Introduction
Football or more specifically soccer is arguably the most popular, and growing steadily in terms of popularity, cash power, and transfer costs in the last few decades. When teams vie for the success within domestic league and other international tournaments, they will spend millions of dollars to ensure that they acquire high quality players. This has raised transfer fees consistently meaning that some ridiculous fees had been deposited for the transfer of players. The following list contains the analysis of the fifteen best most important football transfers in history of the sports’ financial aspect.
1. Paul Pogba to Manchester United (2016) – €105 million Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid (2018) – €180 million Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain (2017) – €222 milion
Sulking the football fraternity, Neymar broke the football transfer record moving from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. The record at the time for a transfer fee was broken with the transfer of Pogba, who joined Manchester United from Juventus for a reported transfer fee of €222 million making it the most expensive transfer ever and also marking the new world record for transfers.
2. And then there were (Ousmané) Dembélé (to FC Barcelona, in 2017) – €105 million; Kylian Mbappé (to Paris Saint-Germain, in 2018) – €180 million.
In less than a year after Neymar’s sensational transfer, the French sensation, Kylian Mbappe penned a move to the Parisian giants for €180 million. The fee was to be broken down by the period of four years with Paris Saint-Germain paying $145 million on the initial deal and $35 million in bonuses.
3. Pogba to Manchester United (2016) – € 105 million Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus (2018) – € 100 million
Italian football powerhouse Juventus signed a deal for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018 after he spent nine years playing for Los Blancos, Real Madrid. The move of this transfer being fixed on a £18.5 million base salary can be seen as the building block for the Italian club reclaiming its place on the European football map.
4. Harry Maguire to Manchester United from the year 2019 costing £80million.
One could least expect it but in 2019 the English Harry Maguire broke the record and became the most expensive defender in the world when he completed his transfer to Manchester United from Leicester City. The £80 million fee ensured that he became the first English player to achieve it and set debate of what he was worth and his ability.
5. Harry Kane to Manchester City (2022) – £ 60 million plus add ons eminent with price of £ 80 million
Belgian center forward Romelu Lukaku was an unexpected transfer from Manchester United to Inter Milan, the Italian club last year for €80 million. In his first season in Italy, Lukaku helped Inter Miln win the Serie A league and take the league title.
6. Coutinho to Barcelona (2018) - €105 million Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool (2018) - €85 million
This kind of trend started after the arrival of Virgil van Dijk in January 2018 which completely transformed Liverpool’s defense and they never looked back and eventually won the first Premier League title in thirty years for the English giants. The Dutch defender was signing for the Merseyside club at €85m making him the most expensive defender at the time.
7. Transfer received from Liverpool F.C to F.C Barcelona- Philippe Coutinho Jan 2018 € 160000000
In January 2018, Philippe Coutinho of Brazil completed his sensational £105m move from Liverpool to Barcelona with the latter completing a then-world record fee for the winter transfer window, following a £107m for Coutinho.
8. Pep Guardiola to Bayern Munich (2013) – €14.8 million
Barcelona signed French winger Ousmane Dembélé from Borussia Dortmund for €145 million just months Neymar’s exit in 2017. The transfer showed that the club meant to remain relevant in European football after the Neymar’s move.
9. £150 million, Antoine Griezmann to Barcelona (2019)
France forward Antoine Griezmann joined the Spanish giants Barcelona from Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2019 for a fee of €120 million. The transfer made Griezmann return to Atletico Madrid and join his compatriot and close friend Lionel Messi to play for the Camp Nou.
10. German club Borussia Dortmund signed striker Erling Haaland in December 2020 for €20m with the possibility to rise to €80m.
January 31, 2020 saw Erling Braut Haaland of Norway sign for Borussia Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg for €20 with €10 in potentials and €50 in variables. His brilliant performances for his current club in Germany has placed him among the most wanted talents in the world soccer.
11. Jadon Sancho to Manchester United (2021) - £72.89 million (€85 million)
The third was Jadon Sancho, the English winger who joined Manchester United in 2021 summer for €85m from Borussia Dortmund after having three successful seasons there. The signing was the first signing in the new manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s managerial epoch at Old Trafford.
12. Sierralta and Palomo de Uribarrega 2015, 119; Mendez 2012, p.254; Lubsen 2014, p.104; Leon 2013, p.59; Hoff 2013, p.157; Nan 2013, p.34; Gonzales 2013, p.67; Thermal 2013, p.105; Ahmed 2013, p
Paris Saint-Germain signed Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani from Napoli in a deal worth €64 million in2013 which put him atop of the list of most expensive South American players ever. Cavani moved on to have successful time at Paris Saint Germain where he managed to clinch umpteen Ligue 1 crowns and Coupe de France en route.
13. Lozano to PSV Eindhoven (2017) – €32 million; Sánchez to Arsenal (2014)– €30 million; James RodrÃguez to Real Madrid (2014)– €80 million.
In 2014 the Colombian play maker James RodrÃguez left AS Monaco for Real Madrid in an 80 million euros deal. The transfer fee saw him become the fourth costliest signing at the time which was impressive given the talent that had arrived at Santiago Bernabéu before him.
14. Diego Godin to Chelsea (2015) – €74 million Lieutenant Yohan Cabaye from Montpellier (2010) – €72 million Angel DiMaria to Manchester United (2014) – €75 million
Di MarÃa, the Argentinian winger, joined Manchester United from Real Madrid in 2014 for the reported fee of €75 million. Buying him was the third costliest transfer of 2001 and the transfer fee made him the fifth most expensive player in football history, and the most expensive South American player to boot.
15. Zinedine Zidane to Real Madrid (2001) – €73.5 million.GetCurrentMethod: David Beckham Transfer to Real Madrid (2003) cost €43 million.
English superstar Beckham, who shifted from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2003, came last. The signing cost Real Betis €43 million resulting him at that time in the record books as the most expensive British player , this was the beginning of a new trend of football players moving from club to club at exorbitant fees.
Conclusion
The clubs are also keen on spending endless amounts of money to gain the most catchy ones while transfer fees too have been the issue of late. When Neymar moved to Paris Saint-Germain or Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus such transfers have always been referred to as benchmarks in football. This is why it will be interesting to see new records that will be broken in the future for the reason of continuous increase of demand for football and increase of wealth of football.
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