The most expensive football in the world. Who is the most expensive football player in the world? Dear football players: is it worth overpaying?

Just a few decades ago, no one could even think that tens and even hundreds of millions of euros would be paid for football players. But that time has come, and every year new transfer records are set.

In the summer of 2017, the most expensive transfer in football took place when. Last summer, Paul Pogba received the status of the most expensive football player on the planet, moving from Juventus to Manchester United for € 105 million. At that time, it was a colossal amount and many fans thought that it would not be possible to break this transfer record for many years, but that was not the case.

In today's article, the site will talk about the 10 most record-breaking transfers in football.

The most expensive transfers of football players

In addition to Neymar and Pogba, two Real Madrid players are among the most expensive players in the world. We are talking about Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, for whom the royal club paid a total of €195 million.

At the age of 24, Ronaldo moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid for €94 million. This happened in 2009, and already in 2013, Galacticos president Florentino Perez made another most expensive transfer in the history of football, buying Gareth Bale from Tottenham for € 104.8 million.

Both players became leaders of the Madrid club and part of the legendary BBC attacking trio (Ronaldo, Benhama, Bale). They helped Real Madrid win more than one title, including 3 Champions League cups.

Gonzalo Higuain € 90 million

Last summer, “cosmic” money was paid for another football player. We are talking about Gonzalo Higuain. The Argentine showed his ability as a striker for several seasons at Napoli, and in one season he scored 37 goals, becoming Serie A's all-time top scorer. Many top European clubs wanted to strengthen themselves with such a forward, but Juventus of Turin managed to sign a contract with Higuain faster, paying €90 million for his transfer.

Romelu Lukaku €85 million

During his year as Manchester United head coach, Jose Mourinho managed to make two big purchases. In 2016, the Portuguese acquired Pogba, and in 2017, Romelu Lukaku. The Red Devils had to pay Everton €85 million for the Belgian forward. London's Chelsea also showed interest in Lukaku, but the forward himself chose not to return to his former club, but test yourself at Manchester United.

Ten most expensive transfers

1. Neymar: Barcelona – PSG € 222 million
2. Paul Pogba: Juventus – Manchester United € 105 million
3. Gareth Bale: Tottenham – Real Madrid € 101 million
4. Cristiano Ronaldo: Manchester United – Real Madrid €94 million
5. Gonzalo Higuain: Napoli – Juventus € 90 million
6. Romelu Lukaku: Everton – Manchester United € 85 million
7. Luis Suarez: Liverpool – Barcelona € 82.3 million
8. James Rodriguez: Monaco – Real Madrid € 80 million
9. Alvaro Morata: Real Madrid – Chelsea €78.8 million
10. Zinedine Zidane: Juventus – Real Madrid € 77.5 million

Thus, Real Madrid made the 4 most expensive transfers in the history of football. acquired Zidane, Ronaldo, Bale and Rodriguez for a total of €352.5 million. With these funds it would be possible to buy two squads staffed with star players, but the transfer policy of the “royal” club is aimed not at quantity, but at the quality of performers.

The list of the most expensive transfers in the history of world football reveals a number of patterns. Firstly, the top 11 includes only players from the creative group - four attacking midfielders and seven strikers. Secondly, the most expensive deals are always concluded between seasons: the only exception was the winter transfer of Fernando Torres to Chelsea - perhaps this is partly why the Spaniard was not able to immediately adapt to the team's play. Thirdly, the Spanish superclubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​take the lead in the ranks of bottomless purses, having bought 7 of the 11 players on the list. French clubs hit South American forwards with money this summer, and two more places are occupied by the above-mentioned Torres, who moved to Zenit (how could we not Russian club?) . Fourthly, Italian clubs sell their players more successfully than others, with all four Italian sales being in the top five on the list. Finally, one cannot fail to note the complete absence in the ranking German clubs- they don’t sell profitably, but they don’t spend crazy amounts either.

1. from Tottenham to Real Madrid, € 100 million, 2013

"Our response to Chamberlain" is Real Madrid's reaction to Neymar's transfer to Barcelona. The Royal Club needed a high-profile transfer to fill the information field that at the beginning of the summer belonged to the Brazilian newcomer of the Blaugrana. Bale's transition lasted an incredibly long time, and given that English and Spanish journalists are among the most nosy in the world, more and more details of the impending (No, already prepared! No, still in preparation!) deal were constantly being thrown into the press. From a sporting point of view, the need for Bale for Real is doubtful - the Welshman plays in the same position as. As for the financial side, for a long time any successful and inexpensive transfer in Europe will be correlated with Bale. For example, Bale is five Jesus Navas. Or 11 Carlos Tevez.

