The 10 most expensive Ligue 1 transfers of all time

Cameron Smith

• 19 Sep 2024 11:00 CDT
• 5 min read

Ligue 1 has frequently been labelled as a ‘farmer’s league,’ but that description is widely inaccurate.

It is one of the best divisions in world football for developing young talent, with a large proportion of the world’s best players spending time in France. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain are a financial superpower and success in the Champions League feels inevitable.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 10 most expensive Ligue 1 transfers of all time.

READ MORE: The 10 most expensive Premier League transfers of all time

10. Ousmane Dembele - €50m (Barcelona to PSG, 2023)

Ousmane Dembele is one of the most expensive footballers in history thanks to his move to Barcelona, but he left the Blaugrana to join PSG for just €50 million in 2023.

He departed Barca with 40 goals and 43 assists in 185 appearances, and the Frenchman arrived as Lionel Messi’s replacement at the Parc des Princes.

READ MORE: The 10 most expensive La Liga transfers of all time

9. Joao Neves - €59.9m (Benfica to PSG, 2024)

Joao Neves was linked with a host of top European clubs ahead of the 2024 summer transfer window, and PSG were able to fight off significant competition to sign him for just under €60m.

The Portuguese international burst onto the scene as Enzo Fernandez’s replacement at Benfica and quickly established himself as one of the world’s most promising youngsters.

He left Benfica having made 75 first-team appearances for the club, scoring four goals.

8. Manuel Ugarte - €60m (Sporting to PSG, 2023)

Manuel Ugarte was wanted by Chelsea before his move to PSG in 2023, but the Blues were unable to match his wage demands and he opted to move to the French capital instead.

However, despite a promising start, Ugarte lost his place in Luis Enrique’s preferred XI at the start of 2024 and he was sold to Manchester United after just one season at the Parc des Princes.

The Uruguayan made 37 appearances for PSG during his sole campaign with the French giants and he joined Man Utd for €50m in August 2024.

7. Angel Di Maria - €63m (Man Utd to PSG, 2015)

Angel Di Maria’s time at Man Utd was severely underrated, but the Argentine didn’t particularly enjoy his spell at Old Trafford and PSG took advantage in 2015.

He became a key player for the Parisians and the ex-Real Madrid star racked up over 200 goals and assists in just under 300 appearances for PSG.

After seven years in Paris, Di Maria left the club to join Juventus on a free transfer, before subsequently returning to Benfica.

6. Edinson Cavani - €64.5m (Napoli to PSG, 2013)

Edinson Cavani was always the bridesmaid, never the bride at PSG, but he was incredibly consistent in France.

He joined the club from Napoli in 2013 and although he was largely overshadowed by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, Cavani was a hugely successful signing.

In fact, the Uruguayan even briefly became the PSG’s all-time record goal-scorer before Mbappe eclipsed his tally of 200 strikes.

5. Goncalo Ramos - €65m (Benfica to PSG, 2024)

Goncalo Ramos emerged as a household name at the 2022 Qatar World Cup as he displaced Cristiano Ronaldo to become Portugal’s starting striker at the tournament.

Six months later, PSG decided to sign him on loan with an obligation to buy for €65m.

Despite scoring 27 times in his final campaign at Benfica, Ramos only notched 14 goals in all competitions during his season on loan at PSG.

4. Achraf Hakimi - €68m (Inter to PSG, 2021)

Achraf Hakimi was in high-demand following a stellar spell at Borussia Dortmund and a fantastic first season at Inter, and it was PSG who won the race for his signature.

Hakimi helped Inter win the Scudetto during his only season with the club and he immediately became a key player down PSG’s right-hand side.

In the process of joining PSG, Hakimi became the most expensive right-back in football history.

3. Randal Kolo Muani - €95m (Eintracht Frankfurt to PSG, 2023)

Just one year after joining Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer from Nantes, Randal Kolo Muani returned to France for a whopping fee of €95m.

He scored 23 goals and provided 17 assists during his sole season at Eintracht, while he also caught the eye at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

However, Kolo Muani struggled to become a regular in the starting XI in his first year at PSG.

2. Kylian Mbappe - €180m (Monaco to PSG, 2018)

Kylian Mbappe initially joined PSG on loan from Monaco, although the deal became permanent for €180m in 2018.

Across a seven-year stint at PSG, Mbappe scored an incredible 256 goals in 308 games, becoming the club’s all-time record goalscorer.

Mbappe left the French capital in the summer of 2024 - joining Spanish giants Real Madrid on a free transfer.

1. Neymar - €222m (Barcelona to PSG, 2017)

Neymar’s move from Barcelona to PSG shocked the entire football world, with the French club agreeing to pay his €222m release clause in full.

The Brazilian was eager to step out of Lionel Messi’s shadow by leaving Camp Nou, but he was unable to win the Ballon d’Or during his time at the Parc des Princes.

Neymar scored 118 goals in 173 PSG games, but he was consistently injured at crucial parts of the season and he left the club to join Al-Hilal for €90m in 2023.

The 10 most expensive Ligue 1 signings of all time