Soccer’s Most Costly Transfers: Isak Joins Neymar, Mbappé in High 5

It’s been all about splashing the cash for Liverpool. 

The defending English Premier League champions spent an incredible $570 million in transfer fees this summer, headlined by two blockbuster deals in German playmaker Florian Wirtz and Swedish striker Alexander Isak. 

The duo is expected to continue bringing some serious silverware to Anfield, including yet another Champions League title. So, where do these deals rank among the most expensive in soccer history? Here’s a look at the top 10 and how they played out:

1. Neymar: $239 million (Barcelona to PSG, 2017)

It was always going to be difficult for Neymar to live up to the $239 million price tag that PSG paid Barcelona for his talents in 2017, but injuries made it even harder for him to justify it. He wasn’t able to bring PSG its Champions League victory. Still, he had an outstanding career with the club, recording 118 goals and 77 assists in 173 appearances, and winning 13 trophies in six years. A disappointing spell at Saudi side Al-Hilal prompted a return to his boyhood club Santos in Brazil earlier this year in hopes of staying in the mix for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

Neymar remains the most expensive transfer in soccer history. (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images)

2. Kylian Mbappe: $194 million (Monaco to PSG, 2017)

In hindsight, $194 million feels like a steal for a player of Mbappe’s caliber. Though the 24-year-old did not win the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, he brought a record five consecutive Ligue 1 titles and eight domestic cups to the club after joining from Monaco in 2017. He was also named Ligue 1 Player of the Year four times as a PSG player. In March of 2023, Mbappe passed Edinson Cavani’s to become PSG’s all-time leading goalscorer, and he did it in 54 fewer games. After seven seasons with PSG, Mbappe transferred to Real Madrid. 

Before his move to Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappe made an equally shocking transfer from Monaco to PSG. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

3. Philippe Coutinho: $192 million (Liverpool to Barcelona, 2018)

One of the most expensive deals in soccer history is also one of the worst. Pegged as the perfect replacement for club legend Andres Iniesta, Philippe Coutinho transferred to Barcelona from Liverpool for a fee of $145 million in 2018. What followed was the nightmare scenario for Barcelona. Coutinho, Barcelona’s most expensive player of all time, played only one full season for the club before he was loaned out to FC Bayern before the start of his third season. 

Coutinho returned to Barcelona for the 2020-21 season, but a season-ending knee injury limited him to just 14 appearances in all competitions. In January 2022, Coutinho transferred to Premier League club Aston Villa for $26 million. Coutinho ended his Barcelona career with 25 goals and 14 assists in 106 appearances with Barcelona. With Liverpool, he had 54 goals and 45 assists in 201 appearances.

4. Alexander Isak: $170 million (Newcastle United to Liverpool, 2025)

The Swedish striker became the most expensive player in the history of British soccer after joining Liverpool for a reported $170 million from Newcastle, ending the summer transfer window’s biggest saga. Liverpool made a reported bid of roughly $149 million for Isak during the offseason and bided its time before coming back for an improved offer. Isak netted 23 goals in the Premier League last season to finish second in the scoring chart behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

Alexander Isak is now the most expensive signing in British soccer history. (Photo by Nikki Dyer – LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

5. Florian Wirtz: $156 million (if add-ons achieved; Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool, 2025)

Wirtz is one of the brightest young stars in world soccer. As a 20-year-old, he had 11 goals and 11 assists in 32 matches as he helped Bayer Leverkusen win its first Bundesliga league title. He followed that up with a 10-goal, 12-assist season as Leverkusen finished second in the Bundesliga and also made it to the Knockout Stage of the UEFA Champions League. Because of the lofty price tag, Wirtz will have loads of pressure on him when he arrives at Liverpool and slots in next to Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch in the Reds’ midfield.

6. Moises Caicedo: $146 million (Brighton to Chelsea, 2023)

The Ecuador midfielder’s move was previously the most expensive deal by a British club, with Chelsea buying him from Brighton in August 2023, before Liverpool acquired Florian Wirtz. Caicedo appeared in 38 matches for Chelsea this past season, helping the team keep 11 clean sheets while finishing fourth in the English Premier League.

7. Ousmane Dembele: $145 million (Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona, 2017)

When Dembele was healthy, the $145 million transfer fee Barcelona paid to acquire him from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 looked completely justified, but injuries made the deal difficult to evaluate. Because while he won three La Liga titles and three domestic cups in six years at Barcelona, he was sidelined for the high and lows the clubs has experienced in that time. His final season at Barcelona was arguably his most impactful, as he contributed five goals and seven assists en route to a La Liga title. Dembele ultimately transferred to PSG in 2023, and has since had a resurgence, helping the team to two league titles and winning the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2025.  

After stints at Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, Ousmane Dembele has thrived with PSG. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images)

8. Joao Felix: $137 million (Benfica to Atlético Madrid, 2019)

Joao Felix’s $137 million move from Benfica to Atlético Madrid was historic for both clubs, as it was Benfica’s biggest sale in club history and Atlético’s biggest-ever transfer. Unfortunately, Felix hasn’t made much history in Madrid outside his price tag. While the 2019 Golden Boy-winner helped Atléti lift its first La Liga trophy in seven years in 2021, injuries and disagreements with the club’s legendary manager Diego Simeone have prevented him from living up to his price tag. Felix spent the second half of the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Chelsea, and spent the 2024-25 season on loan with the Italian club AC Milan. This summer, he joined his Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

9. Enzo Fernandez: $130.5 million (Benfica to Chelsea, 2023)

Coming off of winning the FIFA Young Player Award at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Fernandez secured a $130.5 million transfer from Benfica to Chelsea in January. While the 22-year-old wasn’t able to turn Chelsea’s season around, he was one of the few bright spots for the Blues during a season in which they finished 12th in the English Premier League. He now wears the captain’s armband of the Blues squad that won the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.  

Enzo Fernandez is now a steady stalwart at Chelsea side that is never lacking in constant change. (Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images)

10. Antoine Griezmann: $129 million (Atlético Madrid to Barcelona, 2019)

Barcelona activated Griezmann’s $129 million buyout clause from Atletico Madrid in 2019. However, Griezmman’s time in Barcelona didn’t last long, as he returned to Atléti on loan in 2021 after two unsuccessful seasons at the Camp Nou. Atléti made the transfer permanent in 2022 by paying $21 million for Griezmann, $108 million less than what Barcelona paid for him two years prior. Griezmann contributed 35 goals and 17 assists in 102 appearances for Barcelona. He remains at Atletí. 

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