‎The 100 Most Expensive Football Transfers Ever: Complete List and Record-Breaking Deals

By: Shawn
‎The football transfer market never fails to thrill fans, with record-breaking moves making headlines every season. From multi-million euro transfers in Europe’s top leagues to recent high-profile signings in the Middle East, the world of football transfers is more competitive—and expensive—than ever.
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‎The benchmark for big-money moves was set in 2017 when Paris Saint-Germain signed Neymar from Barcelona for a staggering €222 million, followed by Kylian Mbappe from Monaco for €145 million plus €35 million in add-ons. These two remain the most expensive transfers in football history, signaling a new era of inflated transfer fees.
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Discover the 100 priciest football transfers in history, from Neymar and Mbappe to the latest Premier League, La Liga, and Saudi Pro League megadeals reshaping football.
‎Getty Images Sport 
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‎Following PSG’s blockbuster deals, several European clubs invested heavily in new talent. Barcelona sought to replace Neymar with Ousmane Dembele (€105m + €40m), Philippe Coutinho (€120m + €40m), and Antoine Griezmann (€120m). Atletico Madrid spent €126 million on Joao Felix, while Real Madrid paid €100 million to secure Eden Hazard.
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‎The Covid-19 pandemic briefly disrupted the market, but by 2021, clubs—particularly in the Premier League—resumed large-scale spending. English clubs made headline signings including Declan Rice (€117m + €6m), Enzo Fernandez (€121m), Jack Grealish (€117m), Jadon Sancho (€85m), Mykhailo Mudryk (€70m + €30m), Antony (€95m + €5m), Darwin Nunez (€75m + €25m), and Moises Caicedo (€117m + €17.5m).
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‎Meanwhile, Real Madrid reinforced their dominance with Jude Bellingham (€103m + €31m) and Aurelien Tchouameni (€80m + €20m), and Bayern Munich made a splash by signing Harry Kane (€100m + €16m).
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‎The Middle East has also emerged as a major player. In 2023, Saudi Pro League clubs acquired stars like Cristiano Ronaldo (€100m), Karim Benzema, and Neymar (€90m), signaling a new global dynamic in the transfer market.
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‎Recent years have also seen young players climb the transfer rankings. Alexander Isak moved from Newcastle to Liverpool in 2025 for €144.5 million, joining Neymar and Mbappe in the top 5. Julian Alvarez entered the top 50 after his transfer to Atletico Madrid in 2024 (€75m + €20m), highlighting the growing trend of massive investments in emerging talent.
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‎The 100 Most Expensive Football Transfers of All Time
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‎1. Neymar – Barcelona → PSG, 2017, €222m
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‎2. Kylian Mbappe – Monaco → PSG, 2017, €145m (+€35m)
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‎3. Alexander Isak – Newcastle → Liverpool, 2025, €144.5m
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‎4. Joao Felix – Benfica → Atletico Madrid, 2019, €126m
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‎5. Enzo Fernandez – Benfica → Chelsea, 2023, €121m
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‎6. Philippe Coutinho – Liverpool → Barcelona, 2018, €120m (+€40m)
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‎7. Antoine Griezmann – Atletico Madrid → Barcelona, 2019, €120m
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‎8. Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen → Liverpool, 2025, €118m (+€19m)
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‎9. Moises Caicedo – Brighton → Chelsea, 2023, €117m (+€17.5m)
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‎10. Declan Rice – West Ham → Arsenal, 2023, €117m (+€6m)
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‎11. Jack Grealish – Aston Villa → Manchester City, 2021, €117m
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‎12. Romelu Lukaku – Inter → Chelsea, 2021, €115m
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‎13. Ousmane Dembele – Borussia Dortmund → Barcelona, 2017, €105m (+€40m)
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‎14. Paul Pogba – Juventus → Manchester United, 2016, €105m (+€5m)
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‎15. Jude Bellingham – Dortmund → Real Madrid, 2023, €103m (+€31m)
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‎16. Gareth Bale – Tottenham → Real Madrid, 2013, €100.8m
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‎17. Eden Hazard – Chelsea → Real Madrid, 2019, €100m (+€46m)
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‎18. Harry Kane – Tottenham → Bayern Munich, 2023, €100m (+€16m)
