Have you ever wondered what the most expensive football transfers are? From the Pele to Maradona era, Messi and Ronaldo, Neymar to Mbappe. The most expensive footballer in history is Neymar following his transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.
The Brazilian left Camp Nou for PSG in a move worth €222m (£200m), ending an impressive four-year stay with Barca. Neymar’s move was the first time that a French club had claimed the world transfer record in football.
Prior to that, the most expensive transfer in history was Gareth Bale. He left Tottenham for Real Madrid in 2013 in a €101m deal. That move ended a Cristiano Ronaldo’s record move to Madrid from Man Utd for €94m in 2009. Such has been the rapid increase in market values, that move no longer even sits in the top 10.
Other holders of the world record transfer since the turn of the century have included Kaka (2009), Zinedine Zidane (2001), Luis Figo (2000) and Hernan Crespo (2000).
THE MOST EXPENSIVE TRANSFERS OF ALL TIME
| 1 Neymar | Barcelona to PSG | €220m | 2017 |
| 2 Kylian Mbappe | Monaco to PSG | €180m | 2018 |
| 3 Philippe Coutinho | Liverpool to Barcelona | €135m | 2018 |
| 3 O Dembele | Dortmund to Barcelona | €135m | 2017 |
| 5 Joao Felix | Benfica to Atletico | €127.2m | 2019 |
| 6 Enzo Fernandez | Benfica to Chelsea | €121m | 2023 |
| 7 Antoine Griezmann | Athletico to Barcelona | €120m | 2019 |
| 8 Jack Grealish | Aston Villa to Man City | €127.5m | 2021 |
| 9 Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid to Juventus | €117m | 2018 |
| 10 Declan Rice | Westham to Arsenal | €166.6m | 2023 |
| 11 Moises Caicedo | Brighton to Chelsea | €116m | 2023 |
| 12 Eden Hazard | Chelsea to Real Madrid | €115m | 2019 |
| 13 Romelu Lukaku | Inter to Chelsea | €113m | 2021 |
| 14 Paul Pogba | Juventus to Man U | €105m | 2016 |
| 15 Jude Bellingham | Dortmund to Real Madrid | €103m | 2023 |
