The most expensive football transfers of all time are huge fees, routinely running to figures far in excess of what you or any of us at FourFourTwo would have in our wallets on a day-to-day basis.
It's astonishing to think that a mere eight years ago, a £100 million transfer was unheard of: then came 2017, shattering that barrier, and now, we've seen over ten deals reach that eye-watering sum. Which begs the question: in today's footballing landscape, what is a player truly worth?
One compelling way to gauge a player's market value is by examining the historical transfer fees themselves. Below, you'll find a definitive list of the 100 most expensive football transfers of all time, ranked from the most expensive footballer of all time downwards. All figures are presented in pounds sterling, with exchange rates applied as necessary at the time of the transfer. Please note, these figures have not been adjusted for inflation.
The top 100
The 100 most expensive football transfers of all time
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Fee | Player | Age | Nation | From | To | Season | Window |
1 | £194.51m | Neymar | 25 | 🇧🇷 | Barcelona | Paris Saint-Germain | 2017/18 | Summer |
2 | £159.22m | Kylian Mbappe | 19 | 🇫🇷 | Monaco | Paris Saint-Germain | 2018/19 | Summer |
3 | £118.29m | Philippe Coutinho | 25 | 🇧🇷 | Liverpool | Barcelona | 2017/18 | Winter |
4 | £118.29m | Ousmane Dembele | 20 | 🇫🇷 | Borussia Dortmund | Barcelona | 2017/18 | Summer |
5 | £106.94m | Florian Wirtz | 22 | 🇩🇪 | Bayer Leverkusen | Liverpool | 2025/26 | Summer |
6 | £111.53m | Joao Felix | 19 | 🇵🇹 | Benfica | Atletico Madrid | 2019/20 | Summer |
7 | £105.92m | Eden Hazard | 28 | 🇧🇪 | Chelsea | Real Madrid | 2019/20 | Summer |
8 | £105.22m | Antoine Griezmann | 28 | 🇫🇷 | Atletico Madrid | Barcelona | 2019/20 | Summer |
9 | £103.49m | Cristiano Ronaldo | 33 | 🇵🇹 | Real Madrid | Juventus | 2018/19 | Summer |
10 | £103.13m | Enzo Fernandez | 22 | 🇦🇷 | Benfica | Chelsea | 2022/23 | Winter |
11 | £101.39m | Declan Rice | 24 | 🏴 | West Ham United | Arsenal | 2023/24 | Summer |
12 | £101.01m | Jack Grealish | 25 | 🏴 | Aston Villa | Manchester City | 2021/22 | Summer |
13 | £100.87m | Moises Caicedo | 21 | 🇪🇨 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Chelsea | 2023/24 | Summer |
14 | £98.26m | Jude Bellingham | 20 | 🏴 | Borussia Dortmund | Real Madrid | 2023/24 | Summer |
15 | £97.14m | Romelu Lukaku | 28 | 🇧🇪 | Inter Milan | Chelsea | 2021/22 | Summer |
16 | £85.83m | Paul Pogba | 23 | 🇫🇷 | Juventus | Manchester United | 2016/17 | Summer |
17 | £85.77m | Gareth Bale | 24 | 🏴 | Tottenham | Real Madrid | 2013/14 | Summer |
18 | £83.68m | Cristiano Ronaldo | 24 | 🇵🇹 | Manchester United | Real Madrid | 2009/10 | Summer |
19 | £82.61m | Harry Kane | 30 | 🏴 | Tottenham | Bayern Munich | 2023/24 | Summer |
20 | £82.61m | Randal Kolo Muani | 24 | 🇫🇷 | Eintracht Frankfurt | Paris Saint-Germain | 2023/24 | Summer |
21 | £80.97m | Antony | 22 | 🇧🇷 | Ajax | Manchester United | 2022/23 | Summer |
22 | £78.26m | Josko Gvardiol | 21 | 🇭🇷 | RB Leipzig | Manchester City | 2023/24 | Summer |
23 | £78.26m | Neymar | 31 | 🇧🇷 | Paris Saint-Germain | Al-Hilal | 2023/24 | Summer |
24 | £76.28m | Harry Maguire | 26 | 🏴 | Leicester City | Manchester United | 2019/20 | Summer |
25 | £75.49m | Frenkie de Jong | 22 | 🇳🇱 | Ajax | Barcelona | 2019/20 | Summer |
