The 10 most expensive Belgian players of all time

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 26 Jul 2024 13:42 BST
• 5 min read

Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’ never lived up to their potential, but they have produced some of the best players in European football over the past few decades.

Some of these players are the most expensive in football history, with eye-watering fees racked up between them.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 10 most expensive Belgian players of all time.

READ MORE: The 10 most expensive English players of all time

10. Youri Tielemans - €45m (Monaco to Leicester, 2019)

Youri Tielemans was a wonderkid during his time at Anderlecht, and his move to AS Monaco was slightly surprising.

After years of speculation, the Belgian finally moved to the Premier League in 2019. He initially joined Leicester on loan, before the transfer became permanent for €45m.

Tielemans spent four years at the King Power Stadium, winning two trophies, before joining Aston Villa on a free transfer.

READ MORE: The 10 most expensive Brazilian players of all time

9. Christian Benteke - €46.5m (Aston Villa to Liverpool, 2015)

Christian Benteke spent three incredible years at Aston Villa and he left the club in 2015 after scoring 49 goals in 101 games.

Liverpool paid €46.5m to land the Belgian, but he disappointed at Anfield and departed for Crystal Palace after only 10 goals in 42 appearances during his only campaign with the Reds.

8. Amadou Onana - €59.4m (Everton to Aston Villa, 2024)

Amadou Onana joined this list in July 2024 after a €59.4m move from Everton to Aston Villa.

Unai Emery’s side were searching for midfield reinforcements following Douglas Luiz’s move to Juventus and they bought Onana amid competition from Arsenal and Manchester United.

The Belgium midfielder left Goodison Park after making 72 appearances for the Toffees.

7. Jeremy Doku - €60m (Rennes to Man City, 2023)

Following Riyad Mahrez’s move to the Saudi Pro League, Manchester City opted to sign Stade Rennais’ Jeremy Doku as his replacement.

The winger was injury prone during his time in Ligue 1, but he showed glimpses of his potential and subsequently helped Pep Guardiola’s side retain their Premier League crown during his debut season at Man City.

6. Romeo Lavia - €62.1m (Southampton to Chelsea, 2023)

Romeo Lavia is the sixth-most expensive Belgian player in history, but he amassed just 32 minutes of action during his debut campaign at Chelsea.

The ex-Man City midfielder enjoyed a fantastic first season at Southampton and he earned a €62m move to Stamford Bridge in 2023, with the Blues fighting off competition from Liverpool.

However, Lavia only made one appearance in the 2023-24 season due to injury.

5. Romelu Lukaku - €74m (Man Utd to Inter, 2019)

Romelu Lukaku is the second-most expensive footballer of all time, in regards to cumulative transfer fees, and his €74m move from Manchester United to Inter is his first inclusion on this list.

After linking up with Antonio Conte in Italy, Lukaku found his best form and he fired Inter to the Serie A title during the 2020-21 season.

4. Kevin de Bruyne - €76m (Wolfsburg to Man City, 2015)

Kevin de Bruyne’s reputation in England was somewhat tainted following an uneventful spell at Chelsea, so his €76m move to Man City raised a few eyebrows.

However, the Belgian had shone in the Bundesliga and he established himself as one of the greatest ever midfielders upon joining Man City.

Ryan Giggs is the only player with more assists in Premier League history and De Bruyne has a trophy catalogue to admire.

3. Romelu Lukaku - €84.7m (Everton to Man Utd, 2017)

After a fantastic spell at Everton, Man Utd decided to sign Lukaku for €84.7m following the departures of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney.

The Belgian was mocked for the majority of his time at Old Trafford, but he left the club with 42 goals in 96 games.

2. Romelu Lukaku - €113m (Inter to Chelsea, 2021)

Lukaku’s final entry in this list is his €113m transfer back to Chelsea in 2021. After a stunning spell with Inter Milan, the Blues splashed the cash to bring him back to England.

Despite an encouraging start, Lukaku soon conducted an interview in which he expressed his desire to return to the San Siro, ruining his reputation amongst Chelsea fans as a result.

He was loaned back to Inter and then to Roma for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons.

1. Eden Hazard - €115m (Chelsea to Real Madrid, 2019)

Eden Hazard is the most expensive Belgian footballer in history, thanks to his €115m move from Chelsea to Real Madrid in 2019.

He helped the Blues win the Europa League in his final game for the club, while his spell at Stamford Bridge ended with 352 games, 110 goals, and six major trophies.

Injuries curtailed his dream move to Los Blancos and he retired from football in 2023, aged just 32.

The 10 most expensive Belgian soccer players of all time