Former stars of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea are among the top 10 football players who have paid the highest accumulated transfer costs for them in their career.
The largest clubs in Europe are willing to break the bank to sign highly appreciated players and PSG has lowered the World Transfer record by signing Neymar in 2017.
We looked at the 10 players with the highest cumulative transfer costs, with the figures from the transfer market. Note: All costs are in euros.
Coutinho came to Liverpool from Inter Milan in 2013 for only € 13 million and was sold to Barcelona five years later for a profit of € 122 million.
The Brazilian international did not live up to expectations in Camp Nou and the transfer was summarized when Coutinho scored two goals against Barcelona during his loan say in Bayern Munich in 2019-2020.
He moved to Aston Villa, but was largely sidelined by Unai Emery and has since returned to Brazil with Vasco de Gama.
Perhaps the most surprising mention on this list, Cunhas € 74.2 million move to Manchester United in 2025 was so far only the last in a series of expensive swaps.
Still only 26, the Brazilian costs Hertha Berlin € 18 million five years ago before Atletico Madrid paid € 35 million for his services until 2021.
Wolves paid a loan amount, followed by a permanent reimbursement of € 50 million two years later and still made a profit by selling him to United.
A talented player with many years left in his career, there is still time for Cunha to increase this list.
With Ajax, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Manchester United on his CV, it is no surprise that De Ligt is the only defender on this list.
The biggest fee was back in 2019, when Juve paid no less than € 85.5 million for the Center-Back that Ajax just lodged to the Champions League Semis.
It did not work in Italy, or at Bayern after three years later after a transfer of € 67 million.
United paid less than € 50 million last year for De Ligt, but a solid debut season in England was unable to put the club in their lowest competition position since 1974.
After he came to Real Sociedad through the ranks, Griezmann completed a relocation of € 30 million to Atletico Madrid in 2014.
The French International then developed into one of the world's best attackers under the guidance of Diego Simeone and scored 133 goals in 257 performances.
Barcelona activated his € 120 million buyout clause in 2019, but the 32-year-old struggled to replicate his Athletico form in the Camp Nou.
With Barca desperate to correct their eye-watery debts, Griezmann was left to Atletico in August 2021 with a permanent deal of € 22 million agreed for the following summer.
One of the big nomads of football, Morata has already completed eight large transfers between some of the largest clubs in Europe.
The striker came through the Real Madrid Academy and was sold to Juventus in 2014 for € 20 million, but the Spanish side exerted their back-back clause two years later.
He then had a fateful stint in Chelsea before he completed a move of € 35 million back to Spain with Atletico Madrid in 2020.
The 30-year-old brought the 2020-21 season on loan with Juventus and the temporary deal was extended until June 2022.
Further steps to AC Milan and Galatasaray followed, so Morata's combined transfer costs were brought to more than € 200 million.
Borussia Dortmund has an extremely good eye for young talent and signed Rennes Dembele for only £ 13 million in 2016.
After just a year in Germany, the wing player at Barcelona came as a direct replacement for Neymar in a £ 135.5 million deal, which helped to finance Dortmund six brilliant transfers.
He has been plagued by injury problems in recent years, while Barcelona reportedly had several concerns about his attitude outside the field.
But Dembele played well enough to earn a contract extension in the summer of 2022, which eventually earned the club of € 50 million when he moved to PSG in 2023.
Last season it finally clicked for the Frenchman, his individual versions that help PSG win the Champions League and make him a favorite for the Ballon d'Or.
Books are written about Felix's career, with the former Wonderkid Al in Saudi Arabia against the age of 25.
Atletico Madrid paid € 127.2 million for the teenager Felix in 2019, but he never impressed Diego Simeone and was eventually sold to Chelsea for € 52 million five years later.
The blues had already taken Felix on loan in 2023, which was rejected the chance to sign it permanently at the time, resulting in accusations of hoarding assets.
These claims were only strengthened by the sad year that Felix spent on Stamford Bridge, did not impress again and was shipped to Saudi Arabia for € 30 million.
What a wastage of a career it has been so far.
Ronaldo, signed for only € 19 million from Sporting Lisbon by Manchester United, developed into one of the best players in the world at Old Trafford.
Real Madrid then brought the winger to Spain for € 94 million in 2009, and he turned out to be an excellent price -quality ratio and scored 450 goals in 438 performances in all competitions.
After having won two LA Liga titles and four champion competitions with Los Blancos, the 36-year-old completed a move of € 117 million to Juventus in 2018.
Ronaldo then returned to Old Trafford – signed from Juventus for the small fee of € 17 million.
His move to Saudi Arabia in December 2022, after throwing the entire content of Toys 'r' r 'r' r 'r' r 'r' ranged pram, was for a nominal fee.
Quiz: Name Elke Club Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the Champions League
Although Lukaku often divided the opinion during his career, he has an impressive target score record during his time as a professional.
The striker arrived at Chelsea van Andershecht in 2011 in a deal of € 15 million and was sold to Everton in 2014 for a profit of € 20 million.
Manchester United paid the Toffees € 84.7 million for his services in 2017 before sending him to Inter Milan two years later in a deal worth € 74 million.
The 30-year-old silenced his critics with 64 goals in 95 games for Inter and Chelsea agreed to pay € 113 million to bring him back to England in 2021.
But the Belgian international soon burned his (Stamford) bridges with poor versions and frequent outbursts.
The blues received approximately € 12 million in loan costs from Inter and Roma, before they strolled Lukaku to Napoli for € 30 million in 2024.
After the leading role for Santos, Neymar came to Barcelona in 2013 in a € 88 million deal before he was part of a deadly attacking trio next to Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
PSG then signed the attacker for a world record compensation of € 22 million in the summer of 2017, a movement that sent shock waves throughout Europe and took care of Barcelona to plunge into debts.
He cost Al-Hilal around € 90 million in 2023, a movement that saw him shoot back to the top of this list.