Last update 11 June, 2024 por Alberto Llopis

Who are the most expensive signings in history? As each every year, while small and medium fichando clubs are struggling to survive what they can, generally cost zero (except in the Premier), the big draw to return the book to go to the market to break the deck. Esto, causes the ranking of the most expensive signings in history change each year. En el verano del 2017 there was a big deck break, with the signing of Neymar for PSG by a staggering 222 millions of euros. But it was not the last bombing of a PSG that has broken the market several times.

The most expensive signings in the history of football

Neymar JR

The Brazilian starred in the soap opera of the summer 2017 . One that ended with the bones of Neymar in the Parisian team due to the brutal amount of 222 millions of euros that marked the termination clause of the Brazilian converting Neymar and surely for a long time, the most expensive signing in the history of football.

Kylian Mbappé

The French starred in another soap opera in the summer of 2022, but not for his signing but for his renewal by PSG, who had paid for him 145 million in 2018, just one year after having released the mortar for Neymar JR.

Philippe Coutinho

Barça went crazy with Neymar JR's money and undertook a series of ruinous operations that did not give them benefits. Una de ellas was the signing of Coutinho for 140 millions of euros. A player who has spent years as a culé with several assignments and with more pain than glory.

Ousmane Dembele

With the same money of the signing of Neymar, en el verano de 2017 Barcelona invested 138 million euros in the signing of Ousmane Dembelé. The Frenchman alternated great performances with long periods of inactivity to end up going out for free in the summer of 2022 after the end of the contract and not renewing. A frustrating operation, one more of the culés who did not know how to invest the 222 million they received for the Brazilian.

Joao Felix

Atlético broke the bank for a teenage Portuguese boy named Joao Felix who was beginning to stand out in European football. The rojiblancos paid 126 million euros for Joao to Benfica en el verano de 2019.

Antoine Griezmann

Of course, Atlético had fresh money to sign Joao Felix because that same summer transferred to Antoine Griezmann by 120 million euros to a Barça that for a few years, made some of the worst investments in its history. The Frenchman was never convincing and ended up returning on loan to Atlético in the summer of 2021, tan solo 2 years after leaving.

Paul Pogba

Manchester United paid in summer 2016 the chilling figure 120 millions of euros thus making the Frenchman the most expensive signing in football history at the time. A fact quite bloody since the player, He came precisely in the United 2012 almost free of charge to the English club estimate that the French did not measure up to play at Old Trafford. Four years later he returned after a major coup talonario, something with a little confidence could have been avoided.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Florentino paid the not inconsiderable figure of 94 millions of euros to Manchester United in 2009. The Portuguese has busted all possible numbers and data with the white shirt. As media within the field and off it, was the Madridista image for a long time and became the top scorer in the history of Real Madrid. Later he starred in another of the most expensive signings in history when he was transferred by himself Real Madrid to Juve for 117 million in 2018.

Jack Grealish

Guardiola's City broke the bank to sign the talented Jack Grealish for the number of 116 millions of euros en el verano de 2021. At the time of signing, the Briton had only been in the English elite for a few seasons and had not yet played in any European competition. But his talent was well worth it.

Eden Hazard

Another famous signing was that of the Belgian star for Real Madrid in the prolific summer of 2019, a few months before it happened what we all know. The whites paid Chelsea 115 millions by one of the great stars of European football at that time and that in his time as a madridista has been withering to the point of being a shadow of his former self, at least until now.

Gareth Bale

Tottenham said 100, Florentino 91. Lo cierto, It is that the latter figure was the one who finally became an official. Real Madrid broke the market at the time with the signing of Welsh in his first season may not shine at the height of a player so expensive but made a good season. He appeared at key moments to score fundamental goals such as the great goal against Barça in the Cup final in Valencia, the one in the Champions League final against Atlético or his two goals also in the Champions League final against Liverpool in 2018. Se marchó del Real Madrid en 2022 with a very questionable end of stage.

Gonzalo Higuain

The Argentine Higuain broke the summer market 2016 with a multimillion-dollar transfer to Juventus Napoli for nothing more and nothing less than 90 millions of euros. A move that did not sit well to his old hobby.

Luis Suárez

Uruguay IOL in the World Cup in Brazil 2014 after biting Chillini, his third victim in a few years. this action, It costs him a brutal punishment that met almost strictly debuting in November. Pese a ello, Barca scratched his pocket to disburse the not inconsiderable figure of 81 million euros for a player who carries the blood goal. This was demonstrated in a dream season with a hat-trick included.

James Rodríguez

Colombia and he starred in a move quite high when he changed the Oporto for Monaco. He was the top scorer of the World Cup in Brazil 2014 where his good work made her fall in love Florentino chromium and added to his collection by 80 millions of euros. Casi nada.

