The summer transfer window in 2025 has already contributed two gigantic transfers that have secured a place on this “prestigious list”.
Key Transitions in 2025
- Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool for €117.5 million (can rise to €136.3 million with bonuses)
- Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford to Manchester United for €82 million
The World Record: Neymar’s Historic Transition
The undisputed record holder is still Neymar’stransfer from Barcelona to PSG in 2017 for a whopping €222 million. This transfer revolutionized the transfer market and remains unmatched.
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Complete list of top 50:
| # | Player | Transfer | Amount (€) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neymar | Barcelona → PSG | 222m | 2017 |
| 2 | Kylian Mbappé | Monaco → PSG | 180m | 2018 |
| 3 | Philippe Coutinho | Liverpool → Barcelona | 135m | 2018 |
| = | Ousmane Dembélé | Dortmund → Barcelona | 135m | 2017 |
| 5 | João Félix | Benfica → Atlético Madrid | 127,2m | 2019 |
| 6 | Enzo Fernández | Benfica → Chelsea | 121m | 2023 |
| 7 | Antoine Griezmann | Atlético → Barcelona | 120m | 2019 |
| 8 | Florian Wirtz | Leverkusen → Liverpool | 117,5m | 2025 |
| = | Jack Grealish | Aston Villa → Man City | 117,5m | 2021 |
| 10 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid → Juventus | 117m | 2018 |
| 11 Declan Rice | West Ham → Arsenal | 116,6m | 2023 | |
| 12 | Moisés Caicedo | Brighton → Chelsea | 116m | 2023 |
| 13 | Eden Hazard | Chelsea → Real Madrid | 115m | 2019 |
| 14 | Romelu Lukaku | Inter → Chelsea | 113m | 2021 |
| = | Jude Bellingham | Dortmund → Real Madrid | 113m | 2023 |
| 16 | Paul Pogba | Juventus → Man Utd | 105m | 2016 |
| 17 | Gareth Bale | Tottenham → Real Madrid | 101m | 2013 |
| 18 | Harry Kane | Tottenham → Bayern | 95m | 2023 |
| = | Randal Kolo Muani | Frankfurt → PSG | 95m | 2023 |
| = | Antony | Ajax → Man Utd | 95m | 2022 |
| 21 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Man Utd → Real Madrid | 94m | 2009 |
| 22 | Joško Gvardiol | Leipzig → Man City | 90m | 2023 |
| = | Neymar | PSG → Al-Hilal | 90m | 2023 |
| = | Gonzalo Higuaín | Napoli → Juventus | 90m | 2016 |
| 25 | Harry Maguire | Leicester → Man Utd | 87m | 2019 |
| 26 | Frenkie de Jong | Ajax → Barcelona | 86m | 2019 |
| 27 | Matthijs de Ligt | Ajax → Juventus | 85.5m | 2019 |
| 28 | Jadon Sancho | Dortmund → Man Utd | 85m | 2021 |
| = | Darwin Núñez | Benfica → Liverpool | 85m | 2022 |
| 30 | Virgil van Dijk | Southampton → Liverpool | 84.7m | 2018 |
| = | Romelu Lukaku | Everton → Man Utd | 84.7m | 2017 |
| 32 | Dušan Vlahović | Fiorentina → Juventus | 84.5m | 2023 |
| 33 | Bryan Mbeumo | Brentford → Man Utd | 82m | 2025 |
| 34 | Luis Suárez | Liverpool → Barcelona | 81.7m | 2014 |
| 35 | Arthur Melo | Barcelona → Juventus | 80.6m | 2020 |
| 36 | Wesley Fofana | Leicester → Chelsea | 80.4m | 2022 |
| 37 | Aurélien Tchouaméni | Monaco → Real Madrid | 80m | 2022 |
| = | Kai Havertz | Leverkusen → Chelsea | 80m | 2020 |
| = | Nicolas Pépé | Lille → Arsenal | 80m | 2019 |
| = | Lucas Hernández | Atlético → Bayern | 80m | 2019 |
| = | Kepa Arrizabalaga | Athletic → Chelsea | 80m | 2018 |
| 42 | Zinedine Zidane | Juventus → Real Madrid | 77.5m | 2001 |
| 43 | Jhon Durán | Aston Villa → Al-Nassr | 77m | 2025 |
| 44 | Kevin De Bruyne | Wolfsburg → Man City | 76m | 2015 |
| 45 | Kai Havertz | Chelsea → Arsenal | 75m | 2023 |
| = | Victor Osimhen | Lille → Napoli | 75m | 2020 |
| = | Ángel Di María | Real Madrid → Man Utd | 75m | 2014 |
| = | James Rodríguez | Monaco → Real Madrid | 75m | 2014 |
| = | Julián Álvarez | Man City → Atlético Madrid | 75m | 2024 |
| = | Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | Napoli → PSG | 75m | 2025 |
Trend Analysis
- PSG dominate the leaderboard with 3 of the 5 most expensive transfers
- Premier League clubs account for 28 of the 50 places
- Average sum for the top 50: €103 million
- 7 of the top 50 have happened in 2023 or later
Future Outlook
With increasing TV deals and commercial revenues in football, it is only a matter of time before Neymar’s record is challenged. Especially if players like Erling Haaland or Vinícius Júnior were to be offered to super clubs.