2. from Manchester United to Real Madrid, € 90 million, 2009

This transition was inevitable - the most glamorous football player in the world was bound to end up in the most glamorous club in the world. The crazy money Real invested in buying Ronaldo has long since paid off not only in his achievements, but also in marketing. Real Madrid fans survived even the change of the Portuguese's number to seven relatively painlessly, under which long years The absolute idol of the Royal Club fans, Raul, performed. In the last one and a half to two years, Manchester City, PSG, Monaco, and Manchester United have shown interest in Ronaldo, but the amount of compensation of € 200 million seems to frighten even the Russian-Arab-French nouveau riche . And President Perez will not give up the main pearl of his team for less money, even on pain of death.

3. from Juventus to Real Madrid, € 73.5 million, 2002

While Ronaldo’s move likely pursued marketing goals as well as football goals, Zidane’s call to the Galacticos flag was mainly for sporting reasons. “Real” then needed a footballer who would accelerate attacks, and when this club needs someone, Madrid is not going to skimp - they just buy. For a long time, the famous Frenchman did not show the mesmerizing game that fans and experts expected from him, there was talk that Zizou was under pressure from the amount of his transfer, but in the end he paid for his transfer with one single blow - a stunningly beautiful volley in the Champions League final with Bayer, which for a long time entered the picture of the main club tournament in Europe. By the way, Juventus was not particularly offended by the transfer: the proceeds helped the management of the “old lady” lure Gianluigi Buffon for more than € 50 million.

4., from Inter to Barcelona, ​​€ 69.5 million 2009

While Real signed a contract with Ronaldo, Barcelona decided to keep up with their main rival and shelled out almost €70 million for one of the main bad boys of modern football. It’s interesting that if the most expensive newcomer in the history of the Catalan club had suddenly decided to work out his contract to the end, his agreement would have been valid for another year - it ended in the summer of 2014, but the Swede has since played for Milan and Paris Saint Germain." Ibrahimovic, who had not worked out even a third of his worth, left Barcelona with scandals: having quarreled with Guardiola and being offended by Messi, calling himself a hostage to the Argentine’s desires. Since then, Barca decided - only cantera. So or .

5., from Milan to Real Madrid, € 65 million 2009

Probably no one remembers, but Kaka’s transfer from Milan to Real was no less loud than Ronaldo’s transfer, but in the end the career paths of the Portuguese and the Brazilian turned out completely differently. Kaka still hasn’t found himself at Real, for the third year in a row he has been unsuccessfully sold to Milan, Manchester City or any other club by all the newspapers in the world and dreams of playing time in at least some stable position on the field. In many ways, the Madrid period of the Brazilian midfielder’s career was ruined by an injury to his left knee; because of it, Kaká missed half of his second season, which could have been a breakthrough for the team. But he didn't.

6., from Napoli to Paris Saint-Germain, € 64.5 million 2013

The owner of Napoli, Aurelio de Laurentiis, quickly navigated the changing conditions of the transfer market with the arrival of big money and repeated every day that he would release Cavani only for the prescribed amount of compensation. De Laurentiis cared little about where the main star of his team would continue his career - in England, France or Russia; he sarcastically stated that Manchester City dropped out of the race for Cavani because he was not ready to pay big money. In the end, everything turned out to be banal - Cavani followed his former partner Ezequiel Lavezzi, and Napoli received a lot of money with which they could buy, perhaps, all the strikers of the championship of Cavani’s native Uruguay at once. Even the start of Cavani’s presentation at PSG dragged on for two hours, as the Parisians tried until the last minute to bring down the price even a little, but De Laurentiis was unshakable.

7., from Atlético to Monaco, € 60 million 2013

Falcao and Cavani are doomed to eternal comparisons in the new season. The Uruguayan scored goals for Napoli, and the Colombian scored goals for his powerful shoulders dragged Atlético into the Champions League, and when the club became third, Radamel, considering the job done, went to the camp of ambitious newcomers to League 1. Falcao cost the Monegasques almost € 5 million less, but this does not mean that Monaco has better negotiators – both went to new clubs after the activation of compensation clauses. Note that Falcao remained the most expensive transfer in the history of League 1 for a month and a half, but given the ambitions and plans of PSG and Monaco, it is quite possible that in a year the Colombian will even fall out of the top three.

8., from Barcelona to Real Madrid, € 60 million, 2000

Figo became part of the “galactic” squad of Real Madrid at the beginning of the century, but what is remarkable about this transfer is not so much the amount as the circumstances of the transfer. The Portuguese moved to Real Madrid from Barcelona, ​​and fans of the Catalan club, to put it mildly, did not approve of this move. As a result, the transfer led to one of the brightest events in the history of the clasico, when the match in Barcelona was almost disrupted - Figo, who was taking the corners, was attacked by coins, glasses, lighters and even a pig's head, which had landed a few meters from the former idol of the Barcelona public, prepared by fans.