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‎19. Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrid → Juventus, 2018, €100m
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‎20. Antony – Ajax → Manchester United, 2022, €95m (+€5m)
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‎21. Harry Maguire – Leicester → Manchester United, 2019, €94m
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‎22. Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United → Real Madrid, 2009, €94m
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‎23. Gonzalo Higuain – Napoli → Juventus, 2016, €90m
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‎24. Neymar – PSG → Al-Hilal, 2023, €90m
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‎25. Josko Gvardiol – RB Leipzig → Manchester City, 2023, €90m
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‎26. Romelu Lukaku – Everton → Manchester United, 2017, €88m (+€17.5m)
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‎27. Neymar – Santos → Barcelona, 2013, €86.2m
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‎28. Jadon Sancho – Borussia Dortmund → Manchester United, 2021, €85m
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‎29. Virgil van Dijk – Southampton → Liverpool, 2018, €84.5m
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‎30. Luis Suarez – Liverpool → Barcelona, 2014, €82m
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‎31. Wesley Fofana – Leicester → Chelsea, 2022, €80.5m (+€6m)
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‎32. Aurelien Tchouameni – Monaco → Real Madrid, 2022, €80m (+€20m)
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‎33. James Rodriguez – Monaco → Real Madrid, 2014, €80m
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‎34. Kepa Arrizabalaga – Athletic Club → Chelsea, 2018, €80m
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‎35. Lucas Hernandez – Atletico Madrid → Bayern Munich, 2019, €80m
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‎36. Romelu Lukaku – Manchester United → Inter, 2019, €80m
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‎37. Nicolas Pepe – Lille → Arsenal, 2019, €79m
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‎38. Alvaro Morata – Real Madrid → Chelsea, 2017, €78.9m
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‎39.Zinedine Zidane – Juventus → Real Madrid, 2001, €77.5m
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‎40. Darwin Nunez – Benfica → Liverpool, 2022, €75m (+€25m)
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‎41. Julian Alvarez – Manchester City → Atletico Madrid, 2024, €75m (+€20m)
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‎42. Randal Kolo Muani – Eintracht Frankfurt → PSG, 2023, €75m (+€15m)
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‎43. Matthijs de Ligt – Ajax → Juventus, 2019, €75m (+€10.5m)
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‎44. Rasmus Hojlund – Atalanta → Manchester United, 2023, €75m (+€9m)
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‎45. Kevin De Bruyne – Wolfsburg → Manchester City, 2015, €75m
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‎46. Frenkie de Jong – Ajax → Barcelona, 2019, €75m
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‎47. Dusan Vlahovic – Fiorentina → Juventus, 2022, €75m
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‎48. Angel Di Maria – Real Madrid → Manchester United, 2014, €74.6m
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‎49. Alisson Becker – Roma → Liverpool, 2018, €73m
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‎50. Arthur Melo – Barcelona → Juventus, 2020, €72m (+€10m)
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‎51. Kai Havertz – Chelsea → Arsenal, 2023, €72m (+€3.5m)
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‎52. Antoine Semenyo – Bournemouth → Manchester City, 2025, €72m (+€1.7m)
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‎53. Casemiro – Real Madrid → Manchester United, 2022, €71m (+€11.8m)
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‎54. Mykhailo Mudryk – Shakhtar Donetsk → Chelsea, 2023, €70m (+€30m)
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‎55. Kai Havertz – Bayer Leverkusen → Chelsea, 2020, €70m (+€9m)
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‎56. Luka Jovic – Eintracht Frankfurt → Real Madrid, 2019, €70m
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‎57. Rodri – Atletico Madrid → Manchester City, 2019, €70m
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‎58. Sandro Tonali – AC Milan → Newcastle United, 2023, €70m
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‎59. Dominik Szoboszlai – RB Leipzig → Liverpool, 2023, €70m
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‎60. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Inter → Barcelona, 2009, €69.5m
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‎61. Raheem Sterling – Liverpool → Manchester City, 2015, €69.1m
