The 10 most expensive Croatian players of all time

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 20 Aug 2024 13:58 BST
• 5 min read

Despite being an extremely small nation, Croatia have punched well above their weight in recent years and they are a force to be reckoned with on the international scene.

They reached the 2018 World Cup final, losing to France, while they finished third at the 2022 edition after beating Morocco in the third-place play-off.

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

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

10. Lovro Majer - €25m (Rennes to Wolfsburg, 2023)

Lovro Majer is the 10th most expensive Croatian footballer of all time and he earned that status upon joining Wolfsburg for €25m in 2023.

Majer had spent the previous two years at Stade Rennais, and he left the Ligue 1 club having made 79 appearances in all competitions.

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

9. Dejan Lovren - €25.3m (Southampton to Liverpool, 2014)

Dejan Lovren was mocked heavily during his time at Liverpool, but he was an extremely reliable defender for Southampton and his form at St Mary’s earned him a move to Anfield.

Lovren spent six years at Liverpool, before joining Zenit St Petersburg, and although he was criticised for his time with the Reds, the Croatian helped the club win three major trophies, including the Champions League and the Premier League.

8. Mateo Kovacic - €29.1m (Chelsea to Man City, 2023)

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Mateo Kovacic left Chelsea to join Manchester City in 2023 and his €29.1m transfer fee is enough to see him slot into eighth place on this list.

The Croatia legend made over 200 appearances during his time at Chelsea and he helped the Blues win the 2021 Champions League, beating Man City in the final.

Kovacic then joined Pep Guardiola’s in 2023 as Chelsea looked to offload their more experienced players in favour of wonderkids.

7. Marko Pjaca - €29.4m (Dinamo Zagreb to Juventus, 2016)

After notching 42 goal contributions in 93 games for Dinamo Zagreb, Marko Pjaca earned a €29.4m move to Juventus in 2016. However, things didn’t go as planned and he only mustered 21 first-team appearances for the Old Lady.

Juventus loaned the Croatian to Schalke, Fiorentina, Anderlecht, Genoa, Torino and Empoli, before Pjaca joined HNK Rijeka on a free transfer in 2023.

6. Nikola Vlasic - €30m (CSKA Moscow to West Ham, 2021)

Nikola Vlasic was undoubtedly a transfer flop at West Ham United. The Croatian joined the club for €30m in 2021, but he managed just 1,333 minutes of action during his debut campaign in east London.

He then spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Torino, before that move was made permanent for just €10.6m.

5. Luka Modric - €35m (Tottenham to Real Madrid, 2012)

Luka Modric was voted as LaLiga’s worst signing of the 2012-13 one year after his move from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid.

However, he quickly proved the doubters wrong. Modric has 25 major trophies, including six Champions League triumphs, over 500 appearances and a Ballon d’Or win under his belt since joining Los Blancos, and is one of his generation's best players.

4. Josko Gvardiol - €36.8m (Dinamo Zagreb to RB Leipzig, 2021)

Josko Gvardiol is next on this list courtesy of his move to RB Leipzig in 2021, although the transfer was confirmed in late 2020.

Gvardiol left his boyhood club Dinamo Zagreb for €36.8m after making 52 first-team appearances, and he starred at the delayed Euro 2020 before officially linking up with his new Leipzig team-mates.

3. Mateo Kovacic - €38m (Inter to Real Madrid, 2015)

Before joining the Premier League, Kovacic was a star at Inter Milan and he earned a move to Real Madrid in 2015.

The Croatian had amassed 97 appearances in two seasons with the San Siro giants, although he became a bit-part player with Real Madrid and was unable to establish himself as a regular.

2. Mateo Kovacic - €45m (Real Madrid to Chelsea, 2019)

Kovacic’s third and final inclusion in this top 10 is thanks to his €45m transfer to Chelsea in 2019.

The talented midfielder had spent the previous four years at Real Madrid, winning three Champions League titles, and Chelsea made his loan deal permanent during the summer of 2019.

1. Josko Gvardiol - €90m (RB Leipzig to Man City, 2023)

Josko Gvardiol is the most expensive Croatian football player of all time. The versatile defender joined Manchester City from RB Leipzig for €90m in 2023 after a stellar stint in the Bundesliga.

Gvardiol helped Pep Guardiola’s side win the Premier League title during his debut campaign at the club.

The Croatian is also the most expensive defender in history.

The 10 most expensive Croatian soccer players of all time