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The two goats of football, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, changed clubs this summer. Surprisingly, no record-breaking transfer fee was involved in the process. Paris Saint-Germain signed Messi as a free agent and Manchester United signed Ronaldo for just €15 million with another €8 million in add-ons.
The 2021 summer transfer window, though, saw a number of other crazy transfers take place. Some of them involved a significant amount of money while some shrewd signings were made too.
Many football clubs make good profits on transfers
Over time, with more money coming into football, high value transfers have taken place on a regular basis. Some of the biggest transfers in the history of the game have taken place in the last decade. In the process, selling clubs have been able to fetch good profit.
The most recent example is that of Jadon Sancho's transfer to Manchester United from Borussia Dortmund in the summer transfer window. The English winger's move to the Red Devils resulted in a transfer fee of £76.50 million. The deal meant Dortmund earned a profit of £69.45 million.
Such are the transfer deals nowadays. On that note, let's take a look at the most profit-making transfer deals in football history.
Note: All transfer fees are as listed on Transfermarkt
#5 Jack Grealish (Aston Villa to Manchester City - £105.75m)
The 25-year old Englishman is a graduate of the Aston Villa academy. Jack Grealish joined Villa at the age of six. He was part of the senior team for almost 10 years until recently when he decided to move.
With his nimble footwork and amazing ability to carry the ball with pace, Grealish can glide past defenders at will. He's more than often on the receiving end of some physically strong challenges but that is what he brings to the table. He can entice opposition players and make space for others. His knack for creating chances on a regular basis attracted interest from many football clubs last season.
Having only played 27 games in the 2020-21 season, Grealish managed to score six goals and register 10 assists. It was about time that he moved away to play in the Champions league and stand a chance to win silverware.
Manchester City were eager to sign him this summer and Aston Villa were very clear with their approach to this transfer. Villa were adamant about their selling price and eventually City had to succumb to their demands. The Premier League Champions signed Grealish for £105.75 million, making him the most expensive English football player ever.
In one go, Villa made £105.75 million, making a huge profit for the club. The profit money was then used to sign three players in the form of Leon Bailey, Danny Ings and Emiliano Buendia.
#4 Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool to Barcelona - £109.80m)
Having started his career at Brazilian club Vasco da Gama, Coutinho joined Inter Milan in 2008. However, the midfielder remained on loan at Vasco for two years before another temporary spell at Espanyol.
Struggling to find game time at Inter, Liverpool managed to secure his signature for £11.70 million in 2013. Coutinho's impact was evident and peaked when the Reds had Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez upfront. In the 2016-17 season, Coutinho went on to score 13 goals and register eight assists. The Brazilian was one of the finest playmakers in football back then.
Barcelona tried hard for his signature the following summer but Liverpool rejected that approach. Eventually, in the winter transfer window, the Reds agreed a fee of £121.50 million to allow Coutinho to join the Catalan club. It is amazing how Liverpool made such a stellar profit of £109.80 million with the sale of Coutinho four years ago.
#3 Joao Felix (Benfica to Atletico Madrid - £113m)
The transfer of Joao Felix to Atletico Madrid gave a massive profit to Benfica. The Portuguese footballer was initially part of Porto's youth academy. He eventually joined Benfica in 2015, after which he was called up to the senior team in the 2018-19 season.
Felix emerged as one of the most promising prospects in football while playing for Benfica. His performances in different attacking positions, with amazing positional and technical play, grabbed attention from all around Europe.
Atletico Madrid won the race for his signature in 2019, making Felix the club's most expensive signing ever. He was signed for £114.48 million to replace the departing Antoine Griezmann, who joined Barcelona. In the said transfer deal, Benfica made a profit of £114.48 million. Even a selling club like Benfica wouldn't have imagined Felix to give such an enormous profit.
Felix has yet to live up to expectations at Atletico Madrid, scoring only 19 times in 78 appearances in all competitions for the La Liga Champions. Atletico will be hoping that the Portuguese steps up soon.
#2 Neymar (Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain - £120.42m)
The Brazilian forward came through Santos' academy in Brazil. Neymar spent four years at the Brazilian club, scoring an amazing tally of 136 goals in 225 appearances across all competitions. His ability to dribble past players with utter ease combined with the art of creating and scoring goals on a regular basis made him a football sensation.
Both the Spanish giants, Barcelona and Real Madrid, were desperate for Neymar's signature in the summer transfer window of 2013. Eventually, it was Barcelona who ended up signing the young Brazilian for a transfer fee of £79.38 million.
During his four years at Barcelona, Neymar formed an elite partnership with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, creating havoc in the opposition defense. The trio of Messi, Neymar and Suarez became one of the most feared attacking units in the world. Neymar was part of the 2014-15 Barcelona squad that won the treble and the 2015-16 squad that won the double, playing a vital role in both seasons.
Citing a new challenge, Neymar decided to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2017. The French club paid £199.80 million to get Neymar to join them, making it the most expensive transfer ever in the history of football.
The transfer resulted in a profit of £120.42 million for Barcelona. Surely, the Spanish giants wouldn't have expected to earn this big a profit when they signed the Brazilian from Santos.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain - £130.50m)
Kylian Mbappe started his football career with AS Bondy and then moved on to AS Monaco. It took him very little time to develop and get promoted to the senior team.
He made his first-team debut in 2015 against Caen. The very next season, Mbappe had a major role to play in helping Monaco win the Ligue 1 title. Monaco also went on to reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League during that season, where they were eventually eliminated by Juventus. Mbappe ended the season scoring 26 goals in 44 matches at the age of just 18.
The following season, Real Madrid tried to sign him but the then Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane could not guarantee a regular starting position. Paris Saint-Germain swooped in on the opportunity and were able to convince the Frenchman to join them. Mbappe signed for PSG on loan for a year, with an obligation to buy the youngster for a transfer fee of £130.50 million the following year.
Monaco, who have always been a selling club, made the best profit ever a club has made in football history. £130.50 million till date remains the biggest profit margin on a football transfer deal.