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‎62. Ruben Dias – Benfica → Manchester City, 2020, €68m (+€3.6m)
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‎63. Riyad Mahrez – Leicester → Manchester City, 2019, €67.8m
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‎64. Matthijs de Ligt – Juventus → Bayern Munich, 2022, €67m (+€10m)
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‎65. Diego Costa – Chelsea → Atletico Madrid, 2018, €66m
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‎66. Marc Cucurella – Brighton → Chelsea, 2022, €65.1m (+€8.2m)
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‎67. Alexander Isak – Real Sociedad → Newcastle, 2022, €65m (+€5m)
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‎68. Thomas Lemar – Monaco → Atletico Madrid, 2018, €65m
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‎69. Jeremy Doku – Rennes → Manchester City, 2023, €65m
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‎70. Kaka – AC Milan → Real Madrid, 2009, €65m
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‎71. Aymeric Laporte – Athletic Club → Manchester City, 2018, €65m
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‎72. Joao Cancelo – Juventus → Manchester City, 2019, €65m (inc. Danilo)
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‎73. Edinson Cavani – Napoli → PSG, 2013, €64.5m
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‎74. Christian Pulisic – Borussia Dortmund → Chelsea, 2019, €64m
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‎75. Mason Mount – Chelsea → Manchester United, 2023, €63.9m (+€5.8m)
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‎76. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Borussia Dortmund → Arsenal, 2018, €63.75m
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‎77. David Luiz – Chelsea → PSG, 2014, €62m (+€6m)
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‎78. Romeo Lavia – Southampton → Chelsea, 2023, €62m (+€6m)
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‎79. Matheus Nunes – Wolves → Manchester City, 2023, €62m
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‎80. Angel Di Maria – Manchester United → PSG, 2015, €61.6m
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‎81. Achraf Hakimi – Inter → PSG, 2021, €60m (+€11m)
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‎82. Miralem Pjanic – Juventus → Barcelona, 2020, €60m (+€5m)
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‎83. Oscar – Chelsea → Shanghai SIPG, 2017, €60m
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‎84. Christopher Nkunku – RB Leipzig → Chelsea, 2023, €60m
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‎85. Manuel Ugarte – Sporting CP → PSG, 2023, €60m
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‎86. Erling Haaland – Borussia Dortmund → Manchester City, 2022, €60m
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‎87. Naby Keita – RB Leipzig → Liverpool, 2018, €60m
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‎88. Luis Figo – Barcelona → Real Madrid, 2000, €60m
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‎89. Tanguy Ndombele – Lyon → Tottenham, 2019, €60m
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‎90. Malcom – Zenit → Al-Hilal, 2023, €60m
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‎91. Otavio – Porto → Al-Nassr, 2023, €60m
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‎92. Raphinha – Leeds United → Barcelona, 2022, €59m (+€6m)
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‎93. Fernando Torres – Liverpool → Chelsea, 2011, €59m
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‎94. Fred – Shakhtar Donetsk → Manchester United, 2018, €58.9m
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‎95. Jorginho – Napoli → Chelsea, 2018, €58.9m
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‎96. Hulk – Zenit → Shanghai SIPG, 2016, €58.6m
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‎97. Ben White – Brighton → Arsenal, 2021, €58.6m
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‎98. Benjamin Mendy – Monaco → Manchester City, 2017, €58.2m
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‎99. Richarlison – Everton → Tottenham, 2022, €58m (+€12m)
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‎100. John Stones – Everton → Manchester City, 2016, €58m
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‎101. Kyle Walker – Tottenham → Manchester City, 2017, €56.7m
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‎Neymar’s €222 million move remains the pinnacle of transfer spending, and with clubs in Europe and the Middle East continuing to flex their financial muscles, it’s only a matter of time before a new record emerges. For now, Neymar, Mbappe, and rising stars like Alexander Isak dominate the list of the 100 most expensive football transfers ever.

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