5 most expensive transfers involving South American footballers

SSC Napoli v FC Internazionale Milano - Serie A

#3 Gonzalo Higuain - €90 million (Napoli to Juventus)

Gonzalo Higuain spent the peak years of his career at Napoli, and boy did he impress.

Higuain broke the record for the highest number of goals scored in a single season on his way to the Capocannoniere in the 2015-16 season, a tally that was matched by Ciro Immobile in 2020.

The Argentine star’s 91 goals in 146 appearances for Napoli earned him a €90 million move to Juventus in 2016, which was a club record at the time.

When #Higuain did this in Napoli💯 pic.twitter.com/d7So2d9mwE

— BianconeriZoneGif (@BianconeriGif) September 4, 2019

Higuain fired Juventus to another Serie A title in the 2016-17 season with 24 goals in 38 league appearances. However, he will perhaps be best remembered for his incredible spell at Napoli.

#2 Philippe Coutinho - €135 million (Liverpool to Barcelona)

It’s clear from this list that Barcelona love signing South American players. Philippe Coutinho’s move to Barcelona in the 2018 winter window was a consequence of a transfer that had happened the preceding summer, one we will soon talk about.

Coutinho’s spell at Liverpool was perhaps the best a Brazilian has ever had in the Premier League, as the diminutive attacking midfielder shone under Brendan Rodgers and then Jürgen Klopp.

#OnThisDay seven years ago, Philippe Coutinho made his debut for Liverpool 🇧🇷 Let’s re-watch all the absolute belters he scored for the Reds, and also be thankful for the massive transfer fee Barcelona stumped up that paid for Alisson and Van Dijk 🙌 pic.twitter.com/dfhR7VicgR

— Liverpool.com (@Liverpoolcom_) February 11, 2020

Although he failed to win a trophy at Liverpool, his quick feet and ability to find the back of the net from distance made him the talk of the town at Merseyside.

A club-record transfer to Barcelona followed, but Coutinho failed to find his feet at the Camp Nou. Now 29, Coutinho is still on Barcelona books, although the Catalans are trying to get rid of him for a fee of just €20 million!

#1 Neymar - €222 million (Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain)

Manchester City v Paris Saint-Germain - UEFA Champions League Semi Final: Leg Two

Paris Saint-Germain have resources like no other club in France, and the Parisians flexed their financial muscle when they signed Neymar for a world record fee in 2017.

It was a transfer that sent shockwaves through the footballing world, and the domino effects were felt for several windows. The chance to experience the culture of Paris and finally get out of Lionel Messi’s shadow was too tempting for Neymar as he moved to PSG amidst a lot of fanfare.

His spell at Barcelona was incredible, but Neymar still finished behind Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award.

Although Neymar is yet to get his hands on the coveted individual award or even the Holy Grail of European football – the Champions league – he has had an incredible spell at PSG.