In Focus: The five most expensive transfers of all time

Money is no object when it comes to the beautiful game with the world’s biggest clubs locked in a permanent arms race to sign the latest superstars.

Legends of the game including Ronaldo, Alan Shearer, Zinedine Zidane and Kaka could all boast being the most expensive player on the planet at one stage, but now a new generation of talent is commanding the big sums.

Read below to find out the top five biggest transfer fees in football history.

5. Joao Felix (Benfica to Atletico Madrid, £114.5million)

Having been released by Porto at a young age, Joao Felix found his feet as a teenager at Benfica.

The Portuguese sensation was soon catching the eye of Europe’s biggest clubs and Atletico Madrid came calling in 2019.

Signed as a replacement for Antoine Griezmann, Felix penned a seven-year contract with Diego Simeone’s side.

Although the 22-year-old has not quite reached the heights expected of him, he was part of the Atleti squad which won last season’s LaLiga title.

4. Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool to Barcelona, £121.5m)

Philippe Coutinho was a football superstar from the beginning, flourishing in Vasco da Gama’s youth system. This attracted Italian giants Inter Milan, who brought the teenager to Europe in 2008.

But it was following his arrival at Liverpool in 2013 that his career really clicked into gear.

Coutinho spent five years at Anfield before Barcelona broke the bank to secure his services.

His time at the Camp Nou was mixed, with fans demanding more despite winning two LaLiga titles with the team.

The appointment of Xavi as the Catalan club’s new manager last year signalled a changing of the guard at Barca and Coutinho was offloaded to Aston Villa on an initial loan deal.

3. Ousmane Dembele (Dortmund to Barcelona, £126m)

Barcelona thought they were landing football’s next big thing when they swooped for a 20-year-old Ousmane Dembele in 2017.

The Frenchman had already broken into a star-studded international team after tearing up Ligue 1 with Rennes and racking up 10 goals and 22 assists in 50 games for Borussia Dortmund.

But injury problems and inconsistent form have plagued Dembele in Catalonia and despite showing glimpses of his undoubted ability, the move turned sour.

Burdened with the pressure of a mammoth transfer fee, the 24-year-old is set to leave Barca on a free when his contract expires this summer despite Xavi’s attempts to keep him.

Dembele’s exit will represent a huge loss for Barca, especially when wages are taken into account, and goes part of the way to explaining their recent financial issues.

2. Kylian Mbappe (Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain, £130.5m)

French prodigy Kylian Mbappe has been a standout talent ever since breaking through at Monaco aged 16.

Mbappe soon became a household name after winning the 2016-17 Ligue 1 title with the Monegasques and firing Leonardo Jardim’s team into the Champions League semi-finals that season.

His 26 goals in 44 matches that campaign attracted the attention of Paris Saint-Germain.

The French giants initially agreed to a season-long loan before making the deal permanent in 2018.

The lightning-quick attacker has picked up 10 domestic trophies since switching to the French capital and moved his Ligue 1 goalscoring tally into three figures.

His time in France could soon be at end however, with his contract expiring this summer and Real Madrid rumoured to be at the front of the queue to steal him away from PSG.

1. Neymar (Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, £200m)

Having made his Brazil debut aged 18 in 2010, Neymar was always destined for the very top.

Following in Pele’s footsteps at childhood club Santos, the silky forward moved to Europe in 2013 to join Barcelona.

At the Camp Nou, Neymar formed a formidable attacking trio with Messi and Suarez, winning two league titles and the 2015 Champions League.

After four years in Catalonia, PSG smashed the world record to bring Brazil’s No10 to Ligue 1.