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#3 Arthur | Juventus | €72 million
After playing alongside Lionel Messi for two seasons at Barcelona, Arthur Melo moved to Turin in the 2020 summer transfer to join forces with Cristiano Ronaldo & Co.
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Arthur signed a deal with Juventus on the same day Barcelona announced the signing of Miralem Pjanic from Juve, making it a swap deal in essence. Considering the complications of a swap deal and in an attempt to balance the books, the clubs treated the move as two unrelated transfers.
A €60 million fee was agreed for Pjanic, while the man dubbed as “the next Xavi” departed Camp Nou on a €72 million transfer. Arthur has not had the brightest start to life in Turin, managing a solitary goal and no assists in 31 appearances for the Italian champions.
The Brazilian has failed to nail down a starting spot in an underwhelming Juventus squad who are under threat of missing out on a Champions League spot for the first time in a decade.
#2 Philippe Coutinho | Barcelona | €135 million
Philippe Coutinho is regarded as one of the brightest talents in world football, especially after a sensational five-year stint with Liverpool.
The 28-year old established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, with a direct involvement in 99 goals (54 goals, 45 assists) from 201 appearances for the club.
Coutinho moved to Barcelona in the 2018 winter transfer window on a mammoth €135 million fee, making him the third most-expensive signing in the world.
However, he must have some regrets about the timing of his move. Liverpool would go on to lift the Champions League a few months later, their first league title in the Premier League era, the following season.
On the other hand, Coutinho experienced a torrid start for the Blaugrana - failing to nail down a spot in the starting XI - and was loaned out to Bayern Munich in 2019. The Brazilian returned to Camp Nou at the start of this season, making a meager 14 appearances with an output of 3 goals and 2 assists.
#1 Neymar | Paris Saint-Germain | €222 million
Neymar is arguably the best Brazilian footballer of this generation - taking over the mantle from the likes of Ronaldinho and Kaka.
The former Brazil captain is the only player on our list who can feature on two different occasions. Neymar’s €88.2 million transfer from Santos to Barcelona was the third-highest transfer fee paid for a Brazilian when he made his first permanent move to Europe in 2013.
The lethal trio of Messi, Suarez and Neymar helped Barcelona lift the European treble in the 2014/15 season. The Brazilian shocked the football world when he departed Barcelona on a world-record €222 million transfer fee, making him the most expensive footballer on the planet.
Neymar has not won the major trophies he would have expected when he moved to Parc Des Princes, but has been one of PSG’s best performers since his arrival. In 113 appearances for the French champions, Neymar has scored 86 goals and provided 51 assists for the Parisians.
