5 most expensive European players in football history

#3 Joao Felix - €127.20 million

Joao Felix in action for Atletico Madrid

Moved from: Benfica

Moved to: Atletico Madrid

Joao Felix broke into Benfica's first team in the 2018-19 season at the age of 17, and went on to stun the world with his astronomical rise to prominence. That season, the Portuguese starlet scored 20 goals in 43 matches across competitions, drawing the attention of numerous big European clubs.

Atletico Madrid eventually snapped him up in July 2019 by breaking their own club transfer record and paying a staggering fee of €126 million and handing the youngster a 7-year contract. As of today, that fee stands at €127.20 million.

Weekend wallpaper courtesy of the Portuguese startboy 💫 pic.twitter.com/rIZHTJC622

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) July 10, 2021

In the last two seasons, Joao Felix has made 76 appearances across competitions for Atletico Madrid, and has scored 19 goals. Notably, he helped the club lift the LaLiga trophy in the 2020-21 season.

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#2 Ousmane Dembele - €135 million

Barcelona signed Ousmane Dembele soon after selling Neymar

Moved from: Borussia Dortmund

Moved to: Barcelona

Following Neymar Jr's historic move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona decided to invest a part of the €222 million into securing Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund, for a whopping fee of €105 million plus €40 million in add-ons.

In the four seasons since, the Frenchman has endured an injury-riddled stint, allowing him just 118 appearances across competitions in which he has scored a total of 30 goals.

A winner of five major trophies, including two LaLiga titles, till date Dembele has cost Barcelona a fee of €135 million including add-ons, making him the second-most expensive European footballer in the sport's history.

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#1 Kylian Mbappe - €145 million

Generational talent!

Moved from: AS Monaco

Moved to: Paris Saint-Germain

After his rise to fame at AS Monaco due to his incredible exploits, Kylian Mbappe became the second-most expensive player of all time, and the most expensive teenager ever, in the summer of 2017.

Paris Saint-Germain managed to sign him from AS Monaco by agreeing a jaw-dropping fee of €180 million. As things stand, however, only €145 million of the €180 million has been paid, with the payment of €35 million yet to be made.

Widely considered to be one of the best players in the world at the moment, Kylian Mbappe is unsurprisingly hot property. In four seasons with PSG, his mind-numbing stats of 132 goals in 171 appearances across competitions have made him highly sought-after.

Aged just 22, Mbappe has already won 11 major titles at club level, and also won the 2018 FIFA World Cup with France.

🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappé's stats at 22 years of age:◉ 279 games◉ 176 goals◉ 88 assists pic.twitter.com/PyTB1bpVmg

— KMbappeTeam. (@KMbappeTeam) July 14, 2021

His current market value is estimated to be €160 million, making him the most valuable player in the world!