'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3 Chris Wood - €30 million (2022)
Chris Wood is the most recent addition to this list, following his big-money move to relegation-battling Newcastle United in January 2022.
Trending
The New Zealand international played for ten different clubs (including loan spells) before signing for Burnley in 2017. The Clarets were battling relegation when they signed him, but he helped them secure a seventh-place finish in his debut campaign at Turf Moor. In fact, the centre-forward has been a key reason behind the club staying up for the next few years.
Burnley have continued to battle relegation this season, but Wood has now jumped ship to another club that could drop to the Championship. Newcastle United have been keen on signing a No 9 since their takeover by a Saudi-led consortium last year. The Magpies splashed out €30 million to sign the 31-year-old this transfer window.
Money might not be an issue for the richest club in the world, but they would want Wood to ensure the Magpies stay in the top flight next season.
#2 Gabriel Batistuta - €36.2 million (2000)
Gabriel Batistuta was arguably the best striker of his generation, and is still remembered for his stellar spell in Serie A. He scored 183 goals for three different clubs, with most of his strikes coming for Fiorentina.
After catching the eye at several Argentinian clubs, Fiorentina signed the centre-forward in the summer of 2000, and the move paid off big time. The striker led them to multiple domestic trophies, scoring 203 goals in 331 games for La Viola. AS Roma admired the South American star, and were eager to land him, despite Batigol being on the wrong side of 30.
In July 2000, they chunked out €36.2 million for the then 31-year-old, marking the highest fee paid for a striker above 30 at the time.
Batistuta justified his signing by delivering the league title in his debut season in Rome. Although his form tapered off in the next two campaigns, the Stadio Olimpico outfit never had any regrets about paying a big fee for the legendary Argentine.
Batistuta or 'Batigoal', as they called him, retired in 2005 after a memorable spell in Italy.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - €117 million (2018)
It is no surprise that Cristiano Ronaldo tops this list. The five-time Balllon d'Or winner is arguably the greatest player to grace the game, thanks to his imperious exploits over the years.
The Portuguese international has been highly consistent during his trophy-laden career. After excelling at Manchester United, he joined Real Madrid in 2009 on a then world-record transfer of €100 million. The legendary striker spent nine memorable seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu. He scored a staggering 450 goals in 438 games and won four Champions League titles in five years at the club, along with two La Liga triumphs.
Juventus, who have not won the Champions League since their lone triumph in 1996, wanted to bring Europe's premier trophy back to Turin following their Serie A domination. They signed the greatest goalscorer in the history of the tournament, dishing out a mammoth €117 million to convince Real Madrid to let go of their prized asset.
Although the centre-forward scored an impressive 101 goals in 134 games for the Serie A side, he could not deliver the elusive Champions League.
He won the Scudetto in his first two seasons at the club, before Inter Milan broke Juventus' near decade-long stranglehold last year. Ronaldo scored 29 times to win his first Capocannoniere award. However, he couldn't help the Bianconeri successfully defend their league title, and re-joined Manchester United for €23 million at the start of the 2021-22 season.
Ronaldo scored a lot of goals for the Turin outfit, but struggled to replicate his Real Madrid exploits in the Champions League for the Bianconeri. He scored only 14 goals in the competition in three years. However, it can be said that Juventus arguably didn't have the right players to complement Ronaldo and conquer Europe for the first time in nearly three decades.
