There is no doubt that there’s a lot of money in football. The sport branded ‘the beautiful game’ is by far the most popular sport in the world, with competitions like the Premier League, Champions League and the World Cup keeping us on the edge of our seats throughout the year. With football being the most popular sport in the world, this means that there is a lot of money involved because of season ticket sales, shirt sales and sponsorship deals. For clubs to gain the best players, this means they have to spend a lot of money - and when I say a lot, I mean, a lot!
Take a look at the top five most expensive football transfers of all time. These transfers almost certainly required some serious contract experts to sort them out!
5. Antoine Griezmann - €120 Million
In 2019, Antoine Griezmann made the switch from Atletico Madrid over to the European giants Barcelona for 120 million euros. This transfer might seem even more expensive considering that Griezmann re-joined Atletico Madrid on loan in 2021 with an option to buy for €40m. Meaning Barca lost out on 80 million euros!
4. Joao Felix - €126 Million
A knock-on effect for Griezmann leaving Atletico Madrid meant that the club needed a new striker. So who better than a wonderkid from Portugal dubbed the new Cristiano Ronaldo? This cost the club 126 million euros and it’s not looking like the worst investment in the world… so far!
3. Phillippe Coutinho - €145 Million
There’s a bit of a trend here where Barcelona spend an obscene amount of money to get a player. In this case, it was 145 million euros to capture the signature of the Brazillian playmaker.
2. Kylian Mbappe - €180 Million
In 2017, Paris Saint Germain unloaded their pockets on Mbappe, the French youngster whose ability resembled the pace of Thierry Henry and the finishing of Karim Benzema.
1. Neymar - €222 Million
This transfer from Paris Saint Germain completely blows all of the other transfers out of the water. When Neymar signed on the dotted line for the club, many claimed that this quite literally changed the transfer landscape forever. No club had ever spent anywhere near that amount of money, and now you’re seeing clubs spend tens of millions every transfer window.
Every football transfer starts with a contract. At Blackslegal Ltd, our team of sports solicitors are here to help you understand your contract and the complex legal processes surrounding it. Seeking legal advice should be always attended to in the world of competitive sport, that’s why our sports contract lawyers are here to give you a helping hand when you need it most. If you are convinced that you need contract experts to oversee your transfer, then get in touch with Blackslegal Ltd today.