26 | £75.00m | Matthijs de Ligt | 19 | 🇳🇱 | Ajax | Juventus | 2019/20 | Summer |
27 | £74.73m | Neymar | 21 | 🇧🇷 | Santos | Barcelona | 2013/14 | Summer |
28 | £74.21m | Romelu Lukaku | 24 | 🇧🇪 | Everton | Manchester United | 2017/18 | Summer |
29 | £74.17m | Virgil van Dijk | 26 | 🇳🇱 | Southampton | Liverpool | 2017/18 | Winter |
30 | £73.57m | Gonzalo Higuain | 28 | 🇦🇷 | Napoli | Juventus | 2016/17 | Summer |
31 | £73.07m | Jadon Sancho | 21 | 🏴 | Borussia Dortmund | Manchester United | 2021/22 | Summer |
32 | £72.45m | Darwin Nunez | 23 | 🇺🇾 | Benfica | Liverpool | 2022/23 | Summer |
33 | £71.78m | Dusan Vlahovic | 22 | 🇷🇸 | Fiorentina | Juventus | 2021/22 | Winter |
34 | £71.64m | Arthur Melo | 24 | 🇧🇷 | Barcelona | Juventus | 2020/21 | Summer |
35 | £71.11m | Kai Havertz | 21 | 🇩🇪 | Bayer Leverkusen | Chelsea | 2020/21 | Summer |
36 | £70.77m | Kepa Arrizabalaga | 23 | 🇪🇸 | Athletic Club | Chelsea | 2018/19 | Summer |
37 | £70.15m | Lucas Hernandez | 23 | 🇫🇷 | Atletico Madrid | Bayern Munich | 2019/20 | Summer |
38 | £70.15m | Nicolas Pepe | 24 | 🇨🇮 | Lille | Arsenal | 2019/20 | Summer |
39 | £70.13m | Victor Osimhen | 21 | 🇳🇬 | Lille | Napoli | 2020/21 | Summer |
40 | £69.60m | Hugo Ekitike | 23 | 🇫🇷 | Eintracht Frankfurt | Liverpool | 2025/26 | Summer |
41 | £68.53m | Wesley Fofana | 21 | 🇫🇷 | Leicester City | Chelsea | 2022/23 | Summer |
42 | £68.19m | Aurelien Tchouameni | 22 | 🇫🇷 | Monaco | Real Madrid | 2022/23 | Summer |
43 | £67.65m | Rasmus Hojlund | 20 | 🇩🇰 | Atalanta | Manchester United | 2023/24 | Summer |
44 | £65.84m | Luis Suarez | 27 | 🇺🇾 | Liverpool | Barcelona | 2014/15 | Summer |
45 | £65.25m | Victor Osimhen | 26 | 🇳🇬 | Napoli | Galatasaray | 2025/26 | Summer |
46 | £65.25m | Bryan Mbeumo | 25 | 🇨🇲 | Brentford | Manchester United | 2025/26 | Summer |
47 | £65.22m | Kai Havertz | 24 | 🇩🇪 | Chelsea | Arsenal | 2023/24 | Summer |
48 | £65.17m | Jhon Duran | 21 | 🇨🇴 | Aston Villa | Al-Nassr | 2024/25 | Winter |
49 | £64.88m | Romelu Lukaku | 26 | 🇧🇪 | Manchester United | Inter Milan | 2019/20 | Summer |
50 | £63.69m | Thomas Lemar | 22 | 🇫🇷 | Monaco | Atletico Madrid | 2018/19 | Summer |
51 | £63.64m | Ruben Dias | 23 | 🇵🇹 | Benfica | Manchester City | 2020/21 | Summer |
52 | £63.48m | Julian Alvarez | 24 | 🇦🇷 | Manchester City | Atletico Madrid | 2024/25 | Summer |
53 | £63.48m | Omar Marmoush | 25 | 🇪🇬 | Eintracht Frankfurt | Manchester City | 2024/25 | Winter |
54 | £62.80m | Matheus Cunha | 26 | 🇧🇷 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Manchester United | 2025/26 | Summer |
55 | £61.87m | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 27 | 🇸🇪 | Inter Milan | Barcelona | 2009/10 | Summer |
56 | £61.38m | Rodri | 23 | 🇪🇸 | Atletico Madrid | Manchester City | 2019/20 | Summer |
57 | £60.90m | Luis Diaz | 28 | 🇺🇾 | Liverpool | Bayern Munich | 2025/26 | Summer |
58 | £60.87m | Dominik Szoboszlai | 22 | 🇭🇺 | RB Leipzig | Liverpool | 2023/24 | Summer |
59 | £60.43m | James Rodriguez | 23 | 🇨🇴 | Monaco | Real Madrid | 2014/15 | Summer |
60 | £60.43m | Angel Di Maria | 26 | 🇦🇷 | Real Madrid | Manchester United | 2014/15 | Summer |
61 | £60.22m | Casemiro | 30 | 🇧🇷 | Real Madrid | Manchester United | 2022/23 | Summer |
62 | £59.97m | Riyad Mahrez | 27 | 🇩🇿 | Leicester City | Manchester City | 2018/19 | Summer |
