In 2017, Paris Saint-Germain signed Neymar for a record transfer amount of €222m and since then there have been many record-breaking transfers in the football world. Recently, Jack Grealish joins the list of illustrious names which includes Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Each of the top three Spanish clubs, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid, have splashed money on signing some of the biggest names in football. So, let’s look at the top five most expensive football transfers of all time.
Most expensive football transfers of all time
Neymar
From: Barcelona to PSG
The 222 million euro transfer of Neymar from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is top among the most expensive football transfers of all time. It was more than twice as much as the previous record of 105 million euros that Manchester United paid Juventus for Paul Pogba.
With PSG, Neymar has won three league titles, three Coupe de France, and two Coupe de la Ligue, which included a domestic treble and being voted Ligue 1 Player of the Year in his debut season. He also helped PSG attain a domestic quadruple in the 2019–20 season, and led the club to its first-ever Champions League Final.
Kylian Mbappe
From: Monaco to PSG
Kylian Mbappe was brought by PSG in a transfer worth €180 million-plus add ons. He became the second-most expensive player and most expensive teenager when he joined PSG. Mbappe is arguably the world’s best player under the age of 21 having won a World Cup in 2018. Mbappe has won three Ligue 1 titles, three Coupe de France titles. He was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year twice. He has also finished as Ligue 1 top scorer for three consecutive seasons. Mbappe is also the third-highest goalscorer in the club’s history.
Philippe Coutinho
From: Liverpool to Barcelona
Coutinho signed for Barcelona with a deal of £142m with add-ons. He became the world’s third most expensive player at the time. And since then, Coutinho has won two La Liga titles.
Joao Felix
From: Benfica to Atletico Madrid
Felix signed for Atletico Madrid with a deal of €126m with add-ons. He became the world’s fourth-biggest transfer ever. This was also the second-most ever paid for a teenager and the highest fee for a Portuguese player leaving the domestic league. After joining Atletico Madrid, Félix was listed among the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or and finished third for the Kopa Trophy in 2019.
Antoine Griezmann
From: Atletico Madrid to Barcelona
Griezmann joined Barcelona with a deal of €120m with add-ons. He scored 20 goals in the 2020-21 season and looked in great touch. The 28-year-old was also influential in Barcelona’s triumphant Copa del Rey campaign.