Barcelona fans

9., from Liverpool to Chelsea, € 58.5 million 2011

The striker's transfer at the winter deadline of the 2010/11 season caused a reaction in Liverpool similar to Figo's transfer - Torres' jerseys were on fire everywhere, and the footballer's family was cursed to the seventh knee. In the end, Liverpool, as it turned out, concluded perhaps the best deal in history, since Torres's performance at Chelsea is still far from the amount paid. It’s just a pity that the Reds uselessly invested the proceeds in Andy Carroll.

10., from Santos to Barcelona, ​​€ 57 million 2013

The saga called “Neymar leaves. No, it remains until the World Cup. No, he's leaving. No, not to Barcelona. No, he’s leaving” lasted more than a year, but ended happily. Neymar restored the balance of ethnic Brazilians, shaken with the departure of Alcantara, and took his number 11, and the footballer’s prospects in Europe in general and in Barcelona in particular have yet to be assessed. If it doesn't work out, Ibrahimovic knows why it might happen.

11., from Porto to Zenit, € 55 million 2012

The appearance of the Brazilian in the St. Petersburg club increased Zenit’s marketing income, but from a sporting point of view, the footballer’s first year in the new team was not very successful. Hulk, who came to Zenit as an absolute star, faced alienation from some Russian players blue-white-blue, often pulled the blanket over himself, earned the dubious reputation of a player who falls at every opportunity, but also scored several important goals. It was worth it for him to move to Russia, if only for the sake of something like June’s “Real Madrid wants to rent Hulk from Zenit” to appear in the headlines of the European press - sounds, you see, funny.

The euphoria from high-profile victories drives not only the players crazy, otherwise how can one explain the fact that every year a new most expensive football player on the planet appears, for whom the owners of European top clubs shell out unimaginable hundreds of millions of dollars. What drives presidents, the craving for recognition and glory? Be that as it may, it is often just a well-thought-out business. This doesn’t make things any easier for the athlete. Only a select few are worth that kind of money. Those who play not only with their feet, but also with their heads.

The transfer market as such appeared in 1893 after the escape of Scotsman Willie Groves from West Bromwich to Aston Villa. The Seals were eventually forced to pay 100 feet of compensation. Actually, this deal was the first in history, as well as the largest of that time. British players have been the most rated players for 35 years. Until the legendary Swede Hasse Jeppson broke this streak in 1952 with his move to Napoli from Atalanta for a more respectable £52,000. With each new deal, it seemed that it was impossible to increase the price tag, but it is still growing to this day.

The most expensive Russian football player

Back in 2009, the best Russian forward Andrei Arshavin, who had clearly outgrown the RPL, went to conquer Foggy Albion for a crazy 19 million euros for Russian football at that time. Arsene Wenger believed in our superstar and did everything to ensure that he ended up in the Gunners’ camp as quickly as possible. The first season demonstrated the correct vector of development for London Arsenal. Arshavin looked pretty good, and every time remembering the legendary poker at Anfield, even now, pride in the nation increases to the limit - we are unlikely to see this soon.

The opening 12 matches were really successful. In addition to the scoring extravaganza in the match with Liverpool, the Russian gunner freely sent balls to other participants in the Premier League. At the same time, Andrey was not greedy and regularly put his star partners in scoring positions. However, the cheerful start remains the only pleasant memory from that transfer, and the cost of the once formidable striker as a result drops to a ridiculous 200 thousand euros. You definitely can’t get caught up in the top most expensive football players in the world 2018. However, now that Arshavin is finishing out his career in Kazakh Ayrat, Arsenal is somewhat reminiscent of Andrey leaving London. However, today new Russian stars are sparkling on Russian lawns, and they may very well soon be talked about in Europe.

As befits the hosts of the World Cup, immediately after the end of the tournament, one of the team leaders Alexander Golovin, moves from CSKA Moscow to the ranks of French Monaco. Thus it becomes the most expensive Russian football player in Russia throughout the history of the Premier League. The deal is estimated at 30 million euros. But the main hope of domestic football, Fedor Smolov, fell a little in price after the World Cup. Now its price is 14 million.

Until 2018, the legendary Yuri Zhirkov was considered the most expensive football player in Russia. Which was sold by the same CSKA to Chelsea for 21 million euros. This significant event happened in 2009. The match against Croatia was the veteran’s last in the national team. Another participant in the already historic battles of the World Cup, Alexander Kokorin, closes the top three most expensive football players in Russia in 2018. He moved exclusively from Anzhi to Dynamo and back for 19 million rubles.