63 | £59.67m | Mykhaylo Mudryk | 22 | 🇺🇦 | Shakhtar Donetsk | Chelsea | 2022/23 | Winter |
64 | £59.67m | Alexander Isak | 22 | 🇸🇪 | Real Sociedad | Newcastle United | 2022/23 | Summer |
65 | £59.65m | Kaka | 27 | 🇧🇷 | Milan | Real Madrid | 2009/10 | Summer |
66 | £59.38m | Mateo Retegui | 26 | 🇮🇹 | Atalanta | Al-Qadsiah | 2025/26 | Summer |
67 | £59.25m | Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | 23 | 🇬🇪 | Napoli | Paris Saint-Germain | 2024/25 | Winter |
68 | £58.87m | Mason Mount | 24 | 🏴 | Chelsea | Manchester United | 2023/24 | Summer |
69 | £58.45m | Achraf Hakimi | 22 | 🇲🇦 | Inter Milan | Paris Saint-Germain | 2021/22 | Summer |
70 | £57.83m | Alvaro Morata | 24 | 🇪🇸 | Real Madrid | Chelsea | 2017/18 | Summer |
71 | £57.25m | Viktor Gyokeres | 27 | 🇸🇪 | Sporting | Arsenal | 2025/26 | Summer |
72 | £57.11m | Matthijs de Ligt | 22 | 🇳🇱 | Juventus | Bayern Munich | 2022/23 | Summer |
73 | £56.99m | Bruno Fernandes | 25 | 🇵🇹 | Sporting | Manchester United | 2019/20 | Winter |
74 | £56.99m | Joao Cancelo | 25 | 🇵🇹 | Juventus | Manchester City | 2019/20 | Summer |
75 | £56.95m | Aymeric Laporte | 23 | 🇪🇸 | Athletic Club | Manchester City | 2017/18 | Winter |
76 | £56.61m | Christian Pulisic | 20 | 🇺🇸 | Borussia Dortmund | Chelsea | 2018/19 | Winter |
77 | £56.52m | Goncalo Ramos | 22 | 🇵🇹 | Benfica | Paris Saint-Germain | 2023/24 | Winter |
78 | £55.86m | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | 28 | 🇬🇦 | Borussia Dortmund | Arsenal | 2017/18 | Winter |
79 | £55.66m | Marc Cucurella | 24 | 🇪🇸 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Chelsea | 2022/23 | Summer |
80 | £55.51m | Mohammed Kudus | 24 | 🇬🇭 | West Ham United | Tottenham | 2025/26 | Summer |
81 | £55.41m | Joao Pedro | 23 | 🇧🇷 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Chelsea | 2025/26 | Summer |
82 | £55.28m | Alisson | 25 | 🇧🇷 | AS Roma | Liverpool | 2018/19 | Summer |
83 | £55.24m | Luka Jovic | 21 | 🇷🇸 | Eintracht Frankfurt | Real Madrid | 2019/20 | Summer |
84 | £55.14m | Kevin De Bruyne | 24 | 🇧🇪 | Wolfsburg | Manchester City | 2015/16 | Summer |
85 | £55.05m | Martin Zubimendi | 26 | 🇪🇸 | Real Sociedad | Arsenal | 2025/26 | Summer |
86 | £54.77m | Edinson Cavani | 26 | 🇺🇾 | Napoli | Paris Saint-Germain | 2013/14 | Summer |
87 | £54.42m | Dominic Solanke | 26 | 🏴 | Bournemouth | Tottenham | 2024/25 | Summer |
88 | £54.38m | Dean Huijsen | 20 | 🇪🇸 | Bournemouth | Real Madrid | 2025/26 | Summer |
89 | £54.36m | Tanguy Ndombele | 22 | 🇫🇷 | Lyon | Tottenham | 2019/20 | Summer |
90 | £54.00m | Romeo Lavia | 19 | 🇧🇪 | Southampton | Chelsea | 2023/24 | Summer |
91 | £53.91m | Matheus Nunes | 25 | 🇵🇹 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Manchester City | 2023/24 | Summer |
92 | £53.42m | Anthony Elanga | 23 | 🇸🇪 | Nottingham Forest | Newcastle United | 2025/26 | Summer |
93 | £53.33m | Miralem Pjanic | 30 | 🇧🇦 | Juventus | Barcelona | 2020/21 | Summer |
94 | £53.07m | Naby Keita | 23 | 🇬🇳 | RB Leipzig | Liverpool | 2018/19 | Summer |
95 | £52.57m | Diego Costa | 29 | 🇧🇷 | Chelsea | Atletico Madrid | 2017/18 | Winter |
96 | £52.47m | Leny Yoro | 18 | 🇫🇷 | Lille | Manchester United | 2024/25 | Summer |
97 | £52.17m | Christopher Nkunku | 25 | 🇫🇷 | RB Leipzig | Chelsea | 2023/24 | Summer |
98 | £52.17m | Manuel Ugarte | 22 | 🇺🇾 | Sporting | Paris Saint-Germain | 2023/24 | Summer |
