5 Most expensive strikers in the world
Despite the ever-changing landscape of football, the importance of having a top-tier centre-forward in a team has never really diminished.
It's often said that scoring goals is one of the hardest jobs in the sport. For this reason, attacks are, more often than not, built around the main centre-forward. The only thing that has changed over the years is, perhaps, the profile of strikers that suit different generations of football.
Ronaldo Nazario is generally regarded as one of the best strikers of all time and was arguably the most complete forward at the peak of his powers.
Players such as Christian Vieri, Didier Drogba, and others made their names as target men throughout history. They were able to lead the line well even as a lone striker and do wonders because of their ability to hold up the ball and bring others into play.
Thierry Henry inspired a new breed of strikers in the early 2000s due to his incredible ability outside of the box as well as inside it. He was one of the greatest goalscorers of his generation, and additionally, he was also a surreal dribbler and could play a pass to find his teammates.
Elsewhere, players such as Francesco Totti and Leo Messi were deployed as false-nines, bringing the age-old concept into the 21st century.
Given the vast importance of strikers, they are rarely cheap players to purchase regardless of their profile. In fact, eight of the 20 highest transfer fees ever paid by European clubs have been spent on centre-forwards. On that note, here is a look at the five most expensive strikers football has witnessed.
#5 Gonzalo Higuain | Inter Miami | €90m
Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain has had quite a commendable career to date. Moving from his homeland to Real Madrid, he spent six years in the Spanish capital before a transfer to Napoli. In Naples, he experienced some of the best years of his career, after which Juventus came calling. The Bianconeri parted with an astonishing €90m to sign the then-Capocannoniere winner.
Higuain added some firepower that helped Juventus continue their dominance on the domestic front. However, due to their failures in Europe, they brought in Cristiano Ronaldo, which directly impacted Higuain's situation.
After a couple of loan spells, the 33-year-old's contract was unceremoniously terminated and he joined Inter Miami on a free transf. He scored 66 goals in 149 games for Juventus across all competitions.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo | Juventus | €117m, €94m
Juventus sent shockwaves through Europe when they announced the signing of 33-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo for a club and league record €117m. The Portuguese superstar is widely regarded as one of the all-time greats. Juventus primarily brought him in to deliver the elusive UCL trophy, one they are yet to win in the new millennium.
Ronaldo helped them to two Scudetti, scored a barrage of goals and delivered a couple of domestic honours. However, Juventus have failed in three successive attempts to get past the knockout rounds of the UCL despite having arguably the greatest European player ever. Overall, the 36-year-old has played 133 times for Juventus, scoring 101 goals.
Apart from his record move to Juventus, Ronaldo also makes it to this list for his 2009 move to Real Madrid from Manchester United. Los Blancos paid the Red Devils a fee of €94m at the time.
Also read: 5 Most valuable Spanish players in Europe