Most expensive players: World XI

Football has changed over the years, and so has the value of players. Big owners with their pockets full of moolah need quick success, and so the transfer amount spent on some big players has been almost enough to feed an island full of a people for a year.

Here is a list of all the players who went for big money transfers, and are till date the most expensive players in their positions. The players have been assembles in the form of a football XI.

Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Buffon

Transfer amount:  €53 million

Clubs involved: Parma and Juventus

Regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Gigi Buffon signed for Juventus for a world-record goalkeeper’s transfer fee of a reported €53m from Parma, with Jonathan Bachini going the other way.

Central Defender: Rio Ferdinand

Transfer amount: €44 million.

Clubs involved: Leeds and Manchester United.

Rio Ferdinand may have been the centre of controversy for the past few years, but there is no denying that the guy had his own share of great days. Standing tall like a wall for the Red Devils, Rio is the most expensive defender of all time.

Central Defender: Thiago Silva

Transfer amount: €41 million

Clubs involved: Milan and PSG

One of the best defenders in world football presently, Thiago Silva wanted to stay at Milan for a long time. But when a fee of around €42m comes knocking at your door, you can’t simply ignore it. Especially if you are Silvio Berlusconi and you were in need of a lot of money. It was the second most expensive transfer fee paid for a central defender, and was followed by yet another high-profile move for team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Right-back: Lilian Thuram

Transfer amount: €41 million

Clubs involved: Parma, Juventus and Barcelona

Former French International Lilian Thuram became the most expensive defender of all time when he signed a five-year contract with Juventus, which cost them around 80 billion Italian lire. The story didn’t end there as Thuram later joined Barcelona for €5 million after Juventus were relegated to Serie B due to the Calciopoli scandal.

Left-back: Fabio Coentrao

Transfer amount: €29 million

Clubs involved: Benfica and Real Madrid

Signed by Jose Mourinho as a versatile player, Fabio Coentrao was brought as a cover for Marcelo, Xabi Alonso and, at times, Cristiano Ronaldo. However, he was never capable of living up to the expectations that the club demanded.