The most expensive football player in the world in history

The new shining star from Brazil was talked about in Europe long before his arrival on the continent. This topic has been discussed for so long and with such confidence that you inevitably begin to believe in the existence of trusted insiders. Or how else to explain such rumors? Psychics? Be that as it may, Neymar joined the ranks of Barcelona in 2013. Moreover, the 88.5 million euros that the Catalans paid did not reach the record. The most expensive football player in the world at that time was Welshman Gareth Bale. He cost the pomegranates' principal rival, Real Madrid, 12.5 million more than the Brazilian prodigy.

The most expensive transfers according to Agence France-Presse. Source: AFP

At first it seemed that Neymar was happy in the Catalan capital and, like Messi, would be devoted to the club until the end of his career. However, after five years of tiki-taka, he suddenly changes Spain for France. The owners of PSG had to fork out money to get the leader of the Brazilian national team - 222 million euros, no one has ever paid so much for football players. The deal, completed in 2017, becomes the most high-profile transfer of all time.

According to rumors, Neymar had to change his registration due to hazing, which seems to be thriving in the Camp Nou locker room. It is unlikely that those conditions would be comparable to the domestic army, however, some of the ridicule of star partners can actually be seen on social networks. Those who have seen the video of the ball being kicked out from under the heel will say in unison that the situation looks like an old-timer’s joke rather than any kind of oppression. But it is also clear from it that the Brazilian was clearly not friends with either Messi or Suarez. However, the main reason probably lies in the same banal money. Just think about these numbers: 70 euros per minute, 4200 per hour, 100,000 per day - this is the salary of a Brazilian. Now calculate how much the most expensive football player in 2018 earned from simulation alone at the last World Cup. Where he lay for a total of 15 minutes.

The most expensive football player of 2018

Traditionally, the most expensive football player in the world in 2018 was determined by the past summer. Logically, it should have been five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, but money is no longer the main thing in the Portuguese's life, he just really stayed too long, apparently went home in transit through Italy. That is why Real released the player at a modest price for such a player’s caliber.

Philippe Coutinho. The most expensive football player of 2018.

I took full advantage of this opportunity Philippe Coutinier, leading the top of the most expensive football players in 2018 after moving to Barcelona for 160 million euros. But back in 2013, the Brazilian midfielder was worth a modest 10 million, which Liverpool did not greed by agreeing with Inter Milan. After five years and 201 official matches played, the 25-year-old player becomes exactly 16 times more expensive. Amazing growth. In addition, Coutinho went down in the history of the Premier League and Barcelona for a long time, because no one was worth more than him during the entire period of existence of both projects. Although this deal was the most expensive in 2018, the most money is still worth Neymar, who, apparently, will not hold the palm for another year.

The importance of commerce and every dollar that an athlete earns for the club is once again proven by the Liverpool lawsuit against Nike. The reason is that garnet T-shirts with the name Coutinier appeared in stores, which significantly hit the Reds’ income.

TOP 10 most expensive football players in the world

In 2018, the table of the most expensive football players in the world underwent some changes, in particular, Ronaldo slightly improved his position, and Coutinier immediately burst into third place.

222 million Neymar in 2017 (Barcelona → PSG). He won all possible trophies with the Catalans: championship, cup, Spanish Super Cup, as well as the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. Despite all the difficulties, the coach trusted the football player. Hence 105 goals in 186 games. In Paris, the player immediately won all the national awards; he manages to score in almost every game.

180 million Kylian Mbappe in 2017 (Monaco → PSG). The record holder for age in the top 10 most expensive football players in the world in 2018, and in general of all time, he is only 20 years old. At the victorious World Championship in Russia, the speedy Frenchman scored 4 important goals. The only thing left to win against the Parisians is European trophies.

160 million Philippe Coutinier in 2018 (Liverpool → Barcelona). Came to Europe for 3.8 million euros in 2008, moving from the Brazilian Vasco da Gama to Italian Inter, where he becomes the owner of the Club World Cup and the Italian Cup. The Liverpool period turned out to be meager in terms of trophies, but already in Spain, Philippe collected all the national cups. Following the results of the World Championship, he was honored to be part of the symbolic team.

115 million Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018 (Real Madrid → Juventus). No matter how Messi fans grind their teeth, the Argentinean is clearly inferior to his principled rival in transfers. It’s not easy for Cristiano to enter the TOP twice; the deal between Manchester United and Real Madrid, which took place back in 2009, is the oldest transfer in the ranking. Of course, to know for sure which footballer is the most expensive in the world, Barcelona needs to decide to part with Messi. The probability of such a turn is equal to zero. And if this happened, the leader of the rating would definitely change.

105 million Ousmane Dembele in 2017 (Borussia Dortmund → Barcelona). The most unlucky of the entire ranking of the most expensive football players in the world in 2018, the player gets injured soon after the transfer. After a long recovery, the player regained full shape. The Frenchman has already added a full set of Spanish cups, won mostly in absentia. In addition, the newly crowned world champion is the winner of the German Cup.