Kevin De Bruyne

He 30 of August of 2015, almost on the horn of the transfer market this year, Manchester City paid 75 million by the Belgian player who militated in Wolfsburg. The signing surprised given the short tour of the young player at that time in professional football and the excessive price paid for it.

Zinedine Zidane

Florentino Perez is the leader and pioneer in this ranking, since almost all more expensive signings in history are yours. The second one was Zinedine Zidane (the first had been Figo) with which he began building the Real Madrid of the Galacticos. He paid by the French 73 millions of euros (still in pesetas) in the year 2001. The player marked an era and left to remember the goal volley that gave the last Champions for Real Madrid in the 2002. The bald divine is possibly one of the best players in the history of the sport despite the passing years is still in the Top Ten.

Ángel Di María

The noodle had become on his own merits one of the most beloved players by the Real Madrid parish. But the white club, after breaking the deck one more summer with James, She needed cash and room for their new star so she decided to dispense with the Argentine in an operation that is not satisfied or fans, or companions or technical, Carlo Ancelotti. Manchester United took him by 75 millions of euros.

Zlatan Ibrahimović

Swedish possibly try one of the best players in the world today and is also one of the best paid. However his spell at Barcelona was a fiasco and the Catalan club prodded precipitously in hiring. In the shadow of Florentino and his two signings stars, Barcelona enlisted in its ranks Swedish in 2009 the not inconsiderable figure of 70 millions of euros aproximadamente. The adventure lasted one season and was undersold to Milan if he did business selling PSG last season.

Raheem Sterling

The young Englishman hard tackles the Top Ten with his move to Manchester City. The powerful team of Manchester has paid a whopping 68 million euros to Liverpool for one of the jewels of English football. With this transfer, the player becomes the most expensive transfer of an English player in history and the second most expensive in the history of the Premier after Di Maria.

Kaká

Kaka arrived at Real Madrid in the 2009 with Cristiano Ronaldo after marveling at AC Milan. Florentino, he brought the Brazilian star by 65 million euros bringing together two of the best players of the moment. The result could not be worse as the Brazilian barely contributed nothing to Real Madrid and finally given back to Milan, years after paying a fortune for it. A full-blown fiasco. Uno de los peores fichajes de la historia del Real Madrid in value for money.

Other high-profile signings

Edinson Cavani

Cavani was an idol in Naples until the arrival of Rafa Benitez decided strengthened with players like Callejón, Mertens and Higuain. In exchange of 64 millions of euros, the Italian club, He decided to output which was one of the best players of the time which puts him in tenth position players more expensive.

Luis Figo

In the year 2000, Florentino Perez inaugurated its list of Galacticos with the signing of the Portuguese by 10.000 million pesetas of the time, 60 million current. In one case it sounded very, Florentino stole his star to Barcelona on the fast track, pulling talonario, something very common in two stages at Real Madrid. The result was very good both individually and collectively for the club but the Portuguese became persona non grata in Barcelona after succumbing to the power of money Florentino.

Radamel Falcao

The Colombian took him to Monaco 60 million euros in one of the most notorious transfers of recent times. The dream team of the Principality make a joint dream and Colombia is one of the cornerstones of this project. After Neymar, James and Kaka, South America is the fourth by which more money has been paid

Fernando Torres

The child Torres, He blunted very young at Atletico Madrid. It was his star for a long time until he was recruited by a handful of millions for Liverpool. a Anfield, the child burst the rival goals which made Chelsea take out the checkbook and recruited in 2011. The London club paid almost 60 million euros to Liverpool for the striker who scored the goal that gave Spain the final of the Euro 2008. The truth that Torres did not do very well at the beginning and do not justify the amount paid for their services, but the arrival of Rafa Benitez 2013 he managed to activate. En el verano del 2014 He left for AC Milan and then returned to his Atlético.

Hulk

El brasileño Hulk he shows off his name for his herculean body reminiscent of the green giant in purple pants that swarms through comics. Zenit St Petersburg paid 55 millones de euros en el verano de 2012 by taking the services of this powerful striker who had made such good numbers in Oporto. The Russian team so far has not managed to stand out in Europe despite the investment.

Hernan Crespo

Valdanito Crespo as he was called, highlighted earlier in the century we find that as an excellent scorer. With a goalscoring demolishing, Argentina was one of the best scorers of the time, a fact that led Lazio to pay 55 million in the 2000 to have their services. It did not go well with the Roman club as he signed a lot of players of prestige for big money but never came to fruition and led the club as far as desired.

Gianluigi Buffon

Italian goalkeeper, the best in the world for a long time was transferred from Parma (who made several impressive sales during that time) to the club he still belongs, la Juventus. This happened in the 2001 and the amount is the largest paid by a porter. Juve paid 54 millions for one of los mejores porteros de la historia.