In conclusion, the most costly strikers are typically attackers who can create more chances for goals to be scored; Luis Suarez is a good example of this.
Because scoring goals is valued more highly than giving them away, defenders and goalkeepers are less expensive, as seen by the transfer fees for players like Gonzalo Higuaín and Cristiano Ronaldo.
A possible discrepancy between cost and performance in the football world is indicated by strikers like Darwin Nunez and Randal Kolo Muani, who earn hefty salaries despite having lesser goal totals.
It’s no secret that a striker who can score goals is essential to any football team’s success. Your forward should be consistently putting the ball in the net, whether it’s through Kylian Mbappe’s quick and deft profile or Harry Kane’s master of all trades style.
As each season goes by, more money is being invested in football, and as the sport becomes more luxurious, transfer fees rise. Since attacking players are the ones who will provide your team more chances to score goals, they typically have the highest prices on the market.
Goalkeepers and defenders are paid less since it doesn’t really matter how many goals you allow at the other end if you score enough goals. We examined the ten most costly strikers in football history, from Romelu Lukaku’s transfer to Chelsea to Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Juventus.
Football’s Top 10 Most Expensive Strikers
Ordering
The player
Move
Fee
One
Mbappe Kylian
The Paris Saint-Germain to AS Monaco
£166 million
2.
Griezmann, Antoine
Barcelona to Atletico Madrid
£107 million
3.
Ronaldo Cristiano
Juventus versus Real Madrid
£99.2 million
4.
Lukaku Romelu
Chelsea to Inter Milan
£97.5 million
5.
Kane, Harry
From Tottenham to Bayern Munich
£82 million
6.
Muani, Randal Kolo
Frankfurt to Paris Saint-Germain Eintracht
76.4 million pounds
7.
Higuaín Gonzalo
Juventus to Napoli
75.3 million pounds
8.
Suarez Luis
Barcelona to Liverpool
75 million pounds
9.
Vlahović Dusan
Juventus to Fiorentina
£66.6 million
10.
Nunez, Darwin
Liverpool to Benfica
£64 million
10 Darwin Nunez, Liverpool to Benfica (£64 million)
It felt like a wise decision to sign a top-tier player from Portugal’s top division. After all, when Manchester United signed Cristiano Ronaldo, he was still a young child playing for Sporting Lisbon. Darwin Nunez put pen to paper in the North West when Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool team was in dire need of a bagsman striker at the moment.
When the Uruguayan, in just his second appearance for the team, headbutted Crystal Palace’s Joaquim Andersen, things didn’t start off well. Given that Nunez hasn’t taken off in the Premier League, it’s safe to argue that the £64 million price tag now appears to be a daylight robbery. In the upcoming transfer window, a lot of Liverpool supporters have even stated that they would like to get rid of their expensive forward.
Liverpool Stats for Darwin Nunez
Looks
131
Objectives
39
Helps
22
Objectives per 90
0.49
🚨 Liverpool look increasingly likely to sell Darwin Núñez this summer, with the striker struggling for playing time at Anfield.
(Source: @TheAthleticFC) pic.twitter.com/8FyVG1liBZ
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) February 21, 2025
9Dusan Vlahovic
Fiorentina to Juventus (£66.6 million)
During the first half of the 2021–2022 season, Dušan Vlahovic emerged as one of Serie A’s most promising prospects. With an outstanding record of 20 goals in 24 games, he was unable to stop scoring for Fiorentina. Both Juventus and Arsenal were looking for a new number nine as the January transfer window drew near.
The Serbian international appeared to be travelling to Turin one day and London the next. After a protracted transfer drama, The OId Lady emerged victorious. Despite being a consistent goal scorer, his time in Turin has fallen short of expectations for a player worth close to £70 million. With a points deduction looming over the team in the 2022–2023 season, his Juventus team finished seventh in his first complete season.
Vlahovic, Dušan Juventus’s statistics
Looks
132
Objectives
55
Helps
11.
Objectives per 90
0.53
8. Liverpool to Barcelona for Luis Suarez (£75 million)
In the 2010s, Luis Suarez was one of the world’s top attackers, despite his, let’s face it, contentious on-field persona. During his tenure at Liverpool, Uruguay’s goal-scoring wizard caught the attention of many football clubs, with Barcelona being the most interested.
He had a significant role to play under the lights of Camp Nou, and the £75 million fee made him the third most expensive player in football history at the time. The world went crazy when Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar formed a formidable three known as “MSN.” They won the Copa del Rey, La Liga, and the Champions League in their incredible first season together.
Barcelona’s Luis Suarez Stats
Looks
283
Objectives
195
Helps
113
Objectives per 90
0.74
7 Gonzalo Higuaín, Juventus to Napoli (£75.3 million)
In 2016, you could bet that Gonzalo Higuain’s name would be featured prominently on the back pages of every Italian newspaper you picked up. Then-manager Maurizio Sarri referred to him as a “phenomenum,” making him the epitome of Serie A strikers.
The biggest clubs in the world couldn’t ignore the fact that the Argentine was scoring more goals than he was playing games. Higuain packed his bags and left Naples for Turin when Juventus called. After his record-breaking move, he continued to follow his instincts in front of goal. The team won two straight league titles, two Coppa Italia trophies, and one Champions League final thanks to Higuain.
Juventus’s Gonzalo Higuain stats
Looks
149
Objectives
66
Helps
19.
Objectives per 90
0.54
6 Kolo Muani’s scandalous transfer from Frankfurt to Paris Saint-Germain (£76.4 million)
The amazing thing about football is that players may appear out of thin air. Although Randal Kolo Muani had a respectable early career, it wasn’t the kind of one you would expect from a future £76 million star. The Frenchman, who struggled to make an impression on the Nantes club as a young player, ultimately succeeded in the 2020–21 campaign.
Kolo Muani made the Bundesliga his playground with a move to Eintracht Frankfurt. In his first season in Germany, he scored the most goals that weren’t penalties, which made several clubs back home take notice. A return to France wasn’t the best of circumstances, but Paris Saint-Germain made a massive £76.4 million bid for the attackers’ services. He is now on loan at Juventus after a difficult stint in the capital forced him out of Luis Enrique’s side.
Statistics for Paris Saint-Germain’s Randal Kolo Muani
Looks
54
Objectives
11.
Helps
7.
Objectives per 90
0.41
5. Tottenham to Bayern Munich for Harry Kane (£82 million)
Tottenham supporters were accustomed to hearing rumours that their star striker was leaving to pursue bigger possibilities with each passing transfer window. Daniel Levy refused to sell to a Premier League opponent, preventing transfers to Manchester City and Manchester United.
Kane would not have enjoyed how the hot seat at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was evolving, and before the end of the 2022–2023 season, a transfer appeared likely. Even though Levy tried to play hardball with the German powerhouses, Kane was signed by Bayern Munich for slightly over £82 million. Vincent Kompany’s team is on the verge of winning the Bundesliga, which would be Kane’s first trophy of his career and one that he richly deserves.
Stats for Harry Kane of Bayern Munich
Looks
77
Objectives
73
Helps
22
Objectives per 90
1.02
4Romelu Lukaku
Inter Milan to Chelsea (£97.5 million)
Romelu Lukaku was a genuine Premier League prospect who flourished during his playing days at teams like Everton and West Brom. It was inevitable that some of the largest clubs in England would take notice of an outstanding player in the top division of football.
The Belgian moved to Inter Milan following a lacklustre stint at Manchester United. Lukaku scored 64 goals in 95 appearances, which was enough to make his scoring record stand out in Italy. The striker couldn’t help but try again after spending time at Chelsea as a child. Unfortunately, for a £97.5 million deal, the sentimental comeback was nothing short of shameful.
Chelsea Romelu Lukaku Stats
Looks
59
Objectives
15.
Helps
One
Objectives per 90
0.42
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (£99.2 million) from Real Madrid to Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo has been a versatile player who has moved across the front line throughout his career. His best years were spent on the wing, when his pace and ability amazed defenders. Ronaldo was forced into the more important position of a striker, though, as his style of play developed.
When he managed to get a transfer to Turin, he ended up right there. He was always aware that he would always be remembered as one of the best players in history, regardless of what transpired at Juventus. However, class is permanent, as they say. Perhaps as payback for the harm caused by his Champions League overhead kick in April 2018, Ronaldo put up amazing numbers while he was in Italy.
Juventus’s Cristiano Ronaldo: Statistics
Looks
134
Objectives
101
Helps
22
Objectives per 90
0.79
2Antoine Griezmann
Atlético Madrid to Barcelona (£107 million)
One football player that immediately springs to mind when you hear the word undervalued is Antoine Griezmann. From talent and elegance to goals and assists, the Frenchman had it all. He was playing so confidently and well that he was putting up the numbers.
After Griezmann had successful stints at Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid, Barcelona was vying for his services. After years of transfer drama, Barcelona activated the Frenchman’s £107 million release clause, and Camp Nou waited for him. However, because they frequently used the striker on the wing to accommodate Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi, the management were unable to get the most out of him. In the big picture, this was a reasonable choice.
Barcelona’s Antoine Griezmann stats
Looks
102
Objectives
35
Helps
17
Objectives per 90
0.41
Antoine Griezmann: balling out for years and still one of the most underrated players of his generation 🌟 pic.twitter.com/qShPYpdMmR
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 19, 2024
1Kylian Mbappe
AS Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain (£166 million)
Similar to many of these transfers, the biggest clubs in each nation are constantly scouting the skills of their domestic competitors. Romelu Lukaku, Kylian Mbappe, and Gonzalo Higuian are the most costly. It was clear to Paris Saint-Germain that spending £166 million on Mbappe would not be a risk. He would be a fantastic player, as every football fan in the world knew.
For most of his time at the Parc des Princes, he was a club hero, even though his time in Paris ended badly. It was thought to be a waiting game until Real Madrid showed up at his door, with an average of more than 0.93 goals per game. Together with Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, he joined Los Blancos as a free agent in the summer of 2024 to form a formidable force.
Paris Saint-Germain statistics for Kylian Mbappe
The way things look
308.
Goals
256.
Aids
98.
Objectives for each 90
0.93%
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