5 Most expensive strikers in the world

#3 Antoine Griezmann | Barcelona | €120m

FC Barcelona v Athletic Club - Supercopa de Espana Final

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.

150 - Antoine Griezmann 🇫🇷 has scored 150 goals in 381 appearances in @LaLigaEN (94 with @atletienglish, 40 for @RealSociedadEN and 16 with @FCBarcelona), becoming the second French player to reach this milestone after Karim Benzema 🇫🇷 (184 in 372). Prince. pic.twitter.com/m2RS4mHSwb

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) March 15, 2021

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.

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#2 Joao Felix | Atletico Madrid | €127.2m

Real Valladolid CF v Atletico de Madrid - La Liga Santander

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.

João Félix became the youngest player to score a Europa League hat-trick #OTD in 2019 🎩💫@joaofelix70 | @SLBenfica | #UEL pic.twitter.com/tC1a89sYSj

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) April 11, 2021

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.

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#1 Kylian Mbappe | Paris Saint-Germain | €145m

FC Bayern Munich v Paris Saint-Germain - UEFA Champions League Quarter Final: Leg One

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.

Kylian Mbappé's Ligue 1 career by numbers:◎ 142 games◉ 100 goals◎ 35 assists◎ 4 titles◎ 3x Team of the Year◎ 3x Young Player of the Year◎ 2x Golden Boot◎ 1x Player of the YearA goal every 96 minutes. 22 years and 91 days old. pic.twitter.com/mgH2uavgRG

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 21, 2021

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.

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