5 players with the highest combined transfer fees (2021)

#3 Cristiano Ronaldo - €230m (3 transfers)

Ronaldo transferred to Juventus after winning the UCL in 2018

Subject to two of the most lucrative transfers in footballing history, Cristiano Ronaldo has been a serial record-breaker ever since his professional debut in 2002. An integral part of Sporting CP's esteemed academy, Ronaldo impressed in a friendly match against his future side Manchester United. His obvious potential, coupled with his exhilarating performance against the Reds, prompted Sir Alex Ferguson to sign the youngster for €19m.

Cristiano Ronaldo official statement on his future. 🚨🇵🇹 #CR7“This way of covering my future is disrespectful to all the clubs involved in these rumours”. ⚪️👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/g5j9ygdOTm

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 17, 2021

This amount proved to be one of the best bargains in the sport's history as Ronaldo went on to earn a place amongst the world's elite. The Portuguese veteran's freakish 2007-08 season pocketed him that year's Ballon d'Or and a subsequent €94m transfer to Real Madrid. This deal made him the most expensive signing ever, overshadowing Zinedine Zidane's €77.5m move to the Bernabeu in 2001.

Four more Ballon d'Ors, four Champions League titles, and 450 goals later, Real Madrid sold Ronaldo to Juventus in 2018 for a profit of €23m. The joint all-time top scorer in international football has since gone on to score 101 goals for the Old Lady.

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#2 Neymar - €310.2m (2 transfers)

Neymar will link up with Lionel Messi after four years

Neymar seeps up to second-place with the lowest number of total transfers, having only changed surroundings twice in his career. The Brazilian superstar was destined for greatness, having shown flashes of exquisite talent during his time at Santos. After spending four years with the Alvinegro, Neymar moved to Barcelona for a whopping €88.2m signing fee.

On June 23, 2013, Neymar was officially announced and unveiled as the Catalans' most expensive signing at the time. However, his transfer to Barcelona was shrouded in controversy, even causing then-president Sandro Rosell to resign from his post. The fee, initially believed to be around the regions of €55m, turned out to be a lot more than that, with Neymar's father and a third party pocketing much of the cash.

Throwback to this magical performance from Neymar against Atalanta. One of his best performances in a PSG shirt.Broke the record for most UCL dribbles in a single game 💫 pic.twitter.com/tkdp8PBP1G

— 𝗡𝗲𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲 (@Neymoleque) August 19, 2021

Nevertheless, the flamboyant playmaker managed to carve out a successful career at Barcelona over the next four seasons. In a shocking development in 2017, PSG revealed to have had triggered Neymar's gargantuan release clause of €222m.

To fans' dismay, Barcelona's then No.11 admitted to having facilitated the Parisians' advances with a desire to seek out a new challenge. Thus, with just two transfers on his CV, Neymar managed to rewrite the financial history of the game.

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#1 Romelu Lukaku - €327.56m (6 transfers)

Lukaku played for Inter for two seasons

In the number one spot, usurping Neymar's throne with his recent €115m transfer to Chelsea is none other than the Belgian sensation, Romelu Lukaku. The 28-year-old striker subsequently became the 12th footballer to fetch more than 100 million euros with this move.

Lukaku first made a name for himself with native side Anderlecht, racking up 41 professional goals before his 18th birthday. His brawny physique, combined with his talents as a striker, compelled Chelsea to sign him for €15m in 2011. However, the prodigal Belgian could never make his mark at Stamford Bridge and, following two brilliant loan spells, was sold to Everton for €35.36m. Lukaku proved to be a brilliant signing at Goodison Park, propelling the Toffees to fifth-place during his time there.

Romelu Lukaku on wanting to retire at Chelsea:“It’s the right move for me, for the rest of my career. With a lot of maturity and experience, you come back as a player who can hopefully help the team long term.” pic.twitter.com/mPw81CpU8X

— LDN (@LDNFootbalI) August 19, 2021

Having impressed the Manchester United hierarchy, the talismanic forward earned a bumper upgrade to Old Trafford, costing the Red Devils a whopping €84.7m. Even though a return of 55 goal involvements in 96 matches is nothing to be scoffed at, Lukaku struggled to fit in.

As a result, he was shipped off to Inter for €74m in 2019. Two seasons on from that move, the Belgian is now worth €100m on the transfer market. It would be interesting to see if he is able to do justice to his hefty price tag, or succumbs to the notorious curse of No.9 at Chelsea.

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