Top 10 Most Expensive Football Transfers Ever

Kylian Mbappé's move to Real Madrid in June 2024 was technically a free transfer — his PSG contract expired — but his "loyalty bonus" of €70 million from PSG and a reported €150 million signing-on package from Real Madrid made the total cost one of the highest in history. He had refused a €300 million extension at PSG (making it the richest contract in football history) to achieve his Real Madrid dream. He scored 44 goals in his debut La Liga season. The political and commercial maneuvering around his signature involved the French president and FIFA directly.

Philippe Coutinho's £142 million (€160 million) move from Liverpool to Barcelona in January 2018 was at the time the third most expensive transfer ever. Barcelona used money freed from Neymar's sale to fund the deal. Coutinho never fulfilled his potential at Camp Nou, returning to English football via a loan to Bayern Munich (where he won the Bundesliga) before ultimately joining Aston Villa at a fraction of his fee. His career trajectory became a cautionary tale about how transfer fees can destroy player confidence and distort expectations.

Jack Grealish's £100 million transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City in August 2021 was the most expensive transfer in Premier League history. City paid the fee despite Grealish starting only 40% of their league games in his first three seasons — a fact that led to widespread debate about squad rotation under Pep Guardiola and whether the fee represented value. He won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in 2023, making him one of the few £100 million players to directly contribute to a domestic and European treble.

Cristiano Ronaldo's €117 million transfer from Real Madrid to Juventus in July 2018, at age 33, was widely considered a footballing earthquake. He had won four Champions League titles in five years at Madrid. He won two Serie A titles at Juventus but never delivered the Champions League they had bought him for — losing in the quarterfinal to Porto in 2021. He returned to Manchester United in 2021 before joining Al Nassr for €200 million per year in 2023. His Juventus spell remains the most analysed case study in the diminishing returns of late-career superstar transfers.

Romelu Lukaku's £97.5 million return to Chelsea in August 2021 — from Inter Milan, where he had been Serie A top scorer and won the league title — lasted 12 months before he gave an explosive interview to Italian TV saying he "never wanted to leave Inter" and that "the Chelsea transfer was wrong." He was loaned back to Inter the following summer. The deal is widely studied as one of football's most spectacular transfer failures: a world-class player at his peak, a Premier League club with unlimited resources, and zero chemistry between the two parties.

Paul Pogba's return to Manchester United from Juventus in 2016 for €105 million was the world record fee at the time, surpassing Gareth Bale's €100 million move. Pogba had left United for free in 2012 under Sir Alex Ferguson. He won the EFL Cup and Europa League in his first season but his subsequent five years at United were marked by inconsistency, injury, and a deteriorating relationship with successive managers. He left for free in 2022 and tested positive for testosterone in 2023, receiving a four-year ban subsequently reduced to 18 months.

Antoine Griezmann's €120 million move to Barcelona in 2019 was preceded by a Netflix documentary in which he announced he was staying at Atlético, then leaving for Barcelona three weeks later — earning him the nickname "The Decision" after LeBron James's similarly theatrical announcement. Barcelona alleged Atlético knew about the transfer early, triggering a €200 million legal dispute. Griezmann's time at Barcelona was unhappy and he returned to Atlético on loan in 2021 before making the move permanent. He subsequently became one of France's greatest ever international players — thriving away from Barcelona.

Gareth Bale's £85.3 million (€100 million) transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid in September 2013 was the world record fee at the time, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo's 2009 record. He justified every penny in his first season, scoring in the Copa del Rey Final and the Champions League Final. He won four Champions League titles at Madrid but his relationship with the Spanish media deteriorated after he was photographed on the golf course during injuries, and the "Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order" banner at Euro 2020 became iconic.

João Félix's €127 million move from Benfica to Atlético Madrid in 2019 — the fourth most expensive transfer ever at the time — was followed by a fractured relationship with Diego Simeone's defensive system and a loan move to Chelsea in 2023 for €45 million. His Atlético career produced 45 goals in 131 games — a respectable return for a player of his quality but far below the expectations generated by the fee. His story illustrates how a tactically incompatible manager-player relationship can waste generational talent.

Kylian Mbappé's move to Real Madrid in June 2024 was technically a free transfer — his PSG contract expired — but his "loyalty bonus" of €70 million from PSG and a reported €150 million signing-on package from Real Madrid made the total cost one of the highest in history. He had refused a €300 million extension at PSG (making it the richest contract in football history) to achieve his Real Madrid dream. He scored 44 goals in his debut La Liga season. The political and commercial maneuvering around his signature involved the French president and FIFA directly.

Philippe Coutinho's £142 million (€160 million) move from Liverpool to Barcelona in January 2018 was at the time the third most expensive transfer ever. Barcelona used money freed from Neymar's sale to fund the deal. Coutinho never fulfilled his potential at Camp Nou, returning to English football via a loan to Bayern Munich (where he won the Bundesliga) before ultimately joining Aston Villa at a fraction of his fee. His career trajectory became a cautionary tale about how transfer fees can destroy player confidence and distort expectations.

Jack Grealish's £100 million transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City in August 2021 was the most expensive transfer in Premier League history. City paid the fee despite Grealish starting only 40% of their league games in his first three seasons — a fact that led to widespread debate about squad rotation under Pep Guardiola and whether the fee represented value. He won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in 2023, making him one of the few £100 million players to directly contribute to a domestic and European treble.

Cristiano Ronaldo's €117 million transfer from Real Madrid to Juventus in July 2018, at age 33, was widely considered a footballing earthquake. He had won four Champions League titles in five years at Madrid. He won two Serie A titles at Juventus but never delivered the Champions League they had bought him for — losing in the quarterfinal to Porto in 2021. He returned to Manchester United in 2021 before joining Al Nassr for €200 million per year in 2023. His Juventus spell remains the most analysed case study in the diminishing returns of late-career superstar transfers.

Romelu Lukaku's £97.5 million return to Chelsea in August 2021 — from Inter Milan, where he had been Serie A top scorer and won the league title — lasted 12 months before he gave an explosive interview to Italian TV saying he "never wanted to leave Inter" and that "the Chelsea transfer was wrong." He was loaned back to Inter the following summer. The deal is widely studied as one of football's most spectacular transfer failures: a world-class player at his peak, a Premier League club with unlimited resources, and zero chemistry between the two parties.

Paul Pogba's return to Manchester United from Juventus in 2016 for €105 million was the world record fee at the time, surpassing Gareth Bale's €100 million move. Pogba had left United for free in 2012 under Sir Alex Ferguson. He won the EFL Cup and Europa League in his first season but his subsequent five years at United were marked by inconsistency, injury, and a deteriorating relationship with successive managers. He left for free in 2022 and tested positive for testosterone in 2023, receiving a four-year ban subsequently reduced to 18 months.

Antoine Griezmann's €120 million move to Barcelona in 2019 was preceded by a Netflix documentary in which he announced he was staying at Atlético, then leaving for Barcelona three weeks later — earning him the nickname "The Decision" after LeBron James's similarly theatrical announcement. Barcelona alleged Atlético knew about the transfer early, triggering a €200 million legal dispute. Griezmann's time at Barcelona was unhappy and he returned to Atlético on loan in 2021 before making the move permanent. He subsequently became one of France's greatest ever international players — thriving away from Barcelona.

Gareth Bale's £85.3 million (€100 million) transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid in September 2013 was the world record fee at the time, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo's 2009 record. He justified every penny in his first season, scoring in the Copa del Rey Final and the Champions League Final. He won four Champions League titles at Madrid but his relationship with the Spanish media deteriorated after he was photographed on the golf course during injuries, and the "Wales. Golf. Madrid. In that order" banner at Euro 2020 became iconic.

João Félix's €127 million move from Benfica to Atlético Madrid in 2019 — the fourth most expensive transfer ever at the time — was followed by a fractured relationship with Diego Simeone's defensive system and a loan move to Chelsea in 2023 for €45 million. His Atlético career produced 45 goals in 131 games — a respectable return for a player of his quality but far below the expectations generated by the fee. His story illustrates how a tactically incompatible manager-player relationship can waste generational talent.