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The 100 Most Expensive Transfers of All Time

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When Neymar Jr completes his transfer from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, he will be acknowledged as the player with the most expensive transfer of all time.

At the moment, the record is held by Manchester United’s under-performed Paul Pogba whose transfer fee last year from Juventus was put at €105million, a huge mountain when compared with €44million that the Manchester United paid to pluck Nemanja Matic from Chelsea.

According to the statistics put together by American sports website, Sporting News, Matic is 46th on the list of the most expensive players of all time.

 

POS. PLAYER CLUBS YEAR FEE
1 Paul Pogba Juventus – Manchester United 2016 €105m
2 Gareth Bale Tottenham – Real Madrid 2013 €100.8m
3 Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United – Real Madrid 2009 €94m
4 Gonzalo Higuain Napoli – Juventus 2016 €90m
5 Neymar Santos – Barcelona 2013 €86.2m
6 Romelu Lukaku Everton – Manchester United 2017 €84.8m
7 Luis Suarez Liverpool – Barcelona 2014 €82.3m
8 James Rodriguez Monaco – Real Madrid 2014 €80m
9 Alvaro Morata Real Madrid – Chelsea 2017 €78.9m
10 Zinedine Zidane Juventus – Real Madrid 2001 €77.5m
11 Kevin De Bruyne Wolfsburg – Manchester City 2015 €75m
12 Angel Di Maria Real Madrid – Manchester United 2014 €74.6m
13 Zlatan Ibrahimovic Inter – Barcelona 2009 €69.5m
14 Raheem Sterling Liverpool – Manchester City 2015 €69.1m
15 Kaka AC Milan – Real Madrid 2009 €65m
16 Edinson Cavani Napoli- PSG 2013 €64.5m
17 David Luiz Chelsea – PSG 2014 €62.5m
18 Angel Di Maria Manchester United – PSG 2015 €61.6m
19 Oscar Chelsea – Shanghai SIPG 2016 €60.3m
20 Luis Figo Barcelona – Real Madrid 2000 €60m
21 Fernando Torres Liverpool – Chelsea 2011 €59m
22 Hulk Zenit – Shanghai SIPG 2016 €58.6m
23 Benjamin Mendy Monaco – Manchester City 2017 €58.2m
24 John Stones Everton – Manchester City 2016 €58m
25 Kyle Walker Tottenham – Manchester City 2017 €56.7m
26 Hernan Crespo Parma – Lazio 2000 €55m
27 Alexandre Lacazette Lyon – Arsenal 2017 €52.4m
28 Gianluigi Buffon Parma – Juventus 2001 €52m
29 Eliaquim Mangala Valencia – Manchester City 2014 €51.7m
30 Alex Teixeira Shakhtar Dontesk – Jiangsu Suning 2016 €50m
30 Bernardo Silva Monaco – Manchester City 2017 €50m
32 Anthony Martial Monaco – Manchester United 2015 €49.3m
33 Christian Vieri Lazio – Inter 1999 €49m
34 Gaizka Mendieta Valencia – Lazio 2001 €48m
35 Mesut Ozil Real Madrid – Arsenal 2013 €47m
36 Juan Sebastian Veron Lazio – Manchester United 2001 €46m
36 Rio Ferdinand Leeds – Manchester United 2002 €46m
36 Ronaldo Inter – Real Madrid 2002 €46m
36 Juan Mata Chelsea – Manchester United 2014 €46m
36 Douglas Costa Bayern Munich – Juventus 2017 €46m
41 Christian Benteke Aston Villa – Liverpool 2015 €45.8m
42 James Rodriguez Porto – Monaco 2013 €45m
42 Joao Mario Sporting CP – Inter 2016 €45m
42 Granit Xhaka Borussia Monchengladbach – Arsenal 2016 €45m
42 Tiemoue Bakayoko Monaco – Chelsea 2017 €45m
46 Nemanja Matic Chelsea – Manchester United 2017 €44.7m
47 Leroy Sane Schalke – Manchester City 2016 €44m
48 Andriy Shevchenko AC Milan – Chelsea 2006 €43.9m
49 Robinho Real Madrid – Manchester City 2008 €43m
49 Radamel Falcao Atletico Madrid – Monaco 2013 €43m
51 Alexis Sanchez Barcelona – Arsenal 2014 €42.5m
52 Rui Costa Fiorentina – AC Milan 2001 €42m
52 Javier Pastore Palermo – PSG 2011 €42m
52 Thiago Silva AC Milan – PSG 2012 €42m
52 Jackson Martinez Atletico Madrid – Guangzhou Evergrande 2016 €42m
52 Henrikh Mkhitaryan Borussia Dortmund – Manchester United 2016 €42m
52 Mohamed Salah Roma – Liverpool 2017 €42m
52 Leonardo Bonucci Juventus – AC Milan 2017 €42m
59 Lilian Thuram Parma – Juventus 2001 €41.5m
59 Corentin Tolisso Lyon – Bayern Munich 2017 €41.5m
61 Andy Carroll Newcastle – Liverpool 2011 €41.3m
62 Pavel Nedved Lazio – Juventus 2001 €41.2m
62 Shkodran Mustafi Valencia – Arsenal 2016 €41.2m
62 Sadio Mane Southampton – Liverpool 2016 €41.2m
65 Roberto Firmino Hoffenheim – Liverpool 2015 €41m
65 Marc Overmars Arsenal – Barcelona 2001 €41m
67 David Villa Valencia – Barcelona 2010 €40m
68 Sergio Aguero Atletico Madrid – Manchester City 2011 €40m
68 Radamel Falcao Porto – Atletico Madrid 2011 €40m
68 Hulk Porto – Zenit 2012 €40m
68 Axel Witsel Benfica – Zenit 2012 €40m
68 Javi Martinez Athletic Club – Bayern Munich 2012 €40m
68 Eden Hazard Lille – Chelsea 2012 €40m
68 Fernandinho Shakhtar Donetsk – Manchester City 2013 €40m
68 Ederson Benfica – Manchester City 2017 €40m
76 David Luiz PSG – Chelsea 2016 €39.6m
77 Michy Batshuayi Marseille – Chelsea 2016 €39m
77 Antonio Rudiger Roma – Chelsea 2017 €39m
79 Didier Drogba Marseille – Chelsea 2004 €38.5m
80 Michael Essien Lyon – Chelsea 2005 €38m
80 Fernando Torres Atletico Madrid – Liverpool 2007 €38m
80 Dimitar Berbatov Tottenham – Manchester United 2008 €38m
80 Gonzalo Higuain Real Madrid – Napoli 2013 €38m
80 Diego Costa Atletico Madrid – Chelsea 2014 €38m
80 Eric Bailly Villarreal – Manchester United 2016 €38m
80 Mats Hummels Borussia Dortmund – Bayern Munich 2016 €38m
80 Andre Silva Porto – AC Milan 2017 €38m
88 David Beckham Manchester United – Real Madrid 2003 €37.5m
88 Luke Shaw Southampton – Manchester United 2014 €37.5m
90 Jackson Martinez Porto – Atletico Madrid 2015 €37.1m
91 Filippo Inzaghi Juventus – AC Milan 2001 €37m
91 Wayne Rooney Everton – Manchester United 2004 €37m
91 Edin Dzeko Wolfsburg – Manchester City 2010 €37m
94 Mario Gotze Borussia Dortmund – Bayern Munich 2013 €37m
94 Arturo Vidal Juventus – Bayern Munich 2015 €37m
96 Hernan Crespo Lazio – Inter 2002 €36m
96 Arjen Robben Chelsea – Real Madrid 2007 €36m
96 Ander Herrera Athletic Club – Manchester United 2014 €36m
99 Javier Saviola River Plate – Barcelona 2001 €35.9m
100 N’Golo Kante Leicester City 2016 €35.8m

