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La Liga has been at the center of some of the most expensive transfers in the past. The two giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, boasting about the highest number of successes, both domestically as well at the European level, have stolen the spotlight.
However, last season's La Liga champions Atletico Madrid haven't been left too far behind. The club spent an astonishing €127m to sign Joao Felix from Benfica in 2019.
However, the clubs have suffered of late due to the new salary cap regulations that have been put in place by La Liga this year. It saw Barcelona let their most prized asset Lionel Messi leave for free.
Many superstars have left La Liga in massive deals
Messi isn't the first instance of a high-profile exodus from La Liga. Headlines were made when French giants Paris Saint-Germain confirmed the signing of Neymar from Barcelona for a world-record deal.
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The trend has been followed by a number of star players in recent years.
In the list below we will discuss the five most expensive departures from La Liga.
#5 Angel Di Maria: Real Madrid to Manchester United (€75m)
Manchester United got their fans excited when they announced the signing of Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid for a fee in the region of €75m. Di Maria had just won La Decima with Real Madrid and was enjoying an impressive run of form.
However, the Argentine rejected an offer to sign a new contract that summer with the La Liga giants. He felt the arrivals of Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez could hinder his chances and sought a move away.
Manchester United, under Dutch manager Louis van Gaal, took the cue and paid an hefty €75m to Los Blancos to make Di Maria one of their own.
The move to England never suited Di Maria. Van Gaal played him out of position and the player spoke about his discontent with the manager.
A burglary attempt at his home unsettled the 33-year-old even further and he left England for France after just one season.
#4 Kepa Arrizabalaga: Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea (€80m)
Kepa Arrizabalaga became the world's most expensive goalkeeper when Chelsea signed him from Athletic Bilbao for a record €80m deal in 2018.
The London-based side had lost their first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid. They needed someone to fill his shoes and recruited Kepa.
The move from La Liga to the Premier League seemed to have suited the Spaniard well. He ended the 2018-19 season with 23 clean sheets as Chelsea finished third in the Premier League table.
The initial promise faded though as Kepa was found guilty of conceding unnecessary goals. He was eventually benched in favor of Willy Caballero in January 2020.
Fans will remember Kepa's infamous episode with former boss Maurizio Sarri. The goalkeeper refused to come off against Manchester City in the EFL Cup final after being injured.
The manager had Willy Caballero ready to come on but was angered when his decision was ignored. Chelsea eventually lost the match 4-3 on penalties.
Chelsea replaced him as first-choice goalkeeper last summer, signing Edouard Mendy from Rennes.
#3 Lucas Hernandez: Atletico Madrid to Bayern Munich (€80m)
Lucas Hernandez became the most expensive player in Bundesliga history when he signed for Bayern Munich from La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid for a €80m fee.
He had won the World Cup with France the previous year, winning a record 41 duels and had long been linked with a move away from La Liga. The move eventually happened in the summer of 2019.
It was not without any reason that a club of Bayern Munich's stature had invested so heavily in the La Liga defender. Hernandez had lost just once in 42 Bundesliga appearances before the end of last season.
The 25-year-old gives the credit for his growth to Diego Simeone. In fact, it was under Simeone that Hernandez was handed his first-team debut for Atletico Madrid at the age of 18.
Over the years, Hernandez has turned himself into a winner. The defender has won the Champions League, two Bundesliga titles, a Club World Cup and a UEFA Super Cup after joining Bayern. The Europa League title also adds to his achievements, which he won for La Liga side Atletico Madrid.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid to Juventus (€117m)
Cristiano Ronaldo grabs headlines with almost everything he does. His recent move to Manchester United caused the club's official website to crash.
A similar ruckus was created when Ronaldo decided to bring an end to his nine-year-long career with La Liga side Real Madrid. The move cost Juventus €117m.
The Portuguese had won almost everything he could during his stay at Real Madrid, justifying his humongous transfer fee.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez had promised Ronaldo an improved contract for the 2017-18 season, an assurance that was never really fulfilled.
Ronaldo eventually decided to put an end to his stay in La Liga the following summer, much to the disappointment of the fans.
It also decreased La Liga's acceptance among fans worldwide. However, Real Madrid's loss was Juventus' gain.
The Serie A giants got their money's worth as the 36-year-old went on to score 101 goals for them in 134 appearances.
Ronaldo won two domestic league titles, two Supercoppa Italiana and one Coppa Italia title with Juventus before calling time on his stint with the Serie A giants.
#1 Neymar: Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain (€222m)
The €222m transfer fee the French giants paid to sign Neymar from Barcelona remains, till date, the highest for any player.
Neymar's former Barcelona team-mate Jeremy Mathieu revealed later what he felt about Neymar's decision. According to Mathieu, Neymar had decided to bid farewell to the La Liga giants in order to challenge Messi and win his first Ballon d'Or award.
Even Neymar's father admitted that his son had left Spain to become an undisputed star elsewhere.
The Brazil international ended his first season in France with 28 goals from 30 appearances, helping set up another 16 more for his team-mates.
While his dream of winning the Ballon d'Or has yet to become a reality, Neymar has won multiple accolades in France.
The 29-year-old has so far added three league titles and three Coupe de France titles to his cabinet.
With Lionel Messi now traveling the same road as Neymar to leave La Liga and join Ligue 1, fears are that Neymar could blossom further on the pitch.
How the duo cope with each other in different circumstances will now be a matter for football fans to see.
