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Despite the ever-changing landscape of football, the importance of having a top-tier centre-forward in a team has never really diminished.
It's often said that scoring goals is one of the hardest jobs in the sport. For this reason, attacks are, more often than not, built around the main centre-forward. The only thing that has changed over the years is, perhaps, the profile of strikers that suit different generations of football.
Ronaldo Nazario is generally regarded as one of the best strikers of all time and was arguably the most complete forward at the peak of his powers.
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Players such as Christian Vieri, Didier Drogba, and others made their names as target men throughout history. They were able to lead the line well even as a lone striker and do wonders because of their ability to hold up the ball and bring others into play.
Thierry Henry inspired a new breed of strikers in the early 2000s due to his incredible ability outside of the box as well as inside it. He was one of the greatest goalscorers of his generation, and additionally, he was also a surreal dribbler and could play a pass to find his teammates.
Elsewhere, players such as Francesco Totti and Leo Messi were deployed as false-nines, bringing the age-old concept into the 21st century.
Given the vast importance of strikers, they are rarely cheap players to purchase regardless of their profile. In fact, eight of the 20 highest transfer fees ever paid by European clubs have been spent on centre-forwards. On that note, here is a look at the five most expensive strikers football has witnessed.
#5 Gonzalo Higuain | Inter Miami | €90m
Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain has had quite a commendable career to date. Moving from his homeland to Real Madrid, he spent six years in the Spanish capital before a transfer to Napoli. In Naples, he experienced some of the best years of his career, after which Juventus came calling. The Bianconeri parted with an astonishing €90m to sign the then-Capocannoniere winner.
Higuain added some firepower that helped Juventus continue their dominance on the domestic front. However, due to their failures in Europe, they brought in Cristiano Ronaldo, which directly impacted Higuain's situation.
After a couple of loan spells, the 33-year-old's contract was unceremoniously terminated and he joined Inter Miami on a free transf. He scored 66 goals in 149 games for Juventus across all competitions.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo | Juventus | €117m, €94m
Juventus sent shockwaves through Europe when they announced the signing of 33-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo for a club and league record €117m. The Portuguese superstar is widely regarded as one of the all-time greats. Juventus primarily brought him in to deliver the elusive UCL trophy, one they are yet to win in the new millennium.
Ronaldo helped them to two Scudetti, scored a barrage of goals and delivered a couple of domestic honours. However, Juventus have failed in three successive attempts to get past the knockout rounds of the UCL despite having arguably the greatest European player ever. Overall, the 36-year-old has played 133 times for Juventus, scoring 101 goals.
Apart from his record move to Juventus, Ronaldo also makes it to this list for his 2009 move to Real Madrid from Manchester United. Los Blancos paid the Red Devils a fee of €94m at the time.
Also read: 5 Most valuable Spanish players in Europe
#3 Antoine Griezmann | Barcelona | €120m
Barcelona have a long list of transfers that have raised eyebrows over the past decade, and Antoine Griezmann's purchase is certainly one of them. The Blaugrana wanted to bolster their attack and opted to purchase the Frenchman, triggering his massive €120m release clause at Atletico Madrid.
On paper, Griezmann appeared to be a stylistic misfit, given that he's predominantly a central player and they needed a wide man at the time. Barcelona went ahead and bought him anyway, and unsurprisingly, he hasn't had the best of times at the Nou Camp ever since.
The World Cup winner has represented Barcelona 99 times in all competitions since his move in 2019, scoring 35 goals and setting up 16 in the process.
#2 Joao Felix | Atletico Madrid | €127.2m
Atletico Madrid wasted little time in replacing Griezmann when he left Los Rojiblancos to join their LaLiga Santander rivals Barcelona. They signed arguably the hottest football property in the transfer market at the time, Joao Felix, for a staggering €127.2m. It remains the most expensive transfer in Atleti history, and one of LaLiga's biggest ever moves.
The prodigal Portuguese is one of the most impressive young footballers in the world. He inherited Griezmann's number 7 shirt at the Wanda Metropolitano and played nearly all his games for Atleti as a support striker. Although Felix has already impressed in Spain, there is a feeling that there is much more to come from the 21-year-old.
Felix has played 76 times for Atletico Madrid in all competitions, scoring 19 goals and setting up a further nine. The former SL Benfica man also helped Atleti win the 2020-21 league title.
#1 Kylian Mbappe | Paris Saint-Germain | €145m
Paris Saint-Germain pulled off one of the most remarkable transfer windows of all time in 2017, bringing Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr to the French capital. The French star broke onto the scene as one of the most exciting talents of the 21st century, drawing comparisons to a young Leo Messi. While AS Monaco's Ligue 1-winning hero was close to joining Real Madrid, PSG swooped in and sealed his signature.
Mbappe went on to fire PSG to further glory on the domestic front and helped them reach a UCL semi-final and a final in successive years. The 22-year-old formed a devastating partnership with Neymar, making them a threat for any team to come up against.
Mbappe technically moved to PSG on an initial loan deal with an obligation to purchase him for €145m. This made him the most expensive striker in the world in 2018, and the second-most expensive player overall, only behind Neymar. The magnificent French striker has played 171 games for PSG across all fronts, during which he's scored 132 goals and assisted 61 times.
Also read: Top 5 Ligue 1 exports in the 21st century