105 million Paul Pogba 2016 (Juventus → Manchester United). The player joined the Red Devils academy back in 2009, and after his first appearances with the first team in 2012, he refused to renew his contract and went to Italy. Four years later, the Frenchman returns for fabulous money, and now, according to rumors, he is considering moving to Juventus again. As for achievements, this list is one of the most modest in the top: 9 trophies in Italy of all possible formats, as well as the Europa League Cup.

101 million Gary Bale 2013 (Tottenham → Real Madrid). In essence, Los Blancos were buying a pig in a poke, because the Welshman only won the cup at that time Football League. However, already in 2018, after a series of injuries, he brought Madrid victory in the third consecutive UEFA Champions League final. Spanish trophies have long been subservient to him.

94 million for Cristiano Ronaldo 2009 (Manchester United → Real Madrid). The beginning of the era of the future idol of millions, who found a worthy opponent in Messi.

90 million Gonzalo Higuain in 2016 (Napoli → Juventus). His European career began with Real Madrid, where the player moved from Argentine River Plate in 2006. Having won all Spanish tournaments, Higuain, with the help of Juventus and Napoli, collected another set of Italian awards, and 2018 was marked by a move to Milan for 54 million euros.

88.5 million for Neymar 2013 (Santos → Barcelona). It is rare for Latinos to receive such amounts from Europeans. No South American club appears in the top most expensive football players in the world in 2018 except Santos, who trained Neymar.

Dear football players: is it worth overpaying?

Let's see how investments in expensive football players pay off for the success of clubs.

Argentinean Gonzalo Higuain clearly jumped into over his head in 2016. Yes, he scored a lot for Napoli (35 goals). But it was difficult to compete with Ronaldo and Bale, who then dominated the game. As a result, the striker is rightfully considered the most disastrous transfer in the top 10 most expensive football players in the world in 2018, along with the deal between Pogba and Dembele. But even though they are young, they don’t suffer overweight.

If we talk about the most successful transfers, it is difficult to compare football successes with such amounts. However, if you close your eyes to the numbers and rely only on the athlete’s game and prospects, then without a doubt the fleet-footed Mbappe is worth the money. If anyone manages to break Neymar's record, it will most likely be a Frenchman. Despite the Brazilian's scoring extravaganza, it is unlikely that without a Champions League title his price tag can be justified. As for Coutinier, he fits quite well into the garnet-blue squad, but his value will still have to be worked out.

According to Ronaldo, everything is more or less clear from a financial point of view. In terms of the game, the guy is unlikely to fall below his level. In Turin, CR 7 could not score for quite a long time, but already in the fourth round of the Italian Serie A, he fired a double and brought victory to Juventus in the match with Sassuolo (2-1). Yes, the European champion looks good even at 34, but old age is not far off. And even though Ronaldo feels at least 18 biological years old, fighting age is much more difficult than fighting opponents.

Why are they willing to pay big money for football players?

The famous transfer of the legendary Argentinean Diego Maradona from Barcelona to Napoli was on everyone's lips in 1984. Although the deal took place for a ridiculous 7.5 million euros by today's standards. But he quite seriously laid claim to the title of king of world football. What is the basis for modern player prices? Why did the value of athletes soar more sharply than Bitcoin? To explain this trend, only three reasons are enough:

1. TV;
2. oligarchs;
3. business.

Such investments are ordinary commerce. It doesn't matter which football player is the most expensive in the world. A club that has incurred expenses necessarily plans not only to return what was spent, but also to earn good money. A great example is the latest sensation in the world of transfers. The transition of Cristiano Ronaldo is a clear demonstration of how money is made from just one name.

Do you think the Italians just paid a tidy sum for the striker? If we match the debit and credit, it turns out that the “old lady,” in addition to the planned improvement in results on the European stage, will simultaneously be able to increase its budget by more than 50 million euros. Watching the crazy rush of black and white T-shirts with number seven, you are amazed at the thoughtfulness of the Italian breeders.

Not a single person on the planet, even an avid fan, would call the prices for modern players adequate. In fact, football is no longer just a game - it is sports Hollywood. If this continues, football players will cost more than aircraft carriers – billions.

As you know, football is perhaps the most favorite game of millions of people around the world. The ups and downs on the field are followed with trembling, interest and delight. Every match is a small tragedy or a victory. Every year to organize various football tournaments Colossal amounts of money are spent: buying tickets, advertising, etc. - all this costs a tidy sum. It is also quite logical that the most dear football players the world are also the most in demand. Their fans go crazy over them, various brands chase after them, trying to sign an advertising contract, they are admired, and sometimes even hated. Today, almost every boy dreams of becoming a professional football player. As they say, like the time, like the heroes. Therefore, this article will talk about those athletes who are making the financial history of football today.

