Football’s 50 Million Euro Club: 127 Players and Counting
The world of football transfers has reached astronomical figures, with the number of players commanding fees of 50 million euros and above now reaching 127. The past transfer window, in particular, witnessed a surge in these high-value deals, driven primarily by clubs in the Premier League and the burgeoning Saudi Pro League.
Graphical representation highlighting the statistic of 127 football players transferred for 50 million euros or more, emphasizing the increasing prevalence of high-value transfers in modern football.
Topping the list of most expensive transfers is Neymar’s move to PSG in 2017 for a staggering 222 million euros. This remains the most expensive transfer in football history. Remarkably, Neymar appears on this list three times, accumulating over 400 million euros in transfer fees throughout his career. These include transfers from Barcelona to PSG for 222 million euros, and then to Al-Hilal for 90 million euros, in addition to an earlier move from Santos to Barcelona for 88 million euros.
Kylian Mbappé, who is set to become a free agent next June, secured the second spot on this expensive list when he moved from Monaco to PSG in the 2018/19 season for 180 million euros. PSG’s acquisitions of Neymar and Mbappé alone account for over 400 million euros in transfer spending, demonstrating the club’s significant investment in top-tier talent. Following closely behind are Philippe Coutinho at 135 million euros, Ousmane Dembélé at 120 million euros, and João Félix at 127.2 million euros, rounding out the top five most expensive transfers. Other notable transfers exceeding the 120 million euro mark include Enzo Fernández and Antoine Griezmann.
Several players familiar to fans of the Süper Lig also feature in this list of high-value transfers. Nicolas Pépé of Trabzonspor was previously acquired by Arsenal for 80 million euros. Galatasaray’s loan player Tanguy Ndombélé cost Tottenham 60 million euros. Miralem Pjanic, who once wore the Beşiktaş jersey, was bought by Barcelona for 60 million euros. Fenerbahçe’s midfielder Fred was transferred to Manchester United for 59 million euros. Former Fenerbahçe player Min-jae Kim also makes the list with a 50 million euro transfer fee. Mauro Icardi moved to PSG for 50 million euros in the 2020/21 season. Additionally, Alex Teixeira, another former Beşiktaş player, joined Chinese club JS Suning for 50 million euros.