PSG's 10 biggest sales of all time

FT Desk

• 8 Mar 2026 05:00 CDT
• 7 min read

Analysis

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.

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.

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

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

Sir Alex Ferguson famously lamented the fact that PSG would pay so much for a teenager from Brazil when Man Utd were priced out of a deal for Lucas Moura.

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 for €28.4m was a decent bit of business for PSG.

9. Gianluigi Donnarumma - €30m (to Man City, 2025)

Gianluigi Donnarumma earned himself the nickname "Dollarumma" when he traded AC Milan for PSG in 2021, but it proved to be a smart decision, both financially and in terms of sporting success.

Often accused of not being the most reliable of goalkeepers in possession and when coming off his line, the Italian firmly silenced his doubters in 2025 when he established himself as the undisputed best shot-stopper in the world.

Donnarumma was incredible as PSG won their first Champions League, but this happy marriage wasn't to last much longer due to a contract dispute. The French giants were unwilling to match his salary demands and pushed him out so as not to lose him for free.

Despite his flaws on the ball, Pep Guardiola's Man City surprisingly snapped him up for €30m.

8. Hugo Ekitike - €31.5m (Eintracht Frankfurt, 2024)

Hugo Ekitike was the next big thing in French football when he joined PSG on an initial loan in 2022, but by the time his move became permanent for €28.5m the following year, he had already lost the trust of the club hierarchy.

Stuck at a club that didn't want him, the Frenchman spent six months on the sidelines before Eintracht Frankfurt rescued him. It took a while for him to regain his match sharpness, but the Bundesliga side had seen enough to be convinced that they could make a profit on the €31.5m it would take to sign him.

They were right. After a full season in the Bundesliga, the PSG flop was sold to Liverpool for a whopping €95m, and he immediately hit the ground running at Anfield, outshining record signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.

7. Ronaldinho - €32.3m (to 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, €32.3m seems like a pretty bad deal for PSG, and one they would certainly not have entertained after the Qatar takeover.

6. David Luiz - €35m (to 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 spent 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 back to the Blues.

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

In January 2017, PSG beat Man Utd to the signature of Benfica star Goncalo Guedes, who was tipped for big things at the time.

A lot was expected of the Portuguese winger, but he only made 13 appearances in 18 months for PSG 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 received the biggest fee for a player in their history at the time as Los Che paid a whopping €40m for Guedes.

4. Marco Verratti - €45m (to 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.

3. Xavi Simons - €50m (to RB Leipzig, 2025)

PSG announced the surprise sale of Xavi Simons to RB Leipzig in the 2025 January transfer window for a hugely inflated fee.

RB Leipzig paid an initial €50m to PSG for the player, with up to €30m following in bonus payments, although this figure ultimately would not be hit.

Simons initially joined PSG from Barcelona as a wonderkid in 2019 but never made the grade in Paris. He emerged as a top player at Leipzig after moving there on loan in 2023 before making the transfer permanent.

He was sold the following summer after Leipzig missed out on European football, joining Tottenham for €65m.

2. Manuel Ugarte - €50m (to Manchester United, 2024)

For a period, Manuel Ugarte looked like he could become a PSG legend. He arrived from Sporting CP in the summer of 2023 and immediately shone. His lack of mobility and technical assuredness, however, saw him fall out of the plans of head coach Luis Enrique.

He cut a peripheral figure in the second half of his lone season at Parc des Princes before ultimately moving to Manchester United in a deal potentially worth the same as the €60m that PSG paid for him. Man Utd paid €50m of this upfront, with another €10m dependent on bonuses.

However, his struggles continued at Man Utd, and it is fair to assume that the Red Devils did not have to pay the additional €10m.

1. Neymar - €90m (to 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 the club'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 one of the many stars to join the lucrative Saudi Pro League in August 2023. His spell in Saudi Arabia was a disaster marred by injuries, and he returned to Brazil just 18 months later.

The 10 biggest PSG sales of all time

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