The 10 most expensive Spanish players of all time

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 14 Nov 2024 08:01 CST
• 6 min read

Spain returned to the big time in international football with their triumph at the 2024 European Championship.

They had dominated the late 2000s and early 2010s with a heavy influence from Barcelona’s all-conquering side, but they are now one of the biggest nations in football yet again.

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

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

10. Gaizka Mendieta - €48m (Valencia to Lazio, 2001)

Gaizka Mendieta was the most expensive Spanish player in history until 2011, with the midfielder moving from Valencia to Lazio for €48m in 2001.

He had racked up 299 appearances for Valencia upon his departure, but Mendieta endured a tough spell in Italy and he was loaned out to both Barcelona and Middlesbrough, before joining the latter on a permanent deal in 2004.

In total, he played just 31 times for Lazio.

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

9. Dani Olmo - €55m (RB Leipzig to Barcelona, 2024)

Dani Olmo spent seven years in Barcelona’s La Masia academy before making the bold choice to leave the club and join Dinamo Zagreb in 2014.

He impressed in Croatia and after signing for Bundesliga side RB Leipzig in 2020, Olmo returned to Camp Nou four years later.

The Spaniard impressed en route to his nation’s triumph at Euro 2024 and he left Leipzig with 29 goals in 148 games for the club.

8. Ferran Torres - €55m (Man City to Barcelona, 2022)

Ferran Torres spent just 18 months at Manchester City before Barcelona spent €55m to bring him back to La Liga in January 2022.

The Spaniard scored 16 goals in 41 appearances under Pep Guardiola, and Barca pushed to sign him following the departures of Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Sergio Aguero.

7. Fernando Torres - €58.5m (Liverpool to Chelsea, 2011)

Fernando Torres was one of the world’s best strikers during his time at Liverpool and he left the Reds with 81 goals in 142 games for the club.

However, his final 18 months at Anfield were plagued by injury issues and he had experienced an evident decline. But, Chelsea still decided to break the British transfer record to bring him to Stamford Bridge for €58.5m in January 2011.

He scored a memorable goal at Camp Nou to send Chelsea to the 2012 Champions League final, but Torres’ time with the Blues was ultimately a disaster.

6. Diego Costa - €60m (Chelsea to Atletico Madrid, 2018)

Diego Costa helped Chelsea win two Premier League titles during his time at Stamford Bridge, with the Spaniard registering 59 goals in 120 appearances for the west London side.

However, his head was turned by the Chinese Super League in January 2017 and after a row with Antonio Conte, Costa didn’t make a single appearance during the first half of the 2017-18 season and he was sold to Atletico Madrid in January 2018.

He spent three years back at Atleti, before spells at Atletico Mineiro, Wolves, Botafogo and Gremio.

5. Aymeric Laporte - €65m (Athletic Club to Man City, 2018)

Athletic Club have a strict policy of only employing players from the Basque region, which means they demand major transfer fees for all of their players.

Aymeric Laporte is no exception and he cost Man City a whopping €65m in January 2018, with the Frenchman leaving Athletic Club with 222 appearances for the club under his belt.

Laporte won 16 trophies during his time at Man City, including the Champions League and six Premier League titles, before joining Al-Nassr in 2023.

4. Marc Cucurella - €65.3m (Brighton to Chelsea, 2022)

Marc Cucurella was in high demand following a fantastic debut campaign at Brighton & Hove Albion, with Chelsea battling Man City for his signature in 2022.

However, the west London giants won the race to sign him after submitting a huge bid worth just over €65m.

Cucurella struggled upon his arrival at Stamford Bridge, but he turned his fortunes around with a sublime showing at Euro 2024 as Spain won the tournament.

3. Alvaro Morata - €66m (Real Madrid to Chelsea, 2017)

Alvaro Morata scored 20 goals in all competitions during his final season at Real Madrid, despite playing second fiddle to Karim Benzema, and Chelsea selected him as their replacement for the aforementioned Costa.

However, while the Spaniard enjoyed a fairly prolific debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, scoring on 15 occasions, he became renowned for several high-profile misses.

Things worsened in his second season and he was subsequently sold to Atletico Madrid in 2020, following an 18-month loan spell at the Wanda Metropolitano.

2. Rodri - €70m (Atletico Madrid to Man City, 2019)

Man City were in the market for a long-term heir to Fernandinho in 2019 and they decided to purchase Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodri for €70m, just one year after his arrival from Villarreal.

After a period of adaptation during his first season under Pep Guardiola, Rodri soon established himself as an indispensable player at the Etihad Stadium and his rise to stardom culminated in winning the 2024 Ballon d’Or.

1. Kepa Arrizabalaga - €80m (Athletic Club to Chelsea, 2018)

The most expensive Spanish footballer in history is Kepa Arrizabalaga, thanks to his €80m move from Athletic Club to Chelsea in 2018.

The Blues were in desperate need of a new goalkeeper following Thibaut Courtois’ departure to Real Madrid and they opted to sign Kepa after missing out on Alisson.

However, the Spaniard was a disastrous signing and after several years of poor performances, he was sent out on loan to Real Madrid and Bournemouth in 2023 and 2024 respectively.

The 10 most expensive Spanish soccer players of all time

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