Although people watch all kinds of sports, football continues to be the most popular option in the world. With billions of fans, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the top-tier football clubs have a lot of funds that they usually spend on transfers. Speaking of the devil, this article will focus on the most expensive transfers in soccer as of September 2022.
The information on Nostrabet reveals that some clubs have spent jaw-dropping amounts of money to get the players they want. Whether the transfers themselves were worth it is a topic for another day, but it is clear that clubs are willing to spend millions to get the signature of a given footballer.
The infographic below will give you an overview of the world’s top 10 most expensive players in terms of transfer fees. Continue reading to learn more about each individual deal.
#1 Neymar – from Barcelena to PSG for €222M
The first spot on the list goes to the Brazillian superstar Neymar. He played a crucial role in Barcelona, where he played alongside many other top players, including Lionel Messi. However, the 25-year-old forward wanted something new at the time, so he moved to France for a record €222M transfer, making him the most expensive player in football history.
Whether the transfer complied with UEFA’s financial rules was debatable, but the fact is that Neymar became the most expensive player in football’s history. Before that, Pail Pogba held the record after his move from Juventus to Manchester United.
Unsurprisingly, PSG’s fans were excited that their favourite club got one of the best players in the world. Neymar is still a part of PSG and has the chance to play alongside Messi. The latter joined the French club after Barcelona failed to renew his contract.
#2 Kylian Mbappé – from Monaco to PSG for €180m
The second most expensive transfer in football’s history is also related to PSG, and it took place shortly after the one with Neymar. This time, the French team got the 18-year-old striker Kylian Mbappé. The French superstar joined Neymar and the rest of PSG’s selection at Parc de Princes after the club spent €180M.
“This transfer was expected, and the amount paid for Mbappé made him the second-most expensive transfer in football’s history”, said Nostrabet’s expert. “The young striker scored 26 goals in 44 matches for Monaco that season, so he had something special”.
Although some people weren’t entirely happy with Neymar’s transfer, fans praised Mbappé’s arrival. After all, even Juventus’s legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said that he thought Mbappé would be a future Messi or Ronaldo.
#3 Ousmane Dembélé – from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona for €140M
The 2017/2018 transfer window was hot, to say the least. After PSG spent nearly half a billion EUR, the other big European clubs also got a few new players. One of them was Barcelona because the club paid the staggering €140M to B.Dortmund for Ousmane Dembélé, who became one of the most expensive football players.
Back then, the 20-year-old striker was one of the most promising players in the world and had a crucial role in the German club. Interestingly, Borussia Dortmund signed Dembélé for around €15.5M just one year before that, so the club made a massive profit from the transfer.
Neymar’s transfer to PSG was one of the main reasons Barcelona decided to go for this move. Dembélé was one of the hottest players at the time, so it was just a matter of time before he moved outside of Borussia Dortmund.
#4 Philippe Coutinho – from Liverpool to Barcelona for €130M
Barcelona’s second big transfer during the transfer window of 2017/2018 was the arrival of none other than Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian playmaker had a key role for Liverpool. Still, the English club couldn’t resist Barcelona’s massive €135M offer.
According to the official information from the Spanish club, the player signed a contract where the release clause was €400M. This amount may surprise some readers, but it is essential to remember that Coutinho was a key figure for The Reds.
Before joining Liverpool, Philippe Coutinho played for Inter Milan. The Brazilian star scored 41 goals in 152 EPL appearances after his transfer to England.
#5 Jo?o Felix – from Benfica to Atlético Madrid for €127.2M
The next name on the list was a part of Benfica before joining Atlético Madrid in 2019. The Spanish club paid around €127.2M, which made Felix the fifth most expensive player in football’s history.
Jo?o Felix quickly rose to fame after his impressive season with Benfica. The 19-year-old player helped his team win the league by having 15 goals and 7 assists in just 21 games. Furthermore, Felix became the youngest player to net a hat-trick in the Europe League.
Unsurprisingly, his stellar performance wasn’t unnoticed as several top European clubs were interested in him. However, Atlético Madrid was the one that pulled the trigger because they needed someone to replace Antoine Griezmann, who was rumoured to move to Barcelona.
#6 Antoine Griezmann – from Atlético Madrid to Barcelona for €120M
The next player on the list is the French superstar Antoine Griezmann who’s been a part of several top European clubs. With that said, he became one of the most expensive players in history after moving to Barcelona for €120M in 2019/2020.
Although most players leave their clubs on good terms, this was not the case for Griezmann. According to credible sources, he was unhappy with Atlético Madrid’s decision to dispute Barcelona’s transfer fee. The club wanted Barcelona to spend another €80M, which would have made Griezmann the world’s second most expensive player.
Interestingly, Barcelona tried to sign Griezmann in 2018. Still, the forward refused and decided to sign a new deal with his former club. However, one year after, Barcelona used the buyout fee and got his signature for €120M.
#7 Jack Grealish – from Aston Villa to Manchester City for €117.5M
One of the richest clubs in the Engish Premier League also made a costly transfer in 2021. Manchester City signed Jack Grealish, a 25-year-old left winger from Aston Villa, for €117.5M. Aside from being one of the best players in his former club, Grealish was also Villa’s captain.
For an English player, the amount paid for Jack Grealish’s signature was the highest ever. During that time, City needed someone to replace Sergio Agüero, which is why the club was interested in Grealish. Some experts thought City would also get Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur, but this was not the case.
Grealish’s move was one of the football’s biggest transfers of 2021.
#8 Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid to Juventus for €117M
There is no arguing that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best football players. That’s why it shouldn’t be surprising the Portuguese superstar made it on the list, despite being the oldest player here.
Although he was 33-year-old in 2018, Juventus spent €117M to get Real Madrid’s world-class player. After spending nine years at the club, Ronaldo became Real’s all-time leading goalscorer. He has 451 goals in 438 matches, which is impressive, even for a player of his calibre.
One of the reasons for Cristiano’s move to Juventus was because the player was looking for a new challenge. He also wanted to help Juve win the Champions League, something the club hasn’t done in a while.
Sadly, even the four-time Ballon d’Or winner was not enough for Juve to win the competition. After spending a couple of years in Italy, Ronaldo moved to Manchester United. This club made him famous in the first place.
#9 Eden Hazard – from Chelsea to Real Madrid for €115M
One of Belgium’s most popular players played a key role for Chelsea and was one of the big reasons why the club was so successful. His transfer to Real Madrid for €115M disappointed some of the club’s loyal fans.
Eden Hazard played 352 games for his club and scored 110 goals. Despite his success, the player always wanted to join Real Madrid because this is one of his favourite clubs.
After spending 7 seasons in England, Hazard got the chance to fulfil his dream and play for one of Spain’s biggest clubs. At the time of writing this article, the player is still a part of Los Blancos and is one of the most expensive football players.
#10 Romelu Lukaku – from Inter to Chelsea for €113M
The last name on the list is the Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku who joined Chelsea after the club paid Inter €113M. Lukaku was a former Chelsea player, but he was sold to Everton in 2014 after just 15 appearances.
After spending some time in England, Lukaku moved to Italy, where he played for Inter. Interestingly, the striker scored 47 goals in 72 games across two seasons, which is why Chelsea thought the player was the right for the team. The Blues desperately needed a striker in 2021, and Lukaku seemed a good fit.
Sadly, Lukaku was unable to show his prowess because the player scored just 8 goals in 26 matches. That’s the reason why he became an Inter Milan player again after spending just one season in England.