99 | £52.17m | Otavio | 28 | 🇵🇹 | Porto | Al-Nassr | 2023/24 | Summer |
100 | £52.17m | Malcom | 26 | 🇧🇷 | Zenit Saint-Petersburg | Al-Hilal | 2023/24 | Summer |
The top 100 in chart view
Crunching the numbers
Top of the list, naturally, is Neymar's £194.5m move from Barcelona to PSG in 2017 – and it's one of the most shocking transfers of all time, 'n' all.
Kylian Mbappe is second on the list – and the most expensive teenager of all time – while Liverpool's recent acquisition of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen ranks as the most expensive Premier League buy ever.
The oldest transfers on the list remain Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kaka in 2009/10 to the Clasico giants, with Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid move of the early 2000s only recently wiped from the top 100.
Declan Rice ranks as the most expensive English player of all time with his 2023 move to Arsenal, with Gareth Bale the costliest Welshman, of course.
Of the 100 most expensive transfers of all time, Benfica are the biggest beneficiaries, having raked in a whopping £407m on Joao Felix, Enzo Fernandez, Darwin Nunez and Ruben Dias – only one other club have made five sales in the top 100, and that's Borussia Dortmund, collecting £402m for Ousmane Dembele, Jude Bellingham, Jadon Sancho, Christian Pulisic and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Benfica are also the only club to date to have sold two players for £100m+ (Joao Felix to Atletico Madrid being the other).
When it comes to buyers, Chelsea and Manchester United lead the list with 13 transfers each, Manchester City have 10 buys in the top 100, and Real Madrid have nine: over half the players on the list moved to the Premier League, and no one on the list moved to a team outside the so-called Big Six.
86 per cent of the list were transferred in the summer, leaving the remaining 14 per cent winter window moves: Philippe Coutinho's switch from Liverpool to Barcelona remains the biggest-ever winter transfer and incidentally, the biggest transfer fee received by a Premier League side from an overseas club.
Six players appear on the list more than once: only two players appear three times – Neymar and Romelu Lukaku – with the pair ranked no.1 and no.2 and respectively for cumulative transfer fees.
71 per cent of the top 100 transfers have been moves for players aged 21 to 25, with Manchester United linked to the youngest and oldest: Leny Yoro's Old Trafford transfer is the only 18-year-old on the list, while Red Devils legend Cristiano Ronaldo is the oldest – though not for joining or leaving United. His move to Juventus from Real Madrid for £103.5m in 2018 came when he was 33.
Ready for some more trivia? Lovely. Nicolas Pepe is the most expensive African player of all time, although that is much to his chagrin... and to Arsenal's.
South Korean international Kim Min-Jae is the most expensive Asian player of all time: he moved from Napoli to Bayern Munich for €50m in 2023 (though Wirtz' move to Merseyside toppled him from the top 100). North America has just one representative in the top 100 transfers list, meanwhile, via USA international Christian Pulisic's move from Dortmund to Chelsea in 2019.
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