5 Most expensive Bundesliga exports of all time
The Bundesliga has seen immense success in being able to export their top talents to other leagues in the last few years.
Year on year, clubs from Germany manage to unearth lesser-known talents from various leagues as well as produce some high-profile names through their academies. After giving them a sense of exposure and a respectable amount of experience at a high level, their performances attract interest from top clubs who pay top dollar to sign these players.
This process has served several German top-flight clubs well over the past few decades. In fact, this has even proven to be a great bargaining chip for Bundesliga sides in transfer negotiations as Germany is one of the go-to destinations for young footballers all over the world.
Erling Haaland is a great example of the Bundesliga's record of being able to attract some of the best talents in Europe.
The Norwegian was courted by the likes of Manchester United and Juventus, but he ended up moving to Borussia Dortmund. Haaland has grown into one of the best strikers in the world, and Dortmund are, effectively, a stepping stone in this case as they could sell him for a massive fee either this summer or next.
Similarly, Dortmund signed Jadon Sancho for just under €8m four years ago, and if reports are to be believed, they could be set to make a profit worth nearly tenfold of their investment.
There have been several such cases where German clubs have made incredible profits on talented young players. On that note, here, we take a look at the five biggest exports in Bundesliga history in terms of the transfer fees involved.
#5 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal | €63.75m
Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was one of the final big-name signings made by the legendary Arsene Wenger. Despite his ongoing struggles at the Emirates, the current Gunners skipper is brilliant striker on his day and has a Premier League Golden Boot to his name. Aubameyang also fired Arsenal to the FA Cup under Mikel Arteta, scoring in the semi-final and final of the competition.
The eccentric 31-year-old has scored 64 goals and set up a further 15 in 113 Premier League games since 2017/18, but he enjoyed an even better time in Germany.
Aubameyang scored 98 goals and assisted 22 in just 144 Bundesliga games for Borussia Dortmund. His overall tally of 141 goals in 213 games for BVB makes him the club's sixth-highest goalscorer in their history. The French-born Gabonese striker enjoyed a surreal time in Germany since moving from St. Etienne and even won the Golden Boot in 2016/17 with 31 goals.
#4 Christian Pulisic | Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea | €64m
Next up is Chelsea's tricky forward Christian Pulisic, who completed his move to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2019. The American international is one of the most exciting young wingers in England, and while he still hasn't been at his very best at Chelsea, his talent is there for the world to see. He's been involved in 20 Premier League goals in 51 games for Chelsea so far.
Currently playing alongside a group of mighty talented attackers, Pulisic has found it hard to seal his place as a starter. However, he proved his worth to the Blues with an incredible display in the UEFA Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, scoring and assisting across both legs.
Prior to signing for the west London giants, Pulisic spent three years of his professional career at the Westfalenstadion after joining as a youth player. Pulisic scored 13 Bundesliga goals and registered 18 assists during his time with Borussia Dortmund.
Also read: Premier League 2020-21: Final Golden Boot, most assists, and Golden Glove standings after Matchday 38