Most Expensive Football Players Ever

The Most Expensive Football Players Ever

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Football is one of the sports that moves the most in the world and, in recent years, the prices that clubs pay to acquire the services of the best players on the planet have been increasing without finding an apparent ceiling to stop a meteoric rise of the millions disbursed.

In fact, the 10 most expensive signings in the history of football have occurred in a period of six years, from 2013 to 2019. Furthermore, they have all been made by clubs in European leagues: Ligue 1, LaLiga, Premier League and Serie A .

By club, the list includes PSG (2), Barcelona (3), Real Madrid (2), Atlético de Madrid, Manchester United and Al-Hilal. Discover the footballers and the amounts paid on DAZN!

10. Jack Grealish – Manchester City – €117.50 M

In the 2021 summer market, Manchester City broke the record for the most expensive transfer in the Premier League held by its neighbor, United, with the arrival of Paul Pogba. Jack Grealish, who was announced with the citizen’s number 10, arrived from Aston Villa after his superb season in the previous campaign. English talent at the service of Pep Guardiola to shore up the Premier League champion’s squad.

9. Neymar Junior – Al-Hilal – €100+20 M

Al-Hilal closed the transfer of Neymar Junior in the summer of 2023 for a figure close to 100 million euros, although PSG could earn 20 million euros more if the Brazilian player meets a series of variables (titles , games played…).

8. Antoine Griezmann – Barcelona – €120 M

The same summer that João Félix arrived, in 2019, the athletic reference, Antoine Griezmann, left, heading to the Camp Nou after Barcelona paid 120 million euros for the French attacker. The previous season, during a documentary produced by Piqué, Griezmann announced that he would continue at Atlético de Madrid, but his decision would change a season later.

7. Enzo Fernández – Chelsea – €121 million

The transfer of Enzo Fernández to Chelsea for 121 million euros, from Benfica, is the second most expensive signing in the history of English football and one of the highest in the history of the beautiful game.

The young Argentine pearl, who dazzled at River Plate and later in Portugal, is one of the great talents of the present and the future.

6. Declan Rice – Arsenal – €122m

Arsenal acquired the services of Declan Rice, a midfielder until then at West Ham, for an amount close to 122 million euros divided into around 116 in fixed terms and around 6 in bonuses for objectives.

The permanent fixture in the England National Team thus becomes the most expensive signing in the history of the Premier League, displacing Enzo Fernández from the ranking.

5. Joao Félix – Atlético de Madrid – €127.20 M

Joao Félix arrived at Atlético de Madrid in 2019 from Benfica in exchange for 127.20 million euros. In this way, the Colchonero club acquired one of the most promising players in world football, who had dazzled the previous season with the Portuguese entity.

4. Ousmane Dembélé – Barcelona – €135 million

The trio of culé signings on the list of the 10 most expensive in football history continues with the hiring of Ousmane Dembélé who, after performing excellently at Borussia Dortmund, caught the attention of numerous clubs. It was Barcelona that, after paying 135 million euros to the German entity in 2017, acquired the promising French attacker.

3. Philippe Coutinho – Barcelona – €135 million

A year before the arrival of Antoine Griezmann, in 2018, Barcelona had already acquired the services of Philippe Coutinho, who arrived in Barcelona from Liverpool in exchange for 135 million euros. In 2014 the culé entity had already done business with the Anfield club to achieve the arrival of Luis Suárez, who offered a great performance wearing the Blaugrana jersey.

2. Kylian Mbappé – PSG – €180 M

The second player to appear on the list of the most expensive signings in football history is also an arrival at PSG. In this case, that of Kylian Mbappé. The young French attacker landed in Paris from Monaco with a loan with a mandatory purchase option, the following year, of 180 million euros, due to the impossibility of facing such an outlay after the arrival of Neymar Jr., who produced that same summer.

1. Neymar Junior – PSG – €222 M

The signing of Neymar Junios for PSG from FC Barcelona marked a milestone in the history of transfers in European football. So much so that, more than five years after the Brazilian’s arrival at the Parc des Princes, there has still not been another club in the world that has exceeded the 222 million euros that the almighty PSG left in Barcelona’s coffers for one of the best footballers in the world.