The most expensive transfers in European football history
Football has grown into one of the most lucrative sports in the world. This has led to player transfers becoming multi-million dollar deals over the years.
The most expensive transfers in European football history
Football has grown into one of the most lucrative sports in the world. This has led to player transfers from various leagues becoming multi-million dollar deals. Let’s take a look at the most expensive transfers in European football history.
In the early days of football, it was seen as a working man’s sport. It was fun to play the sport during lunch breaks or after work. This eventually led to younger people adopting the sport and turning it into one of the most exciting games. With its popularity, it has reached a global audience which has led to the value of both football clubs and players shooting into the stratosphere.
As football leagues’ TV deals became bigger, the football transfer fees went up as well. This has been prominent in the 21st century with players moving around in multi-million Euro deals. With that, let’s take a look at the most expensive transfers in football history.
Neymar Jr - Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain (€222 million)
When clubs scout a massively talented player from other teams, you can expect them to pull out all of the stops to sign them. Over the years, there have been some players that have worked out for teams. This can come from their academy or just transfers from other teams. Neymar Jr was one of those best players from Brazil and he managed to show his potential with a run for Santos FC as a teenager.
The world took notice of his skill set and Barcelona won the race to sign him to a long-term deal. Neymar had a good run with Barça during his time there but he felt overshadowed by his superstar teammate Lionel Messi. While he loved Leo, Neymar wanted to run his own show which led to the €222 million transfer deal from Barça to Paris Saint-Germain.
Since then, Neymar has thrived as a focal point for PSG. They have won Ligue 1 multiple times but they are still chasing the elusive Champions League. Ironically, Neymar has realized that he needs support from star teammates as well which led to the club signing Leo in 2021 on a free transfer after Barça couldn’t pay his wages. Apart from Leo, there is another star on the team and funnily enough, he is the next name on the list of football's most expensive transfers.
Kylian Mbappé - Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain (€145 million)
Kylian Mbappé is the second name on the list and this transfer also came in the same year as the Neymar deal. This proved that PSG has been ready to build around two stars for the longest time. They had Edinson Cavani as the striker at the time and that worked out for Ligue 1 but the Champions League was a different story.
PSG did make a UCL final recently but they lost to Bayern Munich. While Mbappé and Neymar are a stellar duo, they needed someone to help them throw big punches. When Leo was available, they scooped him up because signing arguably the best player of all time was a no-brainer.
Mbappé himself is one of the best players in the world which is why PSG signed him from Monaco. He has an immense pace that is almost unmatched around the world. His scoring instincts are also special because he always makes the right move to score the goals he needs to. Mbappé is a stellar talent and he will only improve with time.
João Félix - Benfica to Atlético Madrid (€126 million)
Young stars are usually seen as long-term investments by clubs. When Jõao Felix was performing well for Benfica, most European giants saw a budding star. Multiple clubs contacted the Portuguese club but Atlético Madrid managed to win the race on a €126 million transfer deal between Benfica and Atléti.
Since the deal, Felix has been stellar for Atléti because he brings so many dynamics to the team. He can make plays with his stellar dribbling but he can also score goals when needed. He is a perfect fit alongside any striker because he is mature enough to serve as a playmaker but when he’s needed, you can expect him to take charge and create winning plays.
He is still a young player which means Diego Simeone and the rest of the Atléti club is willing to use João Felix as the focal point for the team moving forward. Playing well at the moment while still having a high ceiling in the future is the best-case scenario for Atléti as they only need to build around him.
Philippe Coutinho - Liverpool to Barcelona (€120 million)
This deal is probably infamous for its effect on both clubs. For Liverpool, they let go of one of their club’s most mercurial talents for loads of money. The money they earned from selling Philippe Coutinho played a huge role in the Reds signing both Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson. LFC quickly turned into one of the most formidable teams in the world because of the top of the most expensive football transfer Premier League has ever seen.
Unfortunately for Barça, they got the short end of the stick. Coutinho didn’t exactly work out for them because he was relegated to the left wing. He is a natural attacking midfielder and his momentum was halted every time he tried to transition to a more central position. He was redundant with Leo Messi because they were both smaller attacking players who were overpowered when they tried to play defence.
With Coutinho’s loan to Aston Villa, it looks like a final grade should be given to this transfer. It was a big miss for Barça because not only did they fumble Coutinho’s case but they also used up all of their money which meant they couldn’t afford Leo’s return to the club.
Football benefits from big transfers
With the long list of players, you can tell that football is growing bigger and bigger. That is huge for the sport because you can see that it is more lucrative than ever. The transfers that were mentioned here were just the start because the football world will surely have more star players who will move clubs that will require solid value in return. The football world is better with these transfers and thankfully, they will continue.
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Words: Pocholo Magsino
