UEFA Champions League 2023: The costliest player signings at European football clubs

UEFA Champions League 2023: 

€100 million deals are not a unique phenomenon for globally acclaimed footballers. So, when Enzo Fernandez shifted from Benfica to Chelsea in a Euro 121 million deal, it was not a surprise for many football aficionados who had seen bigger deals than this in the past. Zee Biz takes you through five of the biggest deals related to European football clubs.

Neymar (2017, €222 million)

Neymar became the costliest footballer in the world when he joined French club Paris-Saint-Germain from Barcelona.

His mega-deal triggered other big-price deals, as PSG would sign another footballer in the second-biggest deal in the football world.

The deals six years ago inflated the transfer market as some of the biggest deals happened just after that, when Barcelona signed Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembele, and Antoine Griezmann in nine-figure deals to fill the void left by Neymar. 

Kylian Mbappe (2017, €145 million+€35 million)

Kylian Mbappe was a big headturner as he joined PSG from Monaco in a €145 million+€35 million deal. Neymar and his deals are the two biggest deals till date. 

Joao Felix (2019, €126 million)

Two years after Neymar and Mbappe's deals, Benfica's attacking talent, Joao Felix, garnered attention as Spanish club Atletico Madrid splashed out €126 million to have him on their roster.

The Portuguese player, however, was loaned to Chelsea until the end of this season.

Enzo Fernandez (2023, €121 million) 

The 22-year-old Argentine footballer remains the costliest signing of this year.

Chelsea signed Enzo from Portuguese club Benfica in an eight-and-a-half-year contract deal worth €121 million.

In fact, his deal is the costliest Premier League deal, breaking the record of Jack Grealish, who went from Aston Villa to Manchester City in a €117 million deal in 2021.

Philippe Coutinho (2018, €120 million+€40 million)

In one of the biggest deals of the year, Philippe Coutinho left Liverpool to join Barcelona for a deal worth €120 million, plus €40 million in variables.

Barcelona revealed that Coutinho will also have a €400 million buyout clause.