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Interclub transfers involving top international football players have become a common occurrence in recent years. These migrations across clubs have not only altered the expected outcomes of international league matches but also called for enormous expenses on the part of the purchasing clubs. Numerous international football players have changed clubs over the years.
The Top 7 Expensive Player Transfers
Below are some of the costliest player transfers in the recent past listed in order of purchase-price cost paid by the recipient clubs.
1. Neymar from Barcelona to Paris Saint for $262 million in 2017
Neymar da Silva Santos Junior is a Brazilian player born in 1992. He played for the Spanish club Barcelona before moving to the French club Paris Saint in 2017. Paris Saint had to pay a whopping €222 million as his purchase price, which then amounted to £198 million or $262 million. This was the most expensive player transfer ever.
2. Kylian Mbappe from Monaco to Paris Saint for $178.2 million
Kylian Mbappe Lottin is a French professional football player born in 1998. He played forward for Monaco, a French football club founded in 1924. Kylian moved from Monaco to Paris Saint in 2018 at a cost of €135 million. The amount was equivalent to £120 million or $178.2 million then.
3. Phillipe Coutinho from Liverpool to Barcelona at $137 million
Born in 1992, Phillipe Coutinho Correia is a Brazilian midfielder. He was playing for the club Liverpool F.C. when he moved to Barcelona in 2018. Barcelona had to part with €120 million, equivalent to £106 million or $137 million at that time. This was the third most expensive player purchase so far.
4. Ousmane Dembele left Borrusia for Barcelona at $123.9 million.
Ousman Dembele is a French professional football player born in1997. He was playing as a forward for Borussia Dortmund, a German football club when he moved to the Spanish club Barcelona in 2017. The price paid for his transfer was €105 million, equivalent then to £97 million, or $123.9 million.
5. Paul Pogba from Juventus to Manchester United for $116.6 million
Born in 1993, Paul Pogba is a French professional footballer. He was playing midfielder for the Italian club Juventus F.C. before moving to the English football club Manchester United in 2016. Manchester United paid €105 million for his purchase, equivalent to £89 million or $116.6 at that time. This was the fifth largest amount paid for the transfer of a player.
6. Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juventus at $132.5 million
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is a Portuguese professional football player born in February 1985. He was a forward player for the Spanish club Real Madrid before he left for the Italian club Juventus F.C. in 2018. This migration cost Juventus €100 million, equivalent at the time to £88.5 million or $132.5 million. This was the sixth highest price ever paid by a club for the purchase of a player.
7. Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid for $132 million
Born in Wales in 1989, Gareth Bale was playing forward for Tottenham F.C. a London based football club before moving to the Spanish club Real Madrid in 2013. The recipient club paid nearly €100 million, equivalent to £86 million or $132 million for this player. That became the seventh highest player price ever paid by a club.
Conclusion
From just the few player migrations analyzed above, it is apparent that buying of players has become a higher capital investment than we could ever imagine.
