9 Most Expensive Transfers in Football History

The world of football has been focused on financial gain for years. It can be the difference between winning the Champions League or falling short for the best clubs in the world, particularly when the competition at the top of the sport has never been higher.

Due to this, some of the best players of all time have switched clubs for astronomical fees over the years. Coupled with huge wages over five-year contracts, they cost clubs hundreds of millions of pounds, but they earn that back if they shine in the hardest competitions in the world.

With that said, here are the nine most expensive transfers that have ever taken place. The record, which took place in 2017, is unlikely to be beaten for a little while, with financial rules and restrictions now typically frustrating clubs and stopping them from making bold transfers.

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9

Jack Grealish

Fee sold for: £100m

Jack Grealish is the most expensive English player of all time — and, at the time, it felt like a fair price for one of the best players in the Premier League. By activating his release clause of £100m, Pep Guardiola secured a winger who could dictate matches with ease.

At Aston Villa, he was always billed as an energetic and creative player who always looked to take defenders on. However, since joining the Citizens, his style of play has adapted to suit Guardiola’s philosophy, often seeing him pass to help their possession-based system.

8

Antoine Griezmann

Fee sold for: £101m

Antoine Griezmann has always been one of the most entertaining players in the world. The Frenchman, who has a history of picking up goals at major international tournaments, shone at Atletico Madrid from 2014 to 2019, but he wanted a new challenge at one of the most historic clubs in the world.

Unfortunately for the Frenchman, he struggled on the Mediterranean coast. Perhaps highlighting the issues at Barcelona in the modern day, he felt the pressure and failed to form an impressive connection with one of the greatest Argentine players of all time, Lionel Messi. For some players, 35 goals in 102 matches would be impressive, but it did not meet Griezmann’s expectations.

7

Eden Hazard

Fee sold for £103m

When Eden Hazard left Chelsea in 2019, they lost one of their greatest players ever. The general expectation was that he would continue his fine form at Real Madrid, but the Belgian never even got close to hitting his best talents.

He joined the club out of shape, foreshadowing his future struggles, before he never solidified a place in the team. With just seven goals in 76 matches, it’s one of the most disappointing transfers of all time — and Hazard eventually retired in 2023 to bring an end to a heartbreaking section of a phenomenal career. Playing for Real Madrid is a dream come true for most; for Hazard, it was a nightmare.

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6

Enzo Fernandez

Fee sold for: £103m

Chelsea’s time during the BlueCo era has been chaotic. In truth, that’s probably understating it, as a constant stream of transfers both in and out of the club has left the team in a state of instability. It’s not how you win the Premier League — and Enzo Fernandez has been a victim of that.

Joining on Deadline Day in January 2023, he is the most expensive Premier League player ever, but – since then – the World Cup winner has not shown the talent to justify the £103m price tag. By struggling to dictate matches and looking uncomfortable in the middle of the park, questions have been asked of the Argentine — and he needs to start performing quickly to pay the fee back. His struggles can be pinpointed to Chelsea’s instability, just as much as his lack of confidence, though.

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5

Joao Felix

Fee sold for: £108m

Joao Felix, just like most players on this list, has not lived up to his potential. When Atletico Madrid signed him from Benfica in July 2019, he was billed as one of the best teenagers in the world. Full of flair and energy, he scored 20 goals and picked up 11 assists in 43 matches for his boyhood club, but he could not replicate that in La Liga.

During his spell in the Spanish capital, which was broken up by loan moves to Barcelona and Chelsea, he scored 34 goals in 131 matches, often struggling for confidence. Now a permanent Chelsea member, he is hoping West London will give him a new form of life.

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4

Ousmane Dembele

Fee sold for £115m

Ousmane Dembele has always been a player capable of sending fear into opponents’ eyes. When Barcelona signed him for a staggering £115m in 2017 from Borussia Dortmund, that was their hope as well, particularly when he was so dangerous in the Bundesliga. However, it became another case of inconsistency for the Frenchman.

Sometimes one of the best wingers in the world, he could also struggle with injury, which saw him have prolonged spells on the sidelines. With 83 goal contributions in 185 matches at Barcelona, he did not live up to the price tag and left for a fee of under £50m in 2023.

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3

Philippe Coutinho

Fee sold for: £115m

Phillipe Coutinho is the third-most expensive player of all time, which means he is also the most expensive player in La Liga history. At £115m, he was billed as one of the best Brazilian players in the world at Liverpool, so no one had any real complaints about the price tag.

However, continuing the curse of Barcelona, the playmaker never kicked into gear. Due to a combination of fitness struggles, lack of confidence and pressure, Coutinho was an underwhelming player for the club, picking up just 39 goal contributions in all competitions.

2

Kylian Mbappe

Fee sold for: £153m

Kylian Mbappe is already one of the best French players of all time — and some would argue he could have been included on that list early on in his career. He originally joined Paris Saint-Germain after a breakout season at Monaco in 2017, although it was technically only a loan with a mandatory purchase a year later.

With a fee of £153m, he’s one of the few players that actually impressed on the pitch. With 256 goals and 108 assists in just 308 matches, Mbappe was the club’s main man, yet he never managed to win the Champions League with them. By leaving for Real Madrid at the end of his contract in 2024, it was a bitter end to a phenomenal spell.

1

Neymar

Fee sold for: £190m

Brazilian winger Neymar, who is one of the greatest Brazilians of all time and has always been compared to Ronaldinho, always wanted to get out of Messi’s spotlight at Barcelona. The Argentine was the main man, even when Neymar was shining. Therefore, the winger moved to Paris Saint-Germain for £190m — matching his release clause.

During his spell in the French capital, Neymar’s elegance and flair made him the man to look up to, but Mbappe’s arrival meant he never truly got the spotlight he wished for. By averaging over a goal or an assist in a match, he dominated Ligue 1 before moving to Saudi Arabia in 2023.