5 most expensive attacking midfielders of all time

#3 Zinedine Zidane (Juventus to Real Madrid) | €77.5 million

Real Madrid Training Session and Press Conference

Young football fans might know Zinedine Zidane as a world-class manager, but his legacy as a player can only be matched by a select few.

An elegant attacking midfielder who is regarded by many as one of the greatest players to have played the game, Zidane made his name at Cannes and Bordeaux, joining Juventus in 1996 and establishing himself as one of the best players in the world.

🚨 Zinedine Zidane has told his players that he will LEAVE Real Madrid at the end of the season, Goal can confirm. pic.twitter.com/QcNsCMr8Ld

— Goal (@goal) May 15, 2021

However, it was his spell with Real Madrid and the French national team that garnered the most attention. Zidane joined Real Madrid in 2001 and helped the club win La Liga and the Champions League.

He even scored one of the best goals in the Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2001/02 final. He is currently in his second spell as manager of Los Blancos.

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#2 Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea) | €80 million

Chelsea v Fulham - Premier League

Chelsea enjoyed a stunning summer transfer window last time around, and the cherry on the top of the cake was the acquisition of Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen for €80 million.

Regarded as one of the best young players in Europe, Havertz scored 18 goals in all competitions for Bayer Leverkusen last season, piquing the interest of some of the biggest clubs in the world. Chelsea managed to sign the 21-year old, and it was evident that the Blues were investing in Havertz's immense potential.

Sergio Ramos and Toni Kroos have seven Champions Leagues, two World Cups and almost 300 international appearances between them.Kai Havertz didn't care 💀pic.twitter.com/4D5Y6fDPov

— Goal (@goal) May 11, 2021

Havertz has endured a rather average first season at Chelsea. The Germany international has made 43 appearances in all competitions, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists.

There have been glimpses of his undeniable quality though, and Havertz has clearly improved since the arrival of Thomas Tuchel as manager. More will be expected from him next season.

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#1 Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona) | €135 million

FC Barcelona v Levante UD - La Liga Santander

Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona from Liverpool for €135 million has to go down as one of the worst deals in recent history.

Coutinho had been in good form for Liverpool for some time and, on his insistence, Liverpool allowed him to join Barcelona in January 2018 for an eye-watering fee. The Brazil international was hailed as an ideal capture by the Catalan club, a player who would provide creativity and versatility in attack and in midfield.

That has not been the case. Barcelona started unraveling pretty soon after Coutinho's arrival, and the Brazilian has struggled to get going at the club. He has made 90 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona, scoring 23 goals and providing 14 assists.

However, the moment when the deal became embarrassing for Barcelona was when Coutinho, who was on loan at Bayern Munich during the 2019/20 season, scored twice against his parent club during Barcelona's infamous 8-2 thrashing by Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

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