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Ever since Neymar's record-breaking €222m move to PSG was sanctioned in 2017, transfers of the modern era have experienced huge amounts of inflation. The market value of every single professional footballer experienced a massive surge post that remarkable incident.
As a result, the past four seasons have witnessed 10 transfers involving a fee in excess of €100m. To put things in perspective, only two signings, transcending the 100 million mark, were authorized before the Brazilian's transfer to PSG.
Some of the biggest transfers in recent years
Two and a half months into this season's summer transfer window, two clubs have already splashed more than 100 million euros on just two signings. Jack Grealish ended his 20-year association with Aston Villa after a €117.5m move to Manchester City.
More recently, Chelsea forked out €115m to initiate the return of former player Romelu Lukaku. The big Belgian was handed the infamous jersey number 9, following Tammy Abraham's departure to Roma.
It is interesting to note that every transfer window since 2017, barring the COVID-affected 2020-21 one, has witnessed at least one €100m+ transfer. With Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho already on their books, Barcelona added Antoine Griezmann to their ranks for a further €120m in 2019.
Joao Felix was brought by Atletico Madrid, as the Frenchman's direct replacement for a massive €127.2m. Completing a triad of La Liga signings, Real Madrid's €115m acquisition of Eden Hazard was the last transfer of 2019, involving this kind of capital.
With players securing big-money moves more frequently than ever, certain footballers have been subject to multiple high-profile transfers. On that note, let's take a look at the five players that have accumulated the highest cumulative fees in transfers:
#5 Angel Di Maria - €179m (4 transfers)
The man responsible for bagging the two most significant international trophies in the history of this modern Argentina side, Angel Di Maria initially gained attention during his time at Benfica. Having bought him for a meager €8m from his hometown club, CA Rosario, Benfica proved to be the ideal nurturing ground for Di Maria.
The Argentine earned his first move to a European giant in 2010 when Real Madrid stumped up €33m for his services. In his four seasons at the Bernabeu, Di Maria dazzled everyone with his superlative creativity and dribbling skills. His man-of-the-match performance in the 2014 Champions League final secured the 10th title for Los Blancos.
However, the game proved to be his last in a Madrid shirt as Di Maria was shipped off to Manchester United for €75m to make way for newcomer James Rodriguez. Despite enjoying a scintillating start at Old Trafford, the innovative playmaker flopped hard and was sold to PSG after a solitary season. The talented wide man rediscovered his form in Paris and has thrived ever since his €63m transfer was finalized by the French giants.
#4 Alvaro Morata - €189m (6 transfers)
A surprise inclusion in the list, Alvaro Morata has accumulated a massive €189m in transfer fees throughout his career. Morata is a former graduate of the fabled Real Madrid academy, having joined La Fabrica in 2008. He made his first-team debut for Los Blancos in 2010, coming on as an 18-year-old in the 88th minute of a league match against Real Zaragoza.
Nevertheless, the Spaniard was sold to Juventus for €20m in 2014, before he could make an impact at his parent club. In a surprising turn of events, Real Madrid activated a €30m buy-back clause to bring Morata back to the Bernabeu, two years after his sale. His 15 league goals in the 2016-17 season prompted Chelsea to fork out a ridiculous €66m for his services.
The Spanish international spent a torrid time as Chelsea's designated number 9, scoring just 11 times in 31 Premier League outings. This underwhelming spell was followed by a third stint in Madrid, this time with Real's noisy neighbors Atletico. Following Morata's €35m purchase in 2020, Diego Simeone authorized a loan back to Turin just months after making his move permanent. Morata is currently on loan at Juventus until 2022. Taking into consideration the loan fees paid for his services by Atletico Madrid and Juventus, Morata pips Di Maria to fourth-place on the list.
Also read: 5 Real Madrid legends who left on free transfers
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo - €230m (3 transfers)
Subject to two of the most lucrative transfers in footballing history, Cristiano Ronaldo has been a serial record-breaker ever since his professional debut in 2002. An integral part of Sporting CP's esteemed academy, Ronaldo impressed in a friendly match against his future side Manchester United. His obvious potential, coupled with his exhilarating performance against the Reds, prompted Sir Alex Ferguson to sign the youngster for €19m.
This amount proved to be one of the best bargains in the sport's history as Ronaldo went on to earn a place amongst the world's elite. The Portuguese veteran's freakish 2007-08 season pocketed him that year's Ballon d'Or and a subsequent €94m transfer to Real Madrid. This deal made him the most expensive signing ever, overshadowing Zinedine Zidane's €77.5m move to the Bernabeu in 2001.
Four more Ballon d'Ors, four Champions League titles, and 450 goals later, Real Madrid sold Ronaldo to Juventus in 2018 for a profit of €23m. The joint all-time top scorer in international football has since gone on to score 101 goals for the Old Lady.
#2 Neymar - €310.2m (2 transfers)
Neymar seeps up to second-place with the lowest number of total transfers, having only changed surroundings twice in his career. The Brazilian superstar was destined for greatness, having shown flashes of exquisite talent during his time at Santos. After spending four years with the Alvinegro, Neymar moved to Barcelona for a whopping €88.2m signing fee.
On June 23, 2013, Neymar was officially announced and unveiled as the Catalans' most expensive signing at the time. However, his transfer to Barcelona was shrouded in controversy, even causing then-president Sandro Rosell to resign from his post. The fee, initially believed to be around the regions of €55m, turned out to be a lot more than that, with Neymar's father and a third party pocketing much of the cash.
Nevertheless, the flamboyant playmaker managed to carve out a successful career at Barcelona over the next four seasons. In a shocking development in 2017, PSG revealed to have had triggered Neymar's gargantuan release clause of €222m.
To fans' dismay, Barcelona's then No.11 admitted to having facilitated the Parisians' advances with a desire to seek out a new challenge. Thus, with just two transfers on his CV, Neymar managed to rewrite the financial history of the game.
#1 Romelu Lukaku - €327.56m (6 transfers)
In the number one spot, usurping Neymar's throne with his recent €115m transfer to Chelsea is none other than the Belgian sensation, Romelu Lukaku. The 28-year-old striker subsequently became the 12th footballer to fetch more than 100 million euros with this move.
Lukaku first made a name for himself with native side Anderlecht, racking up 41 professional goals before his 18th birthday. His brawny physique, combined with his talents as a striker, compelled Chelsea to sign him for €15m in 2011. However, the prodigal Belgian could never make his mark at Stamford Bridge and, following two brilliant loan spells, was sold to Everton for €35.36m. Lukaku proved to be a brilliant signing at Goodison Park, propelling the Toffees to fifth-place during his time there.
Having impressed the Manchester United hierarchy, the talismanic forward earned a bumper upgrade to Old Trafford, costing the Red Devils a whopping €84.7m. Even though a return of 55 goal involvements in 96 matches is nothing to be scoffed at, Lukaku struggled to fit in.
As a result, he was shipped off to Inter for €74m in 2019. Two seasons on from that move, the Belgian is now worth €100m on the transfer market. It would be interesting to see if he is able to do justice to his hefty price tag, or succumbs to the notorious curse of No.9 at Chelsea.
Also read: Top 5 Lionel Messi vs Sergio Ramos clashes from the past
