We know that player transfers can cost hundreds of millions of euros and that seems ridiculous to us, but these are the laws of the market, you can’t do anything about it. Here is the list of the most expensive legs in this world, your whole life is not even worth their toe, and that’s how you have to accept it.
1. Neymar, 222 million euros
It is quite simply the most expensive transfer in history. In 2017 Neymar decides to leave Barça, which made him shine, for PSG (which does not make him shine) for the modest sum of 222 million euros. And yeah, the Qataris are loaded with money but that still hasn’t allowed them to bring a Champions League to PSG… And that’s how the good Neymar’s legs have simply become the most expensive in history.
2. Kylian Mbappé, 180 million euros
In second position we find Kyky, still for PSG (decidedly). The transfer of Mbappé from Monaco to Paris cost no less than 180 million euros, the value of a two-room apartment in Paris.
And the news of the day is above all the renewal of Mbappé’s contract, with a salary which should be around 100 million euros net per year and a signing bonus of 300 million. Otherwise how are you? Still saving a penny’s toll to pay for a holiday in Troyes? I sympathize…
3. Philippe Coutinho, 145 million euros
We start a little from PSG (still should not abuse) to talk about another club, FC Barcelona.
The Catalans offered themselves a little nugget in the winter of 2018: Coutinho, who came straight from England, for 145 million euros. Pretty expensive Christmas present.
4. Ousmane Dembélé, 138 million euros
Another Frenchman at the level of the top 5 (we can be proud), it is Ousmane Dembélé whose transfer from Dortmund to Barcelona in the summer of 2017 cost 138 million euros. You realize that we are only three positions above Neymar and yet there is a difference of more than 100 million euros… but hey, nothing is too good for Ney.
5. Joao Felix, 126 million euros
We may sometimes forget it, but it’s not just Barça and Real in Spain in the European giants, there is also Atletico who do not hesitate to spend large sums in their transfer window.
This was the case in the summer of 2019, when the club dropped the modest sum of 126 million euros to count Joao Felix in its ranks, fresh from Benfica.
6. Antoine Griezmann, €120m
And another Frenchman! Like what, France is expensive for European clubs. Grizzou wanted to leave Atletico to join the ranks of the prestigious Catalan club (big mistake, he shone much more at Atletico) for 120 million euros, not bad.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo, 117 millions d’euros
You might be wondering where El Grande CR7 ranks in all of this? Well he’s ‘only’ in 7th position of the most expensive transfers in history, and that was in 2018 when Juve bought the star from Real for 117 million euros. Yes, even talent has a price.
8. Eden Hazard, 115 millions d’euros
An investment that has not paid too much for Real is the 115 million paid to Chelsea in the summer of 2019 to have Eden Hazard, who, in the end, spends more time on the bench than on the ground… too bad.
9. Paul Pogba, 105 millions
Another Frenchman (yes I’ll say it every time, but don’t panic, it’s the last one)!
When Pogba returned to Man U in the summer of 2016, he made a small hole of 105 million euros in the coffers of Juve. We can believe that it is a lot, but if the Old Lady allows herself to drop 117 million euros for Ronaldo two years later, it must be that things must not be going too badly (or that the club likes getting into debt too much, but that’s another discussion).
10. Gareth Bale, 101 millions d’euros
And we end with the Galois Gareth Bale (I almost said “the English”, shame on me), who in 2013 had cost 101 million euros to Real who had bought him from Tottenham. A historic sum for the time, even if it ranks today in 10th place of the most expensive transfers in history.