The most expensive XI by position

Tom Hancock

• Updated: 28 Apr 2023 17:49 BST
• 4 min read

Goalkeeper: Kepa Arrizabalaga (€80m)

Before regaining the number one spot this season, Kepa spent two years as understudy to Edouard Mendy at Chelsea. The slender Spaniard has remained the most expensive goalkeeper of all time, though, having joined the Blues for €80m from Athletic Bilbao back in 2018.

Right-back: Achraf Hakimi (€68m)

Achraf Hakimi has played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe – and the Morocco star broke the right-back transfer record when he joined PSG from Inter Milan for €68m in 2021. That fee also makes Hakimi the third-most expensive African player in history.

Centre-back: Harry Maguire (€87m)

Harry Maguire hasn’t ever looked much like an €87m player – especially not recently, with his form rather going off a cliff – but that’s what Manchester United paid Leicester to secure the England international’s services in 2019. If Maguire leaves this summer, it’s fair to say Man Utd will probably make a loss…

Centre-back: Matthijs de Ligt (€85.5m)

Still only 23, Matthijs de Ligt has already starred for three European giants in Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich. It was the Dutch international’s switch to the latter in 2022 which made him the second-most expensive defender of all time, with the Bundesliga heavyweights coughing up €85.5m.

Left-back: Marc Cucurella (€73.5m)

Chelsea have spent so much money since Todd Boehly bought the club last year that it’s easy to overlook the individual transfer fees. Marc Cucurella commanded one of the highest, though, with the Blues paying Brighton €73.5m to make Spaniard the most expensive left-back ever.

Centre midfielder: Enzo Fernandez (€121m)

During the January transfer window, Chelsea splashed out more than €350m – and around a third of that went on luring Enzo Fernandez from Benfica. A World Cup winner with Argentina in December; the priciest midfielder in the history of the game barely six weeks later: it was a heady couple of months for the 22-year-old.

Centre midfielder: Paul Pogba (€105m)

Paul Pogba left Manchester United for free in 2012 – and returned as the then most expensive midfielder of all time just five years later. Ask Man Utd fans whether it was €105m well spent and you might find the jury is still out, but it took until January of this year for that record fee to tumble.

Right winger: Ousmane Dembele (€140m)

Injuries have plagued Ousmane Dembele for much of his Barcelona career, but the flying Frenchman has come fairly close to justifying his €140m price tag over the past year or so. Six years on from his huge move from Borussia Dortmund, Dembele remains one of the priciest players ever in any position.

Attacking midfielder: Zinedine Zidane (€77.5m)

Zinedine Zidane’s status as one of the greatest players of all time is emphasised by the fact that he remains the most expensive attacking midfielder of all time. It’s a position that’s changed a lot since he made his then world-record €77.5m switch from Juventus to Real Madrid way back in 2001 – but Zizou would probably still do a half-decent job there.

Left winger: Neymar (€222m)

The most expensive player in football history outright, Neymar moved from one continental heavyweight to another when he swapped Barcelona for PSG in a once unfathomable €222m deal in 2017. Like Dembele, numerous injury absences have made Neymar seem even pricier than he was, but the Brazil star remains undoubtedly one of the greats.

Striker: Kylian Mbappe (€180m)

PSG coughed up €180m to make Kylian Mbappe’s loan move from Monaco permanent in 2018 – and it’s hard to argue they haven’t got value for money. The lightning-fast French World Cup winner has found the net 205 times for Les Parisiens – which works out at roughly €0.87m per goal.