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Over the course of its history, football has seen its fair share of brilliant left-backs. From playing inch-perfect crosses at will to neutralizing the most fearsome attackers, they have dominated the left-sided channel in every way conceivable.
Football, in its current, modern form, demands even more from left-backs. They need to press harder, run faster, and be as proficient at passing as midfielders. Surprisingly, there does not seem to be any shortage of left-backs that tick all the aforementioned boxes.
Of course, such versatility does not come cheap, which is why the transfer record for left-backs keeps getting shaken every other year.
Now, without further ado, let us take a quick look at the most expensive left-backs in the history of the game.
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Values via: Transfermarkt (2)
#5 Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain) - €38 million
Paris Saint-Germain pulled out all the stops to win the Champions League in the 2021-22 season. They signed Lionel Messi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Achraf Hakimi, while also roping in left-back Nuno Mendes on loan from Sporting CP.
PSG did not achieve their goal last season, but some players thoroughly impressed fans with their performances. Mendes was easily amongst the players who left a mark last term.
Full of pace and creativity, Mendes danced down the left-hand channel whenever an opportunity presented itself. He linked effortlessly with his teammates and made sure there were no scraps for the attackers to feed on.
Left impressed with his loan spell (two assists in 37 appearances across competitions) last season, PSG have made his move permanent. The French champions activated the €38 million purchase clause in his Sporting contract this summer.
#4 Ferland Mendy (Real Madrid) - €48 million
With Marcelo firmly into the twilight of his career, Real Madrid made the bold decision to get another left-back in the summer of 2019. Ferland Mendy was brought in from Olympique Lyon, with Los Blancos splurging a whopping €48 million to acquire his services.
Mendy brought something different to the table than Marcelo. The Frenchman was not as flamboyant going forward, but he knew how to keep it tight at the back. He scored a goal and provided four assists in 25 La Liga appearances as Madrid cruised to the Spanish title in his debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 27-year-old was also instrumental behind Real Madrid’s successes in the 2021-22 season. Mendy pitched in with two goals and five assists as the Whites heroically bagged the Champions League and the La Liga title.
#3 Ben Chilwell (Chelsea) - €50.2 million
Premier League giants Chelsea signed left-back Ben Chilwell from Leicester City for a €50.2 million fee in the summer of 2020.
The Leicester City graduate was fresh off an impressive Premier League campaign (six goal contributions in 27 appearances) and hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge.
Chilwell featured in 42 games for Chelsea across competitions in the 2020-21 season, recording four goals and seven assists.
His impressive performances in the Champions League played a huge part behind the Blues winning the trophy for the second time in their history.
#2 Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City) - €57.5 million
Left impressed with his work at Monaco, Manchester City signed Benjamin Mendy for a €57.5 million fee in the summer of 2017.
Ravaged by injuries, Mendy only featured in seven Premier League games for the Cityiens in his debut campaign in England, recording only a single assist.
He carried his injury woes and disciplinary problems over the next three seasons, playing only 65 games across competitions, recording two goals and 13 assists.
In the early days of the 2021-22 campaign, Mendy was charged with sexual assault, compelling the club to sever all ties with him.
The three-time Premier League champion, however, has pleaded not guilty to nine counts of sexual offenses (via Sky Sports).
#1 Marc Cucurella (Chelsea) - €65.3 million
Joining Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion for an eye-watering initial €65.3 million fee on Friday (August 5), Marc Cucurella has become the most expensive left-back in the history of the sport.
Rising through Barcelona’s youth system, Cucurella got his first big break at Eibar in the 2018-18 La Liga season. The Spaniard appeared in 31 league games that term, recording one goal and two assists.
He spent the next couple of seasons at Getafe before joining Premier League outfit Brighton for an €18 million fee last summer.
He scored only one goal and provided a solitary assist in his debut season (2021-22) but impressed onlookers with his blistering pace and relentless work rate.
Now carrying the weight of being the most expensive left-back of all time, it will be interesting to see how Cucurella fares for the Blues this season.
Also Read: Predicted starting XI for Chelsea against Everton | Premier League 2022-23
