PSG's 10 biggest sales of all time

Martin Macdonald

• 30 Aug 2024 21:52 BST
• 7 min read

Paris Saint-Germain have become a prime destination for many of Europe’s best players over the last decade.

Ever since the Ligue 1 side were acquired by Qatar Sports Investments, backed by Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the French champions have spent big on star quality at a remarkable rate.

In fact, they still hold the record for the most expensive transfer in history, having signed Neymar from Barcelona for €222 million.

Their financial circumstances mean that far more has been spent on players than made from selling them, but they have nonetheless generated some decent profits over the years. However, selling certainly hasn't been their strong point in recent years.

Below, FootballTransfers looks at PSG's biggest sales of all-time.

10. Javier Pastore - €24.7m (to Roma, 2018)

Despite the dubious manner in which Javier Pastore arrived at PSG through third-party means, the player undoubtedly hit the ground running with 16 goals and six assists in 43 games during his first campaign.

The following season saw the Argentina international move out wide but that didn’t stop him scoring nine goals and bagging a further 14 assists as PSG picked up the first of four consecutive league titles.

Pastore would play a crucial role in the club’s treble-winning campaign in the 2013-14 season, but he would eventually be forced to make way for Neymar, when the Brazilian signing not only took Pastore’s place in the side but also his No.10 shirt.

After seven years at PSG, Pastore opted for a change and returned to Italy, with a move to Roma for a substantial €24.7 million fee in 2018.

9. Serge Aurier - €25m (to Tottenham, 2017)

After a successful three-year spell at Toulouse, Serge Aurier made a loan move to Paris in 2014 as a contender for Christophe Jallet’s right-back position.

PSG then bought the player on a permanent deal at the end of the season and Aurier showed what he could do in his second campaign, with notable goals against Lyon and Shakhtar Donetsk.

However, the right-back would quickly draw a line under his time at PSG when a Periscope video surfaced of Aurier calling Angel Di Maria a “clown”, referring to manager Lauren Blanc by a homophobic slur and stating the club’s apparent favouritism for striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The player was suspended indefinitely in mid-February, spent the rest of the season playing with the reserves and then made a €25 million move to Tottenham Hotspur a few months later.

8. Blaise Matuidi - €25m (Juventus, 2017)

Blaise Matuidi was 30 years old when Juventus decided to pay €25m for his services to add steel and energy to their midfield.

The Frenchman enjoyed a productive time at PSG but he was perhaps never going to be the midfielder to take them to the next, elite Champions League-winning, level.

So, the fact they received €25m for him ensured this was a good deal, even if he was a solid player for the Parisians.

7. Lucas Moura - €28.4m (to Tottenham, 2017)

Sir Alex Ferguson famously lamented the fact that PSG would pay so much for a teenager from Brazil when Man Utd were priced out of a deal for Lucas Moura.

The Red Devils probably dodged a bullet with this one though as Moura never really met expectations while at PSG and was subsequently sold to Tottenham.

Though he undoubtedly had impressive moments for Spurs, most notably the famous goals against Ajax to take the club to its first ever Champions League final, selling him for €28.4m was a decent bit of business for PSG.

6. Ronaldinho - €32.3m (to Barcelona, 2003)

Before PSG were a super club, they still had players who were enjoying greatness, or at least on the cusp of it.

Ronaldinho only spent two seasons in Paris but it was enough for Barcelona to scrap a move for Man Utd's David Beckham in order convince the Brazilian to move to Camp Nou.

The rest is history, as Ronaldinho would go on to become the World Player of the Year, helping to usher in the most successful era in Barcelona's history.

Even by today's standards, €32.3m seems like a pretty bad deal for PSG, and one they would certainly not have entertained after the Qatar takeover.

5. David Luiz - €35m (to Chelsea, 2016)

PSG made David Luiz the most expensive defender in history at the time when they signed him for €49.5m from Chelsea in 2014.

The Brazilian spent three seasons in the French capital but the club were only too happy to recoup €35m when Chelsea surprisingly came calling to bring him back to Stamford Bridge.

The talented trio of Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe and Thiago Silva meant that Luiz was not particularly missed after his departure back to the Blues.

4. Goncalo Guedes - €40m (to Valencia, 2018)

In January 2017, PSG beat Man Utd to the signature of Benfica star Goncalo Guedes, who was tipped for big things at the time.

A lot was expected of the Portuguese winger, but he only made 13 appearances in 18 months for PSG before being moved on.

Guedes initially left for Valencia on loan thanks to super agent Jorge Mendes's influence at both clubs. A year later, PSG receive the biggest fee for a player in their history at the time as Los Che paid a whopping €40m for Guedes.

3. Marco Verratti - €45m (to Al-Arabi, 2023)

Marco Verratti will be remembered as one of the greatest players in PSG's history - and certainly the most successful midfielder ever to play at the Parc des Princes.

He enjoyed 11 brilliant years in Paris, winning more trophies at the club than anyone before him.

A magnificent midfielder who controlled and dictated the play, Verratti stayed loyal to PSG despite offers from big clubs such as Barcelona.

He eventually departed for Qatar at 31 years old for an impressive fee - given his age - of €45m.

2. Manuel Ugarte - €60m (to Manchester United, 2024)

For a period, Manuel Ugarte looked like he could become a PSG legend. He arrived from Sporting CP in the summer of 2023 and immediately shone. His lack of mobility and technical assuredness, however, saw him fall out of the plans of head coach Luis Enrique.

He cut a peripheral figure in the second half of his lone season at Parc des Princes before ultimately moving to Manchester United in a deal worth the same as the €60m that PSG paid for him. Man Utd paid €50m of this upfront, with another €10m dependent on bonuses.

Ugarte's face ultimately did not fit under Luis Enrique - it was not that he lacked the required qualities to get to the top. It could be a deal PSG one day regret.

1. Neymar - €90m (to Al-Hilal, 2023)

Neymar is both PSG's record arrival and record departure, with his €90m exit to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal becoming the outright largest sum received for a player in PSG's history.

The Brazilian enjoyed flashes of brilliance at the Parc des Princes and certainly delivered in moments, but those were far too fleeting, with Neymar suffering multiple injury issues in France and failing to live up to his hefty €222m price tag.

After continued talks with Barcelona over a return to Spain, Neymar eventually became the latest in a long line of stars to join the lucrative Saudi Pro League in August 2023.

The 10 biggest PSG sales of all time