Welsh star

So, let's go! The top most expensive football players in the world opens with a man named Gareth Bale. It was his move from English Tottenham to Real Madrid for this moment It is considered the most expensive transfer in the history of football, the amount of which is under 100 million euros. This event took place on the first day of September 2013.

Initially, many experts criticized Los Blancos for such extravagance, but the 2014 Champions League final cleared up all questions. It was the Welshman's crazy pass that ultimately brought Madrid victory in the tournament for the first time in 12 years.

Portuguese magician

The most expensive football players in the world are not only athletic people, but also visually attractive. A striking example of this is Cristiano Ronaldo, for whom millions of women on the planet “dry”. At the same time, the captain of the Portuguese national team is also very valuable. His transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid on June 11, 2009 cost the royal club 94 million euros. It must be said that to this day Kri Ro is fully worth the money invested in it. The main thing is that the most glamorous of all existing football players on the planet continues to grow in terms of skill and his value, because the amount of compensation for him is generally equal to 200 (!!!) million euros, which scares off even the richest Russian-Arab and other oligarchs. According to the president of Real Madrid, he simply does not intend to give away his main treasure for less money.

Brazilian prodigy

It is quite logical that the most expensive football players in the world are Brazilians too. A young talent named Neymar joined Barcelona from Santos on July 1, 2013. The Catalan team paid 83.5 million euros for him. The transfer itself eventually led to a scandal, because of which the president of the blue garnets had to resign.

Uruguayan master

Luis Suarez arrived in Barcelona on July 11, 2014. He got there from Liverpool and cost the new club 94 million euros. The football player’s skill was noted not only by fans, but also by MSN specialists. The athlete integrated well into the team and, together with Messi and Neymar, has already scored more than 100 goals this season.

James Rodriguez

The Colombian arrived at Real Madrid on July 22, 2014. Before that he played for Monaco. The amount of money spent on its purchase is 80 million euros. The athlete was recognized as the top scorer of the 2014 World Cup, and also scored the most beautiful goal.

Los Blancos coach Carlo Ancelotti cannot get enough of his new charge. According to the coach, the football player not only quickly joined the team and began to play high level, but still remains a very modest person.

Angel Di Maria

The most expensive football players in the world in history are sometimes not the people who can fully develop in a new team. A striking example of this is the Argentinean Di Maria. This guy moved to Manchester United from Real Madrid in August 2014, they predicted a great future for him, especially since they paid as much as 75 million euros for him. The amount, of course, is not a record, but still impressive. However, game practice showed that the football player could not begin to play as efficiently as possible. As a result, he never settled into the club and in the summer of 2015 he moved to Paris Saint-Germain.

Zinedine Zidane

The top 10 most expensive football players in the world are simply unthinkable without this Frenchman. In the early 2000s he became a real star Real Madrid, although it should be noted that initially it was very difficult for him to get used to the new club, but the then Main coach Spaniards Vincente del Bosque was so wise and far-sighted that he was able to think through a game scheme in which the world champion ultimately realized his maximum and helped the club win the Champions League. The transfer itself took place on July 9, 2001, and its amount was 73.5 million euros, which at that time seemed an unrealistic number.

Swedish rebel

Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived at Barcelona on July 27, 2009. His previous club was Inter Milan. The Spaniards paid 69.5 million euros for the Swede.

Unfortunately, Zlatan was never able to organically join the team and start scoring goals for everyone and everything, as he did before. In his only season with the Blaugrana, he managed to score only 21 goals, received several injuries, missed many important matches, and at the end of the season he had a huge falling out with Pep Guardiola. In 2010, Ibrahimovic was loaned to Milan, and a year later he was finally sold.

Kaka

The Brazilian ball master is also an example of how the crazy money paid to his previous club does not affect the performance of his new team. Kaká joined Real Madrid from Milan for €65 million on 7 June 2009.

As part of the “creamy” team, the Brazilian had to constantly fight for a place in the sun, and this despite the fact that in the Italian team he was the first violin. The four seasons spent in Madrid turned out to be unsuccessful for the footballer: injuries, unimpressive performances and a small number of goals scored. All this ultimately led to the Brazilian returning to Milan, and completely free of charge.

Edinson Cavani

The list of the 10 most expensive football players in the world is completed by this Uruguayan, whose cost in July 2013 was 64.5 million euros. This is the amount of money Napoli paid for the transfer to PSG.

In 2014, Cavani, together with Ibrahimovic, had a fairly successful season and led the Parisians to the championship. However, the capital club dreams of winning the Champions League, which was not possible to do last year. In this regard, Pogba is expected in the team.

The most expensive football players in the world, the list of which is provided above, despite all their ups and downs, still remain ordinary people with their inherent advantages and disadvantages.

