What are the most expensive transfers of all time? The 50 highest fees in history

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 24 May 2023 17:16 BST
• 10 min read

The 2023 summer transfer window is just weeks away now - and we can expect a host of record-breaking moves in the market.

After all, the January 2023 transfer window was one of the craziest ever when it came to massive deals.

The two biggest of all involved Chelsea as they signed Enzo Fernandez on Deadline Day for €121 million from Benfica, having earlier in the month hijacked Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhailo Mudryk from under Arsenal's noses for €100m.

Both of these transfers made the top 50 most expensive players of all time.

Premier League 2022/23 January transfers: All the Done Deals

The 2023 summer transfer window will witness more astronomical spending.

Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund is already close to completion for a fee of between €100-120m. Victor Osimhen could also transfer for a fee of €150m or more, while the likes of Declan Rice, Randal Kolo Muani and Harry Kane could all move for massive amounts of money.

So what are the biggest transfer fees in football history?

Neymar to PSG

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 was the first time a French club had claimed the world record for football transfers.

The biggest transfers to take place since then have not come close to the record.

In the same summer as Neymar's move, Kylian Mbappe switched from Monaco to PSG, though the deal did not become permanent until 2018.

It was worth €180m and is the second highest transfer fee of all time.

World record transfers

The move for Neymar saw him claim the title for biggest transfer of all time from Paul Pogba.

Pogba previously set the all-time transfer record in 2016, his move from Juventus to Manchester United costing €105m.

Paul Pogba, Manchester United

Prior to that, the most expensive transfer in history was Gareth Bale, who left Tottenham for Real Madrid in 2013 in a €101m deal.

That move ended a four-year stay in top spot for Cristiano Ronaldo, whose own move to Madrid from Man Utd cost €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 transfer record changed hands five times between 1996 and 1999, being held by Ronaldo and Alan Shearer before the Brazilian striker won it back by joining Inter in 1997. He is the only player since the late Diego Maradona to hold the record twice.

After Ronaldo, Denilson and Christian Vieri then took the honour.

READ MORE: What is Lionel Messi’s net worth and how much does he earn?

Here is a detailed run through of the biggest transfers in football history.

The 50 most expensive transfers ever

1. Neymar (Barcelona to PSG, 2017) - €222m

2. Kylian Mbappe (Monaco to PSG, 2017) - €180m

3. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool to Barcelona, 2018) - €145m

4. Joao Felix (Benfica to Atletico Madrid, 2019) - €126m

5. Enzo Fernandez (Benfica to Chelsea, 2023) - €121m

6. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid to Barcelona, 2019) - €120m

7. Jack Grealish (Aston Villa to Man City, 2021) - €118m

8. Romelu Lukaku (Inter to Chelsea, 2021) - €115m

=9. Ousmane Dembele (Dortmund to Barcelona, 2017) - €105m

=9. Paul Pogba (Juventus to Man Utd, 2016) - €105m

11. Gareth Bale (Tottenham to Real Madrid, 2013) - €101m

=12. Eden Hazard (Chelsea to Real Madrid, 2019) - €100m

=12. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid to Juventus, 2018) - €100m

=12. Aurelien Tchouameni (Monaco to Real Madrid, 2022) - €100m

=12. Darwin Nunez(Benfica to Liverpool, 2022) - €100m

=12. Antony(Ajax to Man Utd, 2022) - €100m

=12. Mykhailo Mudryk(Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea, 2023) - €100m

18. Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd to Real Madrid, 2009) - €94m

19. Wesley Fofana (Leicester City to Chelsea, 2022) - €93m

20. Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli to Juventus, 2016) - €90m

21. Harry Maguire (Leicester to Man Utd, 2019) - €87m

22. Neymar (Santos to Barcelona, 2013) - €86m

=23. Romelu Lukaku (Everton to Man Utd, 2017) - €85m

=23. Jadon Sancho (Dortmund to Man Utd, 2021) - €85m

25. Virgil van Dijk (Southampton to Liverpool, 2018) - €84.5m

26. Luis Suarez (Liverpool to Barcelona, 2014) - €82.3m

=27. Romelu Lukaku (Man Utd to Inter, 2019) - €80m

=27. Nicolas Pepe (Lille to Arsenal, 2019) - €80m

=27. Kepa Arrizabalaga (Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea, 2018) - €80m

=27. Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid to Bayern, 2019) - €80m

=27. Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus to Bayern, 2022) - €80m

32. Kai Havertz (Leverkusen to Chelsea, 2020) - €77m

33. Zinedine Zidane (Juventus to Real Madrid, 2001) - €76m

34. Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid to Man Utd, 2014) - €75.6m

=35. Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax to Juventus, 2019) - €75m

=35. Frenkie de Jong (Ajax to Barcelona, 2019) - €75m

=35. James Rodriguez (Monaco to Real Madrid, 2014) - €75m

=35. Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg to Man City, 2015) - €75m

39. Arthur Melo (Barcelona to Juventus, 2020) - €72m

40. Casemiro (Real Madrid to Man Utd, 2022) - €71m

=41. Dusan Vlahovic (Fiorentina to Juventus, 2022) - €70m

=41. Victor Osimhen (Lille to Napoli, 2020) - €70m

=41. Rodri (Atletico Madrid to Man City, 2019) - €70m

=41. Thomas Lemar (Monaco to Atletico Madrid, 2018) - €70m

=41. Richarlison (Everton to Tottenham, 2022) - €70m

46. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter to Barcelona, 2009) - €69.5m

47. Ruben Dias (Benfica to Man City, 2020) - €68m

48. Riyad Mahrez (Leicester to Man City, 2018) - €67.8m

49. Kaka (Milan to Real Madrid, 2009) - €67m

50. Alvaro Morata (Real Madrid to Chelsea, 2017) - €65.5m

Who is the most expensive goalkeeper of all time?

Chelsea have regretted their decision to make Kepa Arrizabalaga the biggest transfer for a goalkeeper in football history when they splashed out €80m to sign the Spain keeper from Athletic Bilbao in 2018.

Kepa, Chelsea

Kepa broke the record previously held by Alisson, a signing that proved much more successful for Liverpool.

They spent €62.5m to sign him from Roma a month before Kepa joined Chelsea and the Brazil international, along with defender Virgil van Dijk, helped to address major weaknesses that were holding Liverpool back.

Brazil international Alisson helped Liverpool win the Champions League and Premier League in successive seasons.

Who is the most expensive defender of all time?

The record transfer for a defender is held by Harry Maguire, who joined Manchester United from Leicester City for €87m in 2019.

Maguire took the record from Virgil van Dijk, an €84.5m signing for Liverpool from Southampton a year earlier.

Who is the most expensive midfielder of all time?

Philippe Coutinho goes down as the biggest transfer involving a midfielder (even if he can also play further forward) – a move that did not work out for Barcelona.

Coutinho became the most expensive January transfer signing ever in 2018, when he pushed to leave Liverpool for Barca.

Coutinho, Barcelona

The Catalans had not found a suitable replacement for Neymar and felt that by spending big on his compatriot, they would find an answer to their problems. He has since left for Aston Villa.

Jack Grealish, Aurelien Tchouameni, Paul Pogba and Kai Havertz all moved for over €100m, with Zinedine Zidane still featuring prominently despite his move to Real Madrid from Juventus taking place 20 years ago.

Who is the most expensive forward of all time?

Neymar and Kylian Mbappe fill the first two spots in this ranking, as well as the overall list.

Brazil star Neymar is also the most expensive South American signing ever, with Mbappe holding the record for Europe.

Neymar, PSG

Who is the most expensive teenager of all time?

Kylian Mbappe became the most expensive teenage transfer ever when he joined PSG.

That move smashed the record previously held by Anthony Martial when he joined Man Utd from Monaco in 2015.

There have been some huge transfers for teenagers since Mbappe, though none which have threatened the record.

Kylian Mbappe, PSG

Joao Felix (€126m) joined Atletico Madrid in the fourth biggest transfer ever while Juventus splashed out €75m for Matthijs de Ligt in 2019.

The second of PSG’s mega-money signings of 2017 that completely changed the landscape of the transfer market, Mbappe actually arrived at the club on a loan deal that had a clause that would be made permanent if Les Parisiens avoided relegation. This was inevitable and purely installed to circumvent Financial Fair Play.

Mbappe has gone some way to realising his potential at Parc des Princes, becoming a World Cup winner in 2018 and continuing to score at the prodigious rate expected of him.

A hat-trick against Barcelona at Camp Nou in the 2020/21 Champions League last 16 seemed to confirm his rise to superstar status.

Who is the most expensive English player of all time?

Jack Grealish overtook Harry Maguire as the most expensive Englishman in history in 2021 at £100m (or €118m) when he joined Man City from Aston Villa.

He also overtook Gareth Bale as the biggest British transfer ever, eclipsing the Welshman's transfer from Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013.

Who is the most expensive North American player of all time?

Christian Pulisic holds the record for the biggest transfer involving a North American player.

He joined Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund for €64m in 2019 and has yet to fully find his peak form after battling with injuries.

Christian Pulisic, Chelsea

The North American record may not be threatened in the coming years unless Canada international Alphonso Davies, one of the game’s best rising stars, ever leaves Bayern Munich.

Who is the most expensive African player of all time?

Nicolas Pepe is the biggest transfer involving an African player.

It cost Arsenal an astonishing €80m to sign the Ivory Coast forward from Lille in 2019.

Pepe proved to be a flop at the Emirates Stadium.

Nicolas Pepe, Arsenal

Lille are also responsible for the second biggest move involving an African player. They sold Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen to Napoli for €70m in 2020.

What is the most expensive Premier League transfer of all time?

Enzo Fernandez is the most expensive Premier League transfer in terms of those bought by an English club.

He overtook previous record holder Jack Grealish.

Who has the highest combined transfer fees of all time?

Romelu Lukaku overtook Neymar in 2021 as the player with the highest combined transfer fees of all time as his transfers involving Anderlecht, Chelsea (twice), Everton, Man Utd and Inter total an incredible €328m. His loan move back to Inter also cost a further €8m and it is likely this loan move will be extended for another fee.

His last three permanent moves alone came to €280m.