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The Biggest Fees: How Do Soccer Transfers Work?

Will Brown by Will Brown, February 27, 2025

An image of a Paris Saint German kit with the club logo

As the most popular sport in the world, international soccer draws in billions of dollars a year. Due to the fierce domestic and international competitions, the sport has some of the highest-paid athletes, with some clubs sparing no expense to acquire top talent. But how do soccer transfers work? In this guide, we’ve looked at the biggest transfer fees in soccer history as well as the complexities surrounding their use.

Intro to the Most Expensive Transfers in Soccer History

Before we get too far into this guide, we’ve discussed how transfer fees work, and how they’re different to the system used in major US sports leagues. We’ve then detailed the biggest transfer in sorcery history, which was the transfer of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain.

We’ve organized this guide of the six most costly transfers from the highest fee to the lowest, covering the transfers of Mbappe, Coutinho, Félix, Fernández, and Griezmann. All fees, which were paid in Euros or British pounds, have been presented in US dollars for your convenience.

How Do Transfer Fees and MLS Soccer Transfers Work?

So how do soccer transfers work? In professional soccer, transfer fees are a financial arrangement between one club to acquire a player from another. These are essentially used to cover the costs of terminating a player’s contract with one club early and are commonplace in the sport. However, the size of fees can vary greatly between thousands of dollars to hundreds of millions such as the biggest transfer deals in Soccer.

This system differs from major US sports leagues which use trades to swap players between franchises. However, this year US Major League Soccer (MLS) introduced a transfer fee system, though MLS soccer transfers still require trades for cash. The size of the transfer fee is based on numerous elements, including the star’s performance stats, the value of their current contracts, and the expiry of their current contracts.

The fees may also include add-ons, including additional money if the player qualifies for the Champions League or makes a certain amount of appearances. Often, they can also include sell-on clauses, which can award the previous club between 10 and 20 percent of profits from future transfers.

The transfer fees are usually paid out over several seasons to cater to add-on fees. There are two transfer windows each year, with one in Summer and one in Winter. Players also have a say in these contracts, and players may wish to buy out their remaining contracts or negotiate new deals with clubs during the transfer windows.

Neymar to Paris Saint-German

The second of the most expensive transfers soccer has seen came in 2017 when Brazilian forward Neymar was transferred from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain. The total deal cost a huge $233 million, or €222 million. The deal caused shockwaves through the global soccer industry and had rippling effects on transfers across Europe.

The transfer was controversial, as Paris Saint-German (PSG) activated Neymar’s release clause which was set at a value Barcelona created as it seemed impossible to meet. Initially, the Spanish La Liga refused the payment, though it later agreed to complex terms that reportedly included a $315 million deal for Neymar to be an ambassador for Qatar’s World Cup bid in 2022.

This was because PSG was purchased by Qatari interests. Neymar played for the team until the end of the 2023 season, and his acquisition saw him make regular Champions League appearances and score 118 goals in 173 matches. However, the deal sparked several legal battles, including disputes over Neymar’s bonuses and investigations over the deal from Financial Fair Play (FFP).

Kylian Mbappé to Paris Saint-Germain

The next of the most expensive soccer transfers, Kylian Mbappé’s transfer from Monaco to PSG furthered the club’s reputation for high spending. Mbappé initially transferred to the team on loan in 2017, before PSG paid around $189 million, or €180 million, to acquire the top-ranked player.

At the time, the French Mbappé wasn’t the star he is today. He had initially played a subdued season with Monaco, only to find his footing the following year with a Ligue 1 title, a Champions League semifinal and 26 goals scored. Learning from their errors with Neymar, PSG’s deal avoided FFP restrictions due to the initial loan before the purchase.

As the captain of the French national team, Mbappé remains a worthy player to back when betting on a soccer game. After the deal, the player helped France win the 2018 World Cup, and he has gone on to score more than 200 goals for PSG since his signing.

Coutinho to Barcelona

The next of the most expensive transfers in soccer is Philippe Coutinho’s $168 million transfer from EPL team Liverpool to Barcelona. Likely triggered by the team’s high-profile loss of Neymar, Barcelona acquired the Brazillian midfielder through a complex fee that included add-ons and performance bonuses.

However, the deal would not be as successful as the team had hoped. While Liverpool were able to reinvest the funds to acquire Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, Coutinho struggled to become effective at Barcelona. Liverpool would go on to win the Champions League and Premier League, while Coutinho couldn’t gel alongside Lionel Messi.

Ultimately, the deal led to a financial crisis in Barcelona, and they even paid add-ons for Coutinho’s Champions League appearances for Bayern Munich during which he famously scored against Barcelona. Eventually, he was sold to Aston Villa for $21 million, representing a loss of a huge $147 million. This proves that the answer to the question, “How do soccer transfers work?” is complicated.

João Félix to Atlético Madrid

In 2019, Portuguese forward João Félix was transferred from Benfica to Atlético Madrid in the biggest transfer fee in soccer paid that year. In a deal valued at $132 million, the maneuver was considered a huge gamble for Atlético considering the teenage talent had only played one full season with Benfica.

However, it was a stellar season, with Félix scoring 20 goals across 43 appearances and displaying huge potential. Atlético was in a prime financial position for the deal, though, after they made considerable earnings from the recent sale of Antoine Griezmann. Unfortunately, Félix’s time with the team was marked by inconsistency.

His style was out of sync with the tactics of manager Diego Simeone, and he only managed to score 34 goals across 131 appearances. After being loaned to Chelsea, Stamford Bridge, and Barcelona, he was finally acquired by Chelsea for $52 million in 2024. He is now on loan to AC Milan.

Enzo Fernández to Chelsea

For nearly four years, transfer fees failed to reach the highs of previous transfers, with clubs seemingly learning from the failures of previous gambles. Then in 2023, Chelsea paid one of the biggest transfer fees in soccer to acquire Enzo Fernández from Benfica. The deal costs $127 million to make it the fifth-highest of all time.

The Argentine midfielder’s high price was undoubtedly inflated after a stellar performance in the previous World Cup, which earned him the honor of Young Player of the Tournament. His acquisition was made during a $630 million spending spree at Chelsea after its purchase by Todd Boehly to boost their competitive advantage.

Although Chelsea has struggled, Fernández continues to be a promising performer. As of February 2025, he has scored six goals and eight assists across 69 games, and many believe that the investment was justified. The 24-year-old also plays for the Argentina national team, so all eyes will be watching for a repeat performance at next year’s World Cup.

Antoine Griezmann to Barcelona

Proving once again that the answer to “How do soccer transfers work?” is complex was the acquisition of Antoine Griezmann to Barcelona from fierce club rivals Atlético Madrid in 2019. The deal, which cost $126 million, caused controversy, due to Barcelona’s strategic timing in waiting for the French forward’s release clause to drop from $210 million.

The situation was further inflamed after a documentary, “La Decisión”, was released, which saw Griezmann make assurances that he would stay with Atlético. Madrid brought legal challenges against Barcelona, claiming that they were entitled to the full release amount as Barcelona’s negotiations began when they were valued at that amount.

Although the bid failed, Griezmann failed to become an effective talent for Barcelona, unable to fit with the team and scoring only 35 goals in 102 appearances. Griezmann was later loaned back to Atlético in 2021 with a mandatory purchase option of $42 million, representing an $84 million loss for Barcelona. It’s clear now why MLS soccer transfers with fees have not yet been fully integrated.

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