Over the decades, the concept of “transfer” has become widely popular in football, wherein a football player typically moves from one club to another, transferring a football player’s registration, allowing them to play for the new club without any restrictions.
During the transfer process, the club wishing to acquire a player is required to negotiate with their current club. The negotiation is done on the basis of a few transfer terms and personal contract details such as salary, contract duration, and other conditions. The past few years have witnessed numerous expensive transfers that have undoubtedly left the football aficionados utterly shocked.
In this article we will take a look at the top four most expensive transfers in the history of football.
Top 4 Most Expensive Transfers In The History Of Football
Top 4 Most Expensive Transfers In The History Of Football
| Pos. | Player | Clubs | Year | Fee |
| 1 | Neymar | Barcelona – PSG | 2017 | €222m |
| 2 | Kylian Mbappe | Monaco – PSG | 2017 | €145m (+€35m) |
| 3 | Joao Felix | Benfica – Atletico Madrid | 2019 | €126m |
| 4 | Enzo Fernandez | Benfica – Chelsea | 2023 | €121m |
Neymar – Barcelona To PSG
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Brazil’s top goalscorer of all-time, Neymar Junior, also popularly referred to as “Neymar”, is at the first spot in our list of the top four most expensive transfers in the history of football. The Brazilian professional football player, Neymar’s transfer from the Barcelona club to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2017, valued at a whopping €222m, still remains as the most expensive transfer in the history of football.
The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) club directly paid a staggering transfer fee worth €222m and although the La Liga club initially refused to accept the payment, Neymar signed a five-year contract with the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) club, earning a reported €30 million per season. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) club’s decision to spend a hefty transfer fee for Neymar was all worth it as the legendary football player assisted PSG to reach the 2020 Champions League final.
Kylian Mbappe – Monaco To PSG
The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) club has signed numerous path-breaking football stalwarts over the years and the French professional football player, Kylian Mbappé was just another one of them. The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) club acquired Kylian Mbappé in 2017 for a whopping €180 million (€145m upfront + €35m in add-ons), making him the most expensive teenager ever and the second-most expensive player at the time, only behind Neymar (€222m).
Kylian Mbappé soon became the face of the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) club and assisted the club in reaching the Champions League Final in 2020 for the very first time. Additionally, shortly after joining the PSG club, Kylian Mbappé went on to clinch the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Joao Felix – Benfica To Atletico Madrid
At the third spot in our list of top four most expensive transfers in the history of football we have a Portuguese professional football player, João Félix Sequeira aka “João Félix”. Well, João Félix’s transfer to Atlético Madrid from Benfica in 2019, valued at a whopping €126 million, is still hailed as one of the most expensive and high profile moves of Atlético Madrid of all-time.
João Félix witnessed a breakthrough season with Benfica during 2018-19, scoring a total of 20 goals and providing 11 assists in 43 appearances. Felix’s brilliant breakthrough also earned him the title of “Next Cristiano Ronaldo”. Soon after joining the Atlético Madrid club, Felix assisted them in clinching the La Liga 2020-21 season.
Enzo Fernandez – Benfica To Chelsea
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four most expensive transfers in the history of football, we have Argentine professional football player Enzo Fernández, also popularly referred to as “Enzo”.
The attacking midfielder was acquired by Chelsea in January 2023 for a whopping €121 million, which is also by far Chelsea’s highest signing amount. Enzo Fernández signed an 8.5 year contract till 2031 with Chelsea. Well, although Enzo Fernández has been a popular name in the arena of professional football for a long time, his successful exploits at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which also earned him the coveted “Best Young Player” award, proved to be a major reason behind this fourth most expensive transfer in the history of football.