By the way, a thorough market analysis shows an interesting thing. The most expensive football players in the world are often either strikers or midfielders. It is extremely rare, if we consider the second ten expensive football players, to see a defender, and even more so a goalkeeper (although the only one who can be considered an expensive goalkeeper was the Italian Gianluigi Buffon).

According to the latest information reports, the cost best players leading football clubs world has long exceeded 150 million euros. But this mark seemed unattainable just a few years ago. Judge for yourself: the most expensive football player in 2018, according to the most recent data, is Barcelona striker Neymar. Back in 2017, the price tag for the Brazilian was simply crazy - 222 million euros! But even such amounts no longer deter potential employers. For example, the French PSG easily parted with this money in order to get the Selecao star into their ranks. The Parisian club was not deterred by the strict financial fair play framework set by UEFA.

Who besides Neymar is among the top most expensive football players right now? The current rating of the value of the leading players of our time, prepared by Football-Fan journalists, will help you figure this out. When compiling it, we used calculations from the authoritative portal “Transfermarkt”, based on unique insights and a powerful analytical base.

THE MOST EXPENSIVE FOOTBALL PLAYER IN THE WORLD 2018. RANKING OF TOP 11 POTENTIAL TRANSFERS

1. Neymar (PSG)

The most expensive football player in 2018 is the 26-year-old wizard Neymar, who has held the first place for at least two seasons in a row. However, disputes regarding its cost are permissible. The real market price for a Brazilian has almost doubled in a year and is now equal to 180 million euros. However, PSG will never let their leader go for such relatively low money.

Even when he played for Barcelona, ​​the amount of 222 million euros in compensation appeared in the press. That’s exactly what Neymar’s clause amounted to, which is also the maximum value officially stated in the contract. If any club was willing to pay this money, Barça was obliged to immediately enter into the negotiation process. In the summer of 2017, PSG made an offer for the “transfer of the century,” as the world media dubbed the possible transfer. As a result, Ney agreed to change Barcelona to Paris, automatically entering the top 5 highest paid football players on the planet. According to insiders, Neymar received a salary of 2.25 million euros per month.

But the Brazilian, prone to simulation and swinging rights, was not happy for long in Paris. Less than six months later, he fell out with another PSG leader, Uruguayan Edinson Cavani, after which rumors about Neymar’s dissatisfaction with him began to circulate more and more actively in the press. current situation. The name of the new club interested in Ney's potential transfer - Real Madrid - was also often mentioned. If Los Blancos really decide to sign Neymar in order to strengthen their attack after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, then they will have to fork out a lot. Paris Saint-Germain definitely won’t want to remain in the red, which means the Galacticos will have to prepare at least $250 million, and also agree to a significant increase in the salaries of the players themselves. If this happens, Neymar will once again break a number of transfer records.

2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

According to Transfermarkt specialists, the current value of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has increased by 60 million euros over the year and now stands at 180 million. As with Neymar, in the event of a possible transfer of its main leader, Barcelona will definitely not cheapen out. On the other hand, every year the price for a forward who has already reached his fourth decade will inexorably decline. Moreover, the recent 2018 World Championship showed that “Flea” is already close to the period when his gaming performance will gradually begin to decline. He lost almost his last opportunity to lift the coveted World Cup over his head, and in La Liga, against the backdrop of restructuring at Real Madrid and the departure of his main competitor in the person of Ronaldo, Lionel will become noticeably more bored. Word on adequate offers for Messi from top European clubs?

3. Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

The newly crowned 2018 world champion quickly burst into adult football. Now Mbappe is 19 years old - and he is deservedly one of the three most expensive football players on this planet. The estimated value of the young winger, who is simply obliged to grow to win the Ballon d'Or in the near future, is 150 million euros. Back in January 2018, it cost about 120 million, and in August of last year - even 35 million euros. A colossal leap!

The scheme of Mbappe's transfer from Monaco to PSG in the summer of 2017 was quite secretive. Paris wanted to bypass the clutches of financial fair play, so they arranged the transfer as a one-year lease with a mandatory buyout option. In July 2018, the capital activated this clause of the agreement, transferring 135 million euros to the Monegasques. If PSG decides to sell Kylian in the future, the minimum amount offered for the talented Frenchman will start at 200 million euros. It is Mbappe who is now rightfully seen as perhaps the only football player capable of breaking Neymar’s transfer record.

4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

26-year-old Egyptian Mo Salah became one of the most pleasant discoveries of the 2017/18 season. With 32 goals in 36 Premier League appearances, the curly-haired winger helped Liverpool finish in fourth place. standings. Salah was also irreplaceable in the Champions League: having scored 11 goals in 15 meetings, Mohamed became one of the creators of the Merseysiders' sensational advance to the final of the most prestigious club tournament in Europe. Alas, there the “Reds” ran into the powerful Real Madrid of Zinedine Zidane, who eventually won the third “Eared” title in a row. And Mo Salah injured his shoulder after contact with Sergio Ramos, thereby disrupting the preparation process for Russian championship peace.

