The 10 most expensive signings in Ligue 1

4. James Rodriguez - €45 million

James Rodriguez was a revelation during his one-year stay at Monaco

A winner of eight trophies in his three years at the Portuguese club FC Porto, James Rodriguez was seen as one of the hottest young prospects at that time. The young Colombian was signed by the French club AS Monaco in the summer of 2013 on a five-year deal, few weeks before he turned 22, for an eye-popping sum of €45 million, the second largest transfer sum in Portuguese league history. At the principality club, James was joined by his Colombian colleague and former Porto team-mate Radamel Falcao.

James became an instant hit at Monaco and scored 11 goals in the league campaign as well as, topping the assist chart in the league. He was voted in the UNFP Ligue 1 XI and was crowned the Player of the Year by his club. In the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil, James took the tournament by storm, guiding Colombia to the quarter-finals. He ended the tournament as top-scorer, won the Goal of the Tournament award and was included in the team of the tournament. After a sole season in Monaco, James left for Real Madrid in another big-money move.