain, to say the least. His former team-mate Steven Gerrard signed him as Aston Villa manager for just under £20m to end his La Liga nightmare in 2022, but things haven’t improved much on his return to the Premier League. The Brazilian moved to Al-Duhail on loan for the 2023/24 season and then moved to Vasco da Gama for the following campaign, where he struggled to rediscover his previous form.

8. Antoine Griezmann

Total transfer fee: £155m

A release clause in his contract allowed the Frenchman to move to Barcelona, ​​accounting for almost the entirety of that sum. The Spanish giants must have regretted that decision in retrospect, as they ended up selling Antoine Griezmann back to Atletico Madrid just three years later for a whopping fee. Despite his time at Barcelona, Griezmann never truly lived up to the high expectations placed on him, with his performances often falling short of what was anticipated, leading to a swift return to his former club.

Remarkably, that meant Atletico bought Griezmann on two separate occasions for far less than they sold him to Barcelona for. Now that’s business. Griezmann has become one of the top players in his position over the past few years, and there’s always been talk that some of Europe’s top clubs could be interested in snapping up the former Real Sociedad star. With that in mind, the total transfer fee for Griezmann could rise even further in the not-too-distant future.

7. João Felix

Total transfer fee: £162m

Joao Felix’s surprise return to Chelsea was enough to push the Portuguese star into the top 10. This is his second spell at Stamford Bridge, following a previous loan spell in 2023. Felix failed to impress in his first spell in west London, but he will be hoping to improve on his second spell in English football. With his immense potential and technical ability, Felix is determined to prove his worth in the Premier League, hoping that a more consistent and impactful performance will help him finally live up to his hefty transfer fee and secure a long-term future at Chelsea.

He was previously the most expensive teenager in football history when he moved from Benfica to Atletico Madrid for over £100m. The 24-year-old has a long way to go to justify the huge transfer fee paid to sign him, but he has all the natural talent needed to become a successful player in the years to come.

6. Matthijs de Ligt

Total transfer fee: £168.2m

Matthijs de Ligt followed Erik ten Hag to Manchester United after being part of the Dutchman’s impressive Ajax side that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2019. The defender became one of the highest-paid centre-backs in the Premier League after moving from Bayern Munich to the Red Devils.

His first big move was a £72m move to Serie A giants Juventus in 2019, and his time in Turin was enough to warrant another big move, this time to Bayern Munich. De Ligt may not have reached the heights expected when he first emerged, but he has another chance to develop under Ten Hag.

5. Álvaro Morata

Total transfer fee: £172m

Perhaps a surprise inclusion on the list is a striker who is most famous for his inconsistent form in front of goal. Alvaro Morata moved from Real Madrid to Juventus early in his career before being snapped up by Los Blancos.

After a season back in Madrid, Chelsea smashed their transfer record to bring him to the Premier League for around £55m. He struggled in England and ended up moving to Atletico Madrid for a similar fee to what Chelsea paid for him, which is astonishing.

Morata looked set to leave Atleti again to add to his accumulated transfer fee in the summer of 2023, but the Spaniard remains with Diego Simeone’s side. AC Milan have been heavily linked with the Spaniard, while a move to Saudi Arabia has also been touted, and following his success in leading Spain to glory at Euro 2024, the Italian club have triggered his release clause.

4. Ousmane Dembele

Total transfer fee: £187.3m

Once again, Barcelona have a lot to do with another player on this list. The huge sums spent by the Catalan giants on transfers go some way to explaining the financial struggles they have faced over the past few years.

The injury-prone winger has struggled to really make his mark in the league, signing for a higher fee than his international team-mate Griezmann. Borussia Dortmund previously spent around £30m on Ousmane Dembele from Rennes before selling him to Barca for more than three times that amount.

Dembele moved to Paris Saint-Germain for £42.6m in the summer of 2023, where his performances have been inconsistent. At 27, the Frenchman still has plenty of years left in his career to fulfil the incredible potential he showed as a youngster. But he also has plenty of time for another big-money move that could take him even higher on this list.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo

Total transfer fee: £210.3m

If Cristiano Ronaldo had played his entire career in this generation, his cumulative transfer fee figure would have been much higher. His £80m move to Real Madrid in 2009 was considered huge, breaking the world record at the time. Looking back, it was almost too little for a player who would go on to become the highest goalscorer of all time.

The fees being splashed out these days make this amount seem paltry in comparison. Players considered to be good are being offered for £80m or more. With Ronaldo being one of the best players ever, you can only imagine how much his club would have asked for his signature if he were in his prime.

Back in 2013, early in his career, United made Ronaldo the most expensive teenager in history when they paid just £16.2 million to Sporting Lisbon. It’s safe to say that £16 million was money well spent.

2. Romelu Lukaku

Total transfer fee: £288.9m

The second most expensive player in football history is Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku. After his loan spell at Inter Milan ended at the end of the 2022/23 season, the striker then returned to Italy on loan once more, joining AS Roma.

Now back at his parent club Chelsea, the Blues spent nearly £120m to sign the 31-year-old on two separate occasions for little profit. The second attempt was unsuccessful, as he returned to Italy on loan just a year later.

Lukaku has scored a total of 15 goals in 59 appearances at Stamford Bridge, and it seems unlikely he will get the chance to improve on that tally. Manchester United, Everton and Inter Milan have all parted with big money for his services in the past, and it looks like Napoli will be his next destination – which could see his cumulative fee rise even further.

1. Neymar

Total transfer fee: £340.6m

The flamboyant Brazilian remains the most expensive player in history when it comes to one-off transfer fees. And after his move to Saudi Arabia, he has overtaken Lukaku as the most expensive player in terms of total transfer fees.

Neymar was the first player to be bought for £200m and he still does it himself. His move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain sent shockwaves through the footballing world, and even with the money flowing in the game today, it could be a while before that fee is surpassed. PSG are the only team to have come close to spending that much on another player, after signing Mbappe from Monaco.

Was £200m money well spent on Neymar? Injuries and controversy have dogged him during his six years at the Parc des Princes, despite his excellence. He still scored 118 goals in 173 appearances, winning five league titles. But no Champions League.

Neymar then joined some of the big names in Saudi Arabia, signing for Al Hilal for around £77m. He earned a huge salary while in Saudi Arabia, but after almost ending his career in Europe, injury problems followed him to the Middle East.

Conclusion

The most expensive transfers in football history have reflected the outstanding value of players and have had a profound impact on the transfer market. Although there have been controversial deals such as Neymar or Griezmann, it cannot be denied that these players have brought great value to the clubs. Each deal is not just a number but also a demonstration of investment in the future, tactics and reputation. Whether successful or not, these deals are always a testament to the financial strength of the big guys in the football world.

See more: Who is the most injured football player​ in history?