But the Egyptian’s achievements could not go unnoticed. Over the year, his transfer value increased from 35 to 150 million euros. And this is not the limit: experts predict Salah personal success in the 2018/19 season. This will logically result in an even greater change in the price tag for the goal-scoring winger and, very likely, in a promotion to Real Madrid or Barcelona. But potential buyers will have to fork out quite a bit: the Reds extended the contract with one of their main stars in advance.

5. Harry Kane (Tottenham)

Spurs striker Harry Kane has risen in price by 90 million euros over the past year. Now his estimated cost is 150 million euros, but rest assured: the tight-fisted management of Tottenham will not part with their striker for such a modest sum. Moreover, Kane earned excellent press with his good performance at the 2018 World Championships. And the title top scorer World Cup (6 goals; however, half of them were scored from the penalty spot) inflated the price for the forward even higher. Kane’s contract with the London club is valid until June 2024, so in the next 3-4 years we can hardly expect a reduction in the price tag attached to the striker. Another Premier League transfer record coming?

6. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

De Bruyne had a phenomenal season, becoming the English champion and also the league's top assister with 16 assists. It’s no wonder that the transfer value of the Belgian, who won bronze medals at the 2018 World Championships, increased to a sky-high 150 million euros. For example, back in the summer of 2017, Kevin was valued at only 65 million - and this is almost 2.5 times less.

If he doesn’t slow down and doesn’t lower the demands on himself, he will be able to aim for something more. Fortunately, his age allows him to look into the near future with undisguised optimism: after all, De Bruyne is now only 27 years old - the prime of his career!

7. Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid)

One of the best forwards of our time, Antoine Griezmann, who won the World Cup gold medal in July 2018, is also 27 years old. And even though his transfer in the summer of 2017 was estimated at a modest 80 million euros, a year later the striker’s cost increased to 120 million. Atlético Madrid's management came up with a new employment contract in time: now Griezmann is bound by a contract with the "mattress guys" until 2023, which means he has nowhere to rush. At the same time, Antoine rejected Barcelona's offer, wishing to fully concentrate on his performances under the leadership of Simeone. Madrid is extremely happy about this decision. Everyone understands perfectly well that in a season or two the French striker can be sold for much more than his current value.

8. Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona)

The market value of the 26-year-old Blaugranas attacking midfielder has increased from 45 to 120 million euros compared to previous data. But this is only approximate, since we all remember the most important nuance: in January 2018, Barcelona bought Coutinho from Liverpool for 125 million euros! Should we expect that the “badgers” will suddenly want to part with a powerful midfielder for less? No, this is a utopia: therefore, the real price for the Brazilian, whose contract with Barca is valid until the end of the 2022/23 season, will start at 140-150 million.

9. Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Eden Hazard in last season under the leadership of Jose Mourinho, he did not show his best football. However, with the arrival of Antonio Conte as coach of the Blues, the Belgian winger noticeably perked up and managed to return to his former amazing form. It was only after the championship season of the “pensioners” that Hazard, along with other leaders of the London giants, noticeably lowered the bar, which led to Chelsea falling back to 5th place and relegation from the Champions League zone.

But the drop in gaming performance did not lead to a decrease in transfer value. On the contrary, on Azar we see a 120 million price tag! Now Eden continues to confidently occupy a place in the top 10 most expensive football players, ranking at the level of Griezmann and Coutinho.

10. Paulo Dybala (Juventus)

Rounding out the top ten most expensive football players on the planet is Juventini Paulo Dybala. The Argentinean's cost is 110 million euros - but just a year ago the striker was valued at a modest 65 million!

Now Cristiano Ronaldo has become his partner - and this can significantly affect the individual growth of the attacking midfielder. By the way, in the summer of 2018, Dybala tried to lure English Liverpool, but the 90 million euros offered by the Merseysiders did not interest the bosses of the Old Lady.

11. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)

In 2017, the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo took 3rd place in the ranking of the top 10 most expensive football players of our time. But now he is only eleventh! At the same time, we had no right not to include Cristi in our list due to his undeniable services to world football and the highest media exposure of this performer.

Now the price for the 33-year-old ex-Real Madrid forward is 100 million euros: that’s how much Los Blancos sold their main star for recent years to Juventus Turin. And this is surprising: one gets the impression that the “Galacticos” have been considerably cheapened. However, the strong desire of the Portuguese himself to quickly change his registration played a significant role here.

LIST OF THE 20 MOST EXPENSIVE FOOTBALL PLAYERS IN THE WORLD 2018: