Neymar — Barcelona to PSG (2017) — €222 million

Neymar's move from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in August 2017 for €222 million — activating his release clause in full — remains the most expensive transfer in football history and cost almost twice as much as the previous record. PSG's Qatari ownership paid the fee in a single wire transfer within 24 hours of Neymar's decision. The deal triggered a market inflation that sent transfer fees across Europe soaring. Despite winning Ligue 1 every season he was at PSG, Neymar never delivered the Champions League that justified the fee and left for Al Hilal in 2023.