The 10 most expensive transfers ever according to ‘football inflation’
Neymar is no longer the most expensive ever footballer when taking ‘football inflation’ into account, according to new research.
TotallyMoney have looked back at the 100 most expensive transfers from Europe’s major five leagues in every season since the Premier League launched in 1992 to see how fees have risen over time.
In 1992-1993 the combined cost of the top 100 players sold was £215.6million, meaning an average price of £2.156million for a top-100 player, whereas in the summer just gone the top 100 players sold for a combined £3.03billion at an average of £30.3million, an increase of just over 14 times.
Using that logic, TotallyMoney’s Transfer Index calculates that Gianluca Vialli’s £12.5million move from Sampdoria to Juventus in 1992 is effectively the most expensive transfer of all time, at £209million in today’s money.
Only one of the top 10 most expensive transfers was made by a Premier League club, while Real Madrid alone account for four.
10 most expensive players on TotallyMoney’s Transfer Index
1. Gianluca Vialli: Sampdoria to Juventus – £14.9million in 1992, £209million today
2. Neymar: Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain – £200million in 2017, £202million today
3. Cristiano Ronaldo: Manchester United to Real Madrid – £84.6million in 2009, £195million today
4. Romário: PSV Eindhoven to FC Barcelona – £10.8million in 1993, £167million today
5. Gareth Bale: Spurs to Real Madrid – £90.9million in 2013, £167million today
6. Rio Ferdinand: Leeds to Manchester United – £41.4million in 2002, £159million today
7. Zinédine Zidane: Juventus to Real Madrid – £69.8million in 2001, £158million today
8. Ronaldo: Inter to Real Madrid – £40.5million in 2002, £155million today
9. Alen Boksic: Marseille to SS Lazio – £9.9million in 1993, £153million today
10. Jean-Pierre Papin: Marseille to AC Milan – £10.8million in 1992, £152million today
You can view the full data here.
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