The most expensive player transfer deals of 2017

With all we have seen, we will expect that 2017 will go down in the history of football as the year with the most expensive player transfer deals ever. However, it seems the stakes will just keep on getting higher and the deals will keep getting bigger as more money is poured into football. It doesn’t matter whether there have been better players in the past; if the player is good and the buyer wants him enough, he will be acquired at a rocket price. In 2017, clubs in Europe acquired players who are some of the most expensive in the world now. Some players were acquired at the price of 6 private jets.

Today’s Echo revisits the greatest transfer deals of 2017:

1. Neymar

Brazillian star, Neymar’s monumental transfer from Barcelona to French-based PSG has stretched the limit of money in football and raised transfer offers to the highest pedestal. Never could people have imagined that players would be this expensive, 8 years after Christiano Ronaldo’s record-breaking transfer to Real Madrid. Ronaldo’s transfer fee of 94 million Euros is not even up to half of Neymar’s 222million Euro. Qatar-based Television Network, Aljazeera estimated that Neymar’s transfer fee could buy 137 properties in London’s most expensive borough, educate 1.15 million Indian primary school students for one year, or buy 6 Greek Islands.

Qatari- owned PSG have just found money and they want to acquire the best with it. Widely regarded as the third best player in the world behind Christiano Ronaldo and Messi, Neymar may just be what they need.

2. Kylian Mbappe

Following in the footsteps of Neymar, French youngstar, Kylian Mbappe signed up for PSG with a huge fee. On August 31, 2017, 18-year old Mbappe was transferred from Monaco to PSG for a whopping 180 million Euro, with the possibility of add-ons. Mbappe had been tremendous for Monaco last season, helping the French team get to the semi-finals. Now the youngstar has joined the most expensive squad in the world. The move seems to have paid off as Mbappe’s promising career has jump-started at PSG, while he pairs up with Neymar and Cavani to form one of the deadliest attacking formations in world football right now. Mbappe also won the Golden Boy award for the best young player in Europe.

3. Ousmane Dembele

20-year-old Ousmane Dembele became the most expensive player in Barcelona’s history after signing a five-year deal with the Spanish giants on August 17, 2017. The French youngster had enjoyed a good spell at Borrussia Dortmund before heading to the Catalonian side. The initial transfer fee paid to Dortmund stood at 105million Euro, a huge fee for starters. Yet analysts say it may increase to 145 million Euro due to add-ons by Dortmund. Before Dembele, the most expensive player at Barcelona was Louis Suarez, at 80million Euros. Some people say the amount was worth it as the striker was still young and deadly upfront. He was brought in to replace Neymar, who had been acquired by PSG for a bank-breaking fee. Others see it as a form of showmanship by Barcelona. A rich club had bought one of their best players with an offer they could not refuse, and they were ready to replace him with an equally expensive player.

4. Romelu Lukaku

A few years ago, it would not have crossed anybody’s mind that Lukaku would be on this list. Yet, he has emerged from being a Chelsea reject to become one of the most expensive and effective players in the English premier league.  The stout Belgian striker moved from Everton to join Jose Mourinho’s squad at the beginning of the season in August.

At 85.5million Euros, he is currently Manchester United’s second most expensive player, after Pogba. Yet the move has paid off for him and the team. Lukaku has scored 7 times in 9 matches, what a great start to a promising season.