The star-studded history of football, which spans over decades, has witnessed numerous expensive teen transfers that have left the millions of hardcore fans of the game from all over the world absolutely stunned. Over the past few years, numerous iconic and trailblazing teen football players have signed whopping transfer deals worth millions with top-notch football clubs and have undoubtedly proved their worth with their unmatched dominance and brutal moves on the field.
From Kylian Mbappé to Roméo Lavia, the glorious history of the game has witnessed numerous spine-chilling teen transfers that have left the fans entirely stunned. Have you ever wondered about the top four most expensive teen transfers in the history of the game? Well, let’s find out.
In this article we will take a look at the top four most expensive teen transfers of all-time in football.
Top 4 Most Expensive Teen Transfers of All Time in Football
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Kylian Mbappé – €154 Million
The legendary French professional football player Kylian Mbappé, who currently plays as a forward for La Liga club Real Madrid and captains the France national team, is at the first spot in our list of the top four most expensive teen transfers in the history of football. Widely regarded as one of the finest and most dominant football players of his generation, Kylian Mbappé was transferred from AS Monaco to Paris Saint‑Germain in 2018 for a staggering €154 million at the age of nineteen, ranking him at the first spot in our list.
As of 2025, Kylian Mbappé continues to be the most expensive teenage footballer ever and the second-most expensive player of all time, speaking volumes about his unwavering dominance in the game.
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João Félix – €108 Million
At the second spot in our list of the top four most expensive teen transfers of all-time in football, we have the iconic Portuguese professional football player João Félix, who currently plays as an attacking midfielder or forward for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr and the Portugal national team. João Félix signed a whopping transfer deal from SL Benfica to Atlético Madrid for a staggering €108 million at the age of nineteen, establishing himself as the second most expensive teen transfer in the history of the game.
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João Félix signed a seven-year contract with Atlético Madrid which will last until 2026. As per the reports, João Félix was signed by Atlético Madrid as a replacement for Antoine Griezmann who was sold to the Barcelona club for €120 million.
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Matthijs de Ligt – £72.5 Million
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four most expensive teen transfers in the history of football, we have the Dutch professional football player Matthijs de Ligt, who currently plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester United and the Netherlands national team. The Dutch football stalwart Matthijs de Ligt was transferred from AFC Ajax to Juventus FC in July 2019 at the age of nineteen for a whopping transfer fee worth £72.5 million, which continues to be the third-highest amount ever paid by a football club to sign a teenage football player.
Interestingly, Matthijs de Ligt also successfully established himself as the most expensive defender under the age of twenty, which still remains an unbeaten record, speaking volumes about his unmatched aura in the game.
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Romelu Lukaku- £17 Million
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four most expensive teen transfers of all-time in football, we have the Belgian professional football player Romelu Lukaku, who continues to rank second for the all-time European men’s top goalscorers in international football with a spine-chilling total of 89 goals. Romelu Lukaku was transferred from Chelsea to Everton for a staggering transfer fee worth £17 million, which established him as the fourth most expensive teen transfer in the decades-old history of the game.
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Owing to his ground-breaking achievements, Romelu Lukaku was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2019 and was also honoured as the IFFHS World’s Best International Goal Scorer twice in the years 2020 and 2023.
