5 most expensive attackers in football history
Football, when boiled down to its most essential elements, is a game that is won by the team scoring more goals than the opposition. That explains why attackers hog most of the limelight, as they invariably find the net more often than any other player on the field.
It should come as no surprise then that attackers are the best-paid players in the game. That is evident from the fact that all but two of the ten biggest transfers in the history of the game have involved attacking players. More and more teams have begun spending big over the years to bolster their offences.
As is the case with midfield and defense, there are many types of attackers. This included the centre-forward, second striker and winger, to name a few. On that note, let's have a look at the five most expensive attackers in football history:
#5 Antoine Griezmann - €120 million
Antoine Griezmann isn't a traditional center forward who bangs in goals, but is an extremely skilled option to have upfront. The Frenchman was a key performer for Atletico Madrid, scoring 133 goals in 257 appearances. Griezmann's incredible performances for Diego Simeone's side prompted Barcelona to shell out €120 million for the forward's services.
However, the 30-year-old had a slow start to life at Camp Nou, scoring only 15 times (and assisting four times) in 48 appearances in all competitions in 2019-20. Girezmann mostly operated in an unfamiliar wide position, which did not help his numbers. To his credit, though, the Frenchman improved in his second season at Barcelona, producing an excellent return of 20 goals and 13 assists.
Griezmann has also excelled in French colors, scoring 38 times in close to 100 appearances. But he could not replicate his Euro 2016 heroics in the 2020 edition, scoring only once in four games as Le Bleus exited in the Round of 16 against Switzerland.
It has now been rumored that Griezmann could be out of Camp Nou and on his way back to Atletico. Barcelona need to offload a plethora of players to accommodate Lionel Messi's contract extension and Griezmann is viewed as a saleable asset.
#4 Joao Felix - €127.2 million
Joao Felix is one of the most exciting young attackers in the game. But eyebrows were raised when Atletico Madrid paid a whopping €127 million for the then teenager's services in the summer of 2019.
After a breakout season for Benfica, the 21-year-old has largely failed to replicate the same exploits at Atletico. Felix has scored just 19 times in 76 games across all competitions. The young attacker made a promising start to his 2020-21 campaign for the eventual champions, but faded as the season progressed due to injury.
Felix is also yet to make his mark for Portugal, scoring just thrice in 18 appearances. The 21-year-old, who operates as a second striker, played just one game at Euro 2020 as holders Portugal crashed out in the Round of 16.