The 10 most expensive Dutch players of all time

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 7 Nov 2024 09:53 CST
• 5 min read

The Netherlands have enjoyed some of the best footballers in history, with the likes of Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten turning out for Oranje.

They no longer boast the riches of talent that was seen in the late 1900s, but the Dutch remain a fierce footballing nation.

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

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

10. Cody Gakpo - €42m (PSV to Liverpool, 2023)

Cody Gakpo was courted by Manchester United following his form at the 2022 World Cup, but Liverpool won the race for his signature after agreeing a €42 million deal with PSV in January 2023.

The Netherlands forward spent 16 years at PSV and he scored 55 goals in 159 first-team appearances for his boyhood club before moving to Anfield.

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9. Joshua Zirkzee - €42.5m (Bologna to Man Utd, 2024)

After spending time in his homeland as a youth, Joshua Zirkzee moved to Bayern Munich at the age of 16, however he failed to make the step up to first-team football at the Allianz Arena.

Zirkzee moved to Bologna on a permanent deal in 2022, following loan spells at Parma and Anderlecht, and he endured a tricky debut campaign at the club.

But, he bounced back in his second season and earned a €42.5m move to Man Utd after scoring 11 goals and providing five assists during the 2023-24 Serie A campaign.

8. Ian Maatsen - €44.5m (Chelsea to Aston Villa, 2024)

Ian Maatsen joined Chelsea’s academy aged 16 and he quickly became a key player for the Blues’ youth teams.

However, he was sent on loan to Charlton Athletic, Coventry City and Burnley for experience, and Maatsen was expected to become a key player under Mauricio Pochettino.

But, his game time was limited and after a six-month loan at Borussia Dortmund, Maatsen left Chelsea to join Aston Villa.

7. Matthijs de Ligt - €45m (Bayern Munich to Man Utd, 2024)

Matthijs de Ligt’s first inclusion in this list is due to his €45m move from Bayern Munich to Man Utd in 2024.

The Dutchman spent two years at the Allianz Arena and his exit was met with widespread criticism from Bayern fans.

However, De Ligt was eager to secure a reunion with his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag and he completed a big-money move to Old Trafford as a result. But, Ten Hag was sacked just two months after De Ligt’s arrival.

6. Nathan Ake - €45.3m (Bournemouth to Man City, 2020)

Nathan Ake made just 17 first-team appearances for Chelsea and the Blues opted to sell him to Bournemouth in 2017.

Three years later, the Dutchman’s impressive form was rewarded with a move to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

Ake left Bournemouth having racked up 121 appearances for the club, and he won the Premier League title during his first season at the Etihad Stadium.

5. Teun Koopmeiners - €51.3m (Atalanta to Juventus, 2024)

Teun Koopmeiners joined this list when he swapped Atalanta for Juventus in 2024.

The Dutchman made his name at boyhood club AZ Alkmaar, before joining Serie A side Atalanta in 2021. Koopmeiners racked up 29 goals in 129 games for the Bergamo outfit and he played a key role as their won the 2024 Europa League final.

4. Matthijs de Ligt - €67m (Juventus to Bayern Munich, 2022)

De Ligt’s second appearance on this list comes courtesy of his move from Juventus to Bayern in 2022.

The Dutchman had spent three years in Italy, tallying 117 appearances across all competitions, but he opted to leave Juve after being made aware of Bayern’s interest.

De Ligt won three trophies during his time at Juventus, however he failed to become the world’s best defender as many had predicted he would after leaving Ajax.

3. Virgil van Dijk - €84.7m (Southampton to Liverpool, 2018)

Virgil van Dijk is the third-most expensive Dutch player of all time. He left Southampton to join Liverpool for just shy of €85m in January 2018.

Van Dijk had accepted a move to Liverpool 12 months before the deal was finalised, with the Reds eventually beating Chelsea to his signature after agreeing a fee with Southampton.

He won the Champions League title during his first full season at Anfield before helping Liverