10 Most expensive footballers from famous footballing nations
Football has witnessed some of the most expensive transfers in its fabled history over the course of the last decade or so. The inflation of the transfer market caused by several factors such as lucrative big-money TV deals, commercial partnerships, and several others, has seen transfer records broken frequently.
There is no bigger testament to this than the fact that ten of the world's most expensive transfers have been conducted since 2013/14. Gareth Bale kicked off proceedings with his move to Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur, and since then, nine players have been purchased for a fee higher than his €101m.
Despite the number of transfers that shattered the €100-mark mark, there has, so far, been only one transfer that has gone beyond the €200m barrier. Paris Saint-Germain shocked the football world when they decided to activate Barcelona superstar Neymar's €222m release clause and make him the most expensive player in football history.
Here, we take a look at the most expensive transfers in the world from some of football's most celebrated nations.
#10 Jorginho | Chelsea, Italy | €57m
Kicking off this list is the most expensive Italian player in the world, Jorginho, of Chelsea. The midfielder was the first signing made by former Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri upon his arrival from Napoli. The pair enjoyed a superb spell together in Naples, and Jorginho emerged as one of the most impressive deep-lying playmakers or registas in Europe under the Italian tactician.
His passing range, superb reading of the game, and positional awareness make him an excellent asset to have in midfield. That being said, he has also come under immense criticism for his lack of athleticism and getting overrun by physically imposing, press-friendly midfielders. Nonetheless, the 28-year-old remains an integral part of both Chelsea as well as Roberto Mancini's Italian side and is an expert at dictating the tempo from the middle.
#9 Kepa Arrizabalaga | Chelsea, Spain | €80m
The second of three Chelsea players on this list, Kepa Arrizabalaga, comes in as the most expensive Spanish footballer in history. The Blues looked to the then-Athletic Bilbao keeper as a replacement for the outgoing Thibaut Courtois, who had an agreement to join Real Madrid. Chelsea then triggered the young keeper's staggering €80m release clause, and it was a decision that they would live to regret.
After a relatively solid debut campaign, Kepa endured one of the worst campaigns ever registered by a Chelsea goalkeeper in the top-flight and was statistically one of the worst keepers in Europe last year. The Spanish international was abysmal, being unable to save shots that one would expect any top-flight keeper to save. If that wasn't enough, the 25-year-old made things even more difficult after an endless list of high-profile errors, including one in their most recent Premier League outing against Liverpool. Kepa is reportedly set to be replaced by Eduoard Mendy of Rennes.
#8 Kai Havertz | Chelsea, Germany | €80m
Chelsea's most recent high-profile acquisition, Kai Havertz, is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in Europe at the moment. The German international broke records aplenty in the Bundesliga and recently became the first-ever player to have scored 35 league goals in Germany before his 21st birthday.
Havertz came to Stamford Bridge as part of one of the most historic transfer windows in football as Chelsea spent upwards of €200m on the likes of Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell, and others. The former Bayer Leverkusen ace played a crucial role for Peter Bosz's side last year, scoring 18 goals and setting up a further nine. He will undoubtedly grow in stature for the Blues after a promising debut, and at 21, he can go on to become an all-conquering player for Frank Lampard's men in the future.
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