Neymar to Ekitike: Top 20 most expensive football transfers of all time
The current deal that tops the charts is Neymar Jr's world-record transfer from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), which cost the Parisian club a whopping €222 million (₹1,776 crore) back in
Top 20 most expensive football transfers
Football as a sport has evolved exponentially over the years, in terms of style, teams, competitions, and transfers. With all the expensive transfers taking place in world football nowadays, it has created a domino effect that has inflated all the prices, with mid-table teams now selling off their talents for amounts close to €70 million (630 crore).
Such is the level of inflation that Cristiano Ronaldo’s move from Manchester United to Real Madrid for over €80 million—which was the world-record sum back in the 2009/10 season, is now among the lower ranks, and even less than what Manchester United paid Ajax for Brazilian winger Antony in the 2022/23 season (approximately €85 million).
The current deal that tops the charts is Neymar Jr’s world-record transfer from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), which cost the Parisian club a whopping €222 million (₹1,776 crore) back in the 2017/18 season.
Surpassing the €150 million (₹1,440 crore) mark, Kylian Mbappé took the second spot in the table when the French youngster switched clubs from AS Monaco to PSG.
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Rounding up the top three transfers in world football, French forward Ousmane Dembélé was bought by FC Barcelona for ₹1,184 crore from German heavyweights Borussia Dortmund in the 2017/18 season.
| Top 20 most costliest football transfers of all time | |||||||
| Rank | Player | Position | Season | Nationality | Joined Club | League | Fee (₹ Cr) |
| 1 | Neymar | Attacking Midfield | 17/18 | Brazil | Paris SG | France Ligue 1 | ₹1,776.00 |
| 2 | Kylian Mbappé | Centre-Forward | 18/19 | France / Cameroon | Paris SG | France Ligue 1 | ₹1,440.00 |
| 3 | Ousmane Dembélé | Right Winger | 17/18 | France | FC Barcelona | Spain LaLiga | ₹1,184.00 |
| 4 | Philippe Coutinho | Attacking Midfield | 17/18 | Brazil / Portugal | FC Barcelona | Spain LaLiga | ₹1,080.00 |
| 5 | João Félix | Second Striker | 19/20 | Portugal | Atlético Madrid | Spain LaLiga | ₹1,018.00 |
| 6 | Jude Bellingham | Attacking Midfield | 23/24 | England / Ireland | Real Madrid | Spain LaLiga | ₹1,016.00 |
| 7 | Florian Wirtz | Attacking Midfield | 25/26 | Germany | Liverpool FC | England Premier League | ₹1,000.00 |
| 8 | Enzo Fernández | Central Midfield | 22/23 | Argentina | Chelsea FC | England Premier League | ₹968.00 |
| 9 | Eden Hazard | Left Winger | 19/20 | Belgium | Real Madrid | Spain LaLiga | ₹966.00 |
| 10 | Antoine Griezmann | Second Striker | 19/20 | France | FC Barcelona | Spain LaLiga | ₹960.00 |
| 11 | Jack Grealish | Left Winger | 21/22 | England / Ireland | Manchester City | England Premier League | ₹940.00 |
| 12 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Centre-Forward | 18/19 | Portugal | Juventus FC | Italy Serie A | ₹936.00 |
| 13 | Declan Rice | Central Midfield | 23/24 | England / Ireland | Arsenal FC | England Premier League | ₹933.00 |
| 14 | Moisés Caicedo | Defensive Midfield | 23/24 | Ecuador | Chelsea FC | England Premier League | ₹928.00 |
| 15 | Romelu Lukaku | Centre-Forward | 21/22 | Belgium / DR Congo | Chelsea FC | England Premier League | ₹904.00 |
| 16 | Paul Pogba | Central Midfield | 16/17 | France / Guinea | Manchester United | England Premier League | ₹840.00 |
| 17 | Gareth Bale | Right Winger | 13/14 | Wales | Real Madrid | Spain LaLiga | ₹808.00 |
| 18 | Hugo Ekitiké | Centre-Forward | 25/26 | France / Cameroon | Liverpool FC | England Premier League | ₹760.00 |
| 19 | Harry Kane | Centre-Forward | 23/24 | England | Bayern Munich | Germany Bundesliga | ₹760.00 |
| 20 | Randal Kolo Muani | Centre-Forward | 23/24 | France / DR Congo | Paris SG | France Ligue 1 | ₹760.00 |
2017/18 season: Changing football transfers for the world
With three of the top five most expensive signings in world football currently coming in the 2017/18 season, with Neymar’s move shocking world football, the world started viewing transfers in another light and saw inflated price tags become a common sighting from then on.
Changing trends in the market
The transfer market saw steady growth from €5.88 billion in 2015 to nearly €10 billion by 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a sharp dip: spending dropped to €7.51 billion in 2020 and further to €5.99 billion in 2021. A strong rebound followed: €9.34 billion in 2022, then peaking at €12.24 billion in 2023, the highest on record. Although 2024 saw a 10% decline, total spending remained significantly elevated at €10.96 billion, the second-highest annual total ever.
| Transfer fees spent worldwide, including add-ons from 2015 to 2024: | |||
| Year | Fixed Fees (€ bn) | Add-ons (€ bn) | Total (€ bn) |
| 2015 | € 3.71 | € 2.18 | € 5.88 |
| 2016 | € 4.25 | € 2.61 | € 6.86 |
| 2017 | € 5.51 | € 3.55 | € 9.06 |
| 2018 | € 5.61 | € 2.71 | € 8.32 |
| 2019 | € 6.46 | € 3.53 | € 9.99 |
| 2020 | € 5.01 | € 2.50 | € 7.51 |
| 2021 | € 4.11 | € 1.88 | € 5.99 |
| 2022 | € 6.20 | € 3.13 | € 9.34 |
| 2023 | € 8.82 | € 3.42 | € 12.24 |
| 2024 | € 7.33 | € 3.63 | € 10.96 |
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First Published: Aug 07 2025 | 1:24 PM IST