 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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International Football

Portugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad

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Mateus Mane in England's colour

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.

Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.

Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.

He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.

With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.

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Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.

While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.

-Reuters

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International Football

Soon Cisse ceases to be Senegal’s Coach

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After 107 matches spanning nine years, Aliou Cisse will not have his contract renewed as Senegal coach, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Of the 107 matches, Cisse’s team won 70, drew 24 and lost 13.

But the impressive scorecard is not enough to impress his employers.

Thus, the end beckons for Cisse’s successful nine-year spell in charge of the side that included a first Africa Cup of Nations title and two World Cup qualifications.

He had been under increasing pressure after Senegal’s surprise last 16 exit at the 2023 Cup of Nations when they lost on penalties to hosts Cote d’Ivoire.

Senegal are unbeaten in six matches since then, but home draws with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burkina Faso, and criticism from certain quarters over their style of play, made up the mind of the country’s sports ministry, who fund the salary of the national team coach, that a change was needed.

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“The FSF would like to thank Aliou Cisse for his good collaboration and his brilliant results at the head of the various national selections that he has managed since his arrival in 2011 and wish him every success for the future,” the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) said in a statement.

FSF added Cisse’s exit stemmed from a failure to fulfil the targets in his last contract, which expired at the end of August, which included victory at the 2023 Cup of Nations and reaching the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.

They also said the “regression of our national team in the FIFA rankings and the risk of disaffection between our national team and the Senegalese (public)” had played a role.

The FSF will appoint an interim technical team to lead the side in Cup of Nations qualifiers against Malawi at home on Oct. 11 and away four days later.

Cisse, 48, was captain of Senegal when they reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup with what is heralded as a golden generation of players.

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He briefly had a spell as caretaker coach of the national team in 2012, but took over full time three years later.

He led Senegal to 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualification, making the last 16 in the latter before losing to England. They were beaten in the final of the 2019 Cup of Nations by Algeria.

The side made up for that disappointment when they beat Egypt in the final two years later to be crowned African champions for the first time.

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International Football

Why  FIFA banned Samuel Eto’o

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Always in the news for bad reasons, Samuel Eto’o has again made global headlines. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has banned the former striker and the current president of the Cameroon Football Federation.

He is banned from attending Cameroon’s matches for the next six months for violating conduct rules during the recent U-20 Women’s World Cup, where his national team faced Brazil in the round of 16.

According to FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, Eto’o was found to have breached articles 13 (“Offensive behaviour and violations of fair play principles”) and 14 (“Misconduct of players and officials”) of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code.

The sanction stems specifically from the match between Brazil and Cameroon, held on September 11 in Bogotá, Colombia. As a result, Eto’o will be prohibited from attending any matches involving Cameroon’s national teams, both male and femaleacross all age groups.

“Mr Eto’o has been notified today, the date on which the sanction comes into force,” stated the FIFA press release.

This is not the first time Eto’o has faced controversy. He previously drew attention for his behavior towards players and national team coach Marc Brys, whom he allegedly threatened in front of cameras if his directives were not followed.

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During the Qatar World Cup, the former Real Madrid, Mallorca, and Barcelona player made headlines again after assaulting a fan who filmed him outside a stadium after a match.

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