Kepa to Chelsea: Spain prospect surpasses Alisson as world's most expensive goalkeeper
Alisson's rein as the world's most expensive goalkeeper is over after less than three weeks.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, a 23-year-old with just one international cap to his credit, has usurped Liverpool's star Brazilian with an €80million move to Chelsea on the eve of the Premier League's transfer deadline day.
The talented Spain prospect has been hurried to Stamford Bridge as a long-term replacement for Thibaut Courtois – who hours earlier entered the top 10 of football's priciest shot-stoppers by agreeing a long-awaited move to Real Madrid.
But, with only a year to run on his Chelsea contract, the Belgium international has failed to crack the top three for big-money moves in his position, the transfer fee valued at less than half that of his successor.
Here is the list in full, based on the most widely reported fees for each deal. Fluctuations in exchange rates have not been taken into account.
Kepa is a Chelsea player! #WelcomeKepa pic.twitter.com/Tt2kLIOqU8
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 8, 2018
1. KEPA ARRIZABALAGA: Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea ( €80m ), 2018
2. ALISSON: Roma to Liverpool ( €72.5m ), 2018
3. GIANLUIGI BUFFON: Parma to Juventus ( €51.6m ), 2001
4. EDERSON: Benfica to Manchester City ( €40m ), 2017
5. THIBAUT COURTOIS: Chelsea to Real Madrid ( €38.8m ), 2018
6. JORDAN PICKFORD: Sunderland to Everton ( €28.5m ), 2017
7. FRANCESCO TOLDO: Fiorentina to Inter ( €28.4m ), 2001
8. MANUEL NEUER: Schalke to Bayern Munich ( €24m ), 2011
9=. DAVID DE GEA: Atletico Madrid to Manchester United ( €22m ), 2011
9=. BERND LENO: Bayer Leverkusen to Arsenal ( €22m ), 2018