- 3 December
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The 10 most expensive Spanish players of all time
Carlo Garganese
- Updated: 21 Oct 2023 19:20 BST
- 4 min read
Kepa Arrizabalaga is the most expensive Spanish footballer of all time for his transfer to Chelsea from Athletic Bilbao for €80 million.
The goalkeeper made the move to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2018, becoming the most expensive goalkeeper of all time.
Kepa has failed to live up to his potential at Chelsea, struggling to be a regular for much of his time at the club. In 2023 he moved on loan to Real Madrid to cover for the injured Thibaut Courtois after an ACL injury.
READ: What are the most expensive transfers of all time? The 50 highest fees in history
The second most expensive Spanish soccer player in history is Rodri, who moved to Man City from Atletico Madrid in 2019 for €70m.
Rodri has been a big success at the Etihad, developing into one of the best holding midfielders in the world under manager Pep Guardiola and scoring the winner in the 2023 Champions League final against Inter Milan.
The third most expensive Spanish transfer ever is Alvaro Morata for his move to Chelsea from Real Madrid for €66m in 2017.
But like Kepa, Morata was also a big disappointment at Chelsea as the club’s infamous number 9 curse continued with the Spaniard. He was sold to Atletico Madrid in 2020.
The fourth most expensive Spanish player ever is Marc Cucurella for his €65m move to Chelsea from Brightonin 2022.
So far, things have not gone well for Cucurella in London and he endured a bad first season.
The fifth biggest Spanish transfer is another Man City signing in the form of Aymeric Laporte’s €65m move from Athletic Bilbao in 2017.
Laporte was always a first-choice player but played his role in Man City’s dominance of English football under Guardiola. He left in 2023 for Al Nassr.
The 10 most expensive Spanish soccer players of all time
| Player | Clubs | Fee | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kepa Arrizabalaga | Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea | €80m | 2018 |
| Rodri | Atletico Madrid to Man City | €80m | 2019 |
| Alvaro Morata | Real Madrid to Chelsea | €66m | 2017 |
| Marc Cucurella | Brighton to Chelsea | €65m | 2022 |
| Aymeric Laporte | Athletic Bilbao to Man City | €65m | 2017 |
| Diego Costa | Chelsea to Atetico Madrid | €60m | 2017 |
| Fernando Torres | Liverpool to Chelsea | €59m | 2011 |
| Ferran Torres | Man City to Barcelona | €55m | 2022 |
| Gaizka Mendieta | Valencia to Lazio | €48m | 2001 |
| Pedro Porro | Sporting Lisbon to Tottenham | €45m | 2023 |
In sixth place is Diego Costa for his €60m move to Atletico Madrid from Chelsea in 2017. Costa failed to pay back that money.
In seventh is an older transfer in the form of Fernando Torres’ disastrous switch from Liverpool to Chelsea in 2011 for €59m.
Torres proved to be one of the biggest flops in Premier League history, although he did help Chelsea win the Champions League in 2012 with a crucial goal in the semi final versus Barcelona.
Another Torres is eight with Ferran Torres' €55m move from Man City to Barcelona. So far he has struggled for a regular place at Camp Nou.
There is another older transfer in ninth place with Gaizka Mendieta’s €48m move from Valencia to Lazio in 2001. He was a massive flop.
In 10th place is Pedro Porro for his €45m move from Sporting Lisbon to Tottenham in 2023.
