PSG's 10 biggest sales of all time

26 Sep 2023 04:01 CDT
9 min read

Neymar, PSG — © ProShots/FootballTransfers

Paris Saint-Germain have become a prime destination for many of Europe’s best players over the last decade.

Ever since the Ligue 1 side were acquired by Qatar Sports Investments backed by Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the French champions have spent big on star quality at a remarkable rate.

Article continues under the video

In fact, they still hold the record for the most expensive transfer in history, having signed Neymar from Barcelona for €222 million.

Their financial circumstances mean that far more has been spent on players than made from selling them, but they have nonetheless generated some decent profits over the years. However, selling certainly hasn't been their strong point in recent years.

FootballTransfers looks at PSG's biggest sales of all-time.

10. Yuri Berchiche - €24m (Athletic, 2018)

Signed as a potential solution to PSG’s problems at left-back, Yuri Berchiche arrived in the French capital from Real Sociedad but having spent two seasons on loan at Eibar, and clearly struggled to live up to the expectation.

After just one season and 32 appearances for the club, the Spaniard was then sold back to Spain when Athletic Bilbao offered an initial fee of €19 million with €5 million in add-ons for a player that should have perhaps never left the Spanish top flight in the first place.

Sold to the men in green! 💚

Giovani Lo Celso puts the finishing touches on a beautiful Real Betis goal 😍 pic.twitter.com/SDjmwVBpIr

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 4, 2018

9. Javier Pastore - €24.7m (Roma, 2018)

Despite the dubious manner in which Javier Pastore arrived at PSG through third-party means, the player undoubtedly hit the ground running with 16 goals and six assists in 43 games during his first campaign.

The following season saw the Argentina international move out wide but that didn’t stop him scoring nine goals and bagging a further 14 assists as PSG picked up the first of four consecutive league titles.

Pastore would play a crucial role in the club’s treble-winning campaign in the 2013-14 season, but he would eventually be forced to make way for Neymar, when the Brazilian signing not only took Pastore’s place in the side but also his No.10 shirt.

After seven years at the club, Pastore opted for a change and returned to Italy, with a move to Roma for a substantial €24.7 million fee in 2018.

8. Serge Aurier - €25m (Tottenham, 2017)

After a successful three-year spell at Toulouse, Serge Aurier made a loan move to Paris in 2014 as a contender for Christophe Jallet’s right-back position.

Injury got in the way of his first season but nearly as much as the player’s tendency to speak out of line. In February 2015, Aurier picked up a three-match ban for calling a referee a "dirty son of a b*tch" in a Champions League clash with Chelsea.

Nevertheless, PSG bought the player on a permanent deal at the end of the season and Aurier showed what he could do in his second season, with notable goals against Lyon and Shakhtar Donetsk.

However, the right-back would quickly draw a line under his time at PSG when a Periscope video surfaced of Aurier calling Angel Di Maria a “clown”, referring to manager Lauren Blanc by a homophobic slur and the club’s apparent favouritism for striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by El Jefe 🦧 (@sergeaurier)

The player was suspended indefinitely in mid-February, spent the rest of the season playing with the reserves and then made a €25 million move to Tottenham Hotspur a few months later.

7. Blaise Matuidi - €25m (Juventus, 2017)

Blaise Matuidi was already 30 when Juventus decided to pay €25m for his services to add steel and energy to their midfield.

The Frenchman enjoyed a productive time at PSG but he was perhaps never going to be the midfielder to take them to the next, elite Champions League-winning, level.

So, the fact they received €25m again makes for a good deal, even if he was a solid player for the Parisians.

6. Lucas Moura - €28.4m (Tottenham, 2017)

Sir Alex Ferguson famously lamented the fact that PSG would pay so much for a teenage Brazilian sensation in Lucas Moura as Man Utd were priced out of a deal for the winger.

The Red Devils probably dodged a bullet with this one though as Moura never really met expectations while at PSG and was subsequently sold to Tottenham.

Though he undoubtedly had impressive moments for Spurs, most notably the famous goals against Ajax to take the club to its first ever Champions League final, selling him was a decent bit of business for PSG.

5. Ronaldinho - €32.3m (Barcelona, 2003)

Before PSG were a super club, they still had players who were enjoying greatness, or at least on the cusp of it.

Ronaldinho only spent two seasons in Paris but it was enough for Barcelona to scrap a move for Man Utd's David Beckham in order convince the Brazilian to move to Camp Nou.

The rest is history, as Ronaldinho would go on to become the World Player of the Year, helping to usher in the most successful era in Barcelona's history.

Even by today's standards, €32m seems like a pretty bad deal for PSG, and one they would certainly not entertain after the Qatar takeover.

4. David Luiz - €35m (Chelsea, 2016)

PSG made David Luiz the most expensive defender in history at the time when they signed him for €49.5m from Chelsea in 2014.

The Brazilian would spend three seasons in the French capital but the club were only too happy to recoup €35m when Chelsea surprisingly came calling to bring him back to Stamford Bridge.

The talented trio of Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe and Thiago Silva meant that Luiz was not particularly missed after his departure to the Blues.

3. Goncalo Guedes - €40m (Valencia, 2018)

In January of 2017, PSG beat Man Utd to the signature of Benfica star Goncalo Guedes.

A lot was expected of the Portuguese winger, but he only made 13 appearances for his new club in 18 months before being moved on.

Guedes initially left for Valencia on loan thanks to super agent Jorge Mendes's influence at both clubs. A year later, PSG would receive the biggest fee for a player in their history at the time as Los Che paid a whopping €40m for Guedes.

2. Marco Verratti - €45m (Al-Arabi, 2023)

Marco Verratti will be remembered as one of the greatest players in PSG's history - and certainly the most successful midfielder ever to play at the Parc des Princes.

He enjoyed 11 brilliant years in Paris, winning more trophies at the club than anyone before him.

A magnificent midfielder who controlled and dictated the play, Verratti stayed loyal to PSG despite offers from big clubs such as Barcelona.

He eventually departed for Qatar at 31 years old for an impressive fee - given his age - of €45m.

1. Neymar - €90m (Al-Hilal, 2023)

Neymar is both PSG's record arrival and record departure, with his €90m exit to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal becoming the outright largest sum received for a player in PSG's history.

The Brazilian enjoyed flashes of brilliance at the Parc des Princes and certainly delivered in moments, but those were far too fleeting, with Neymar suffering multiple injury issues in France and failing to live up to his hefty €222m price tag.

After continued talks with Barcelona over a return to Spain, Neymar eventually became the latest in a long line of stars to join the lucrative Saudi Pro League in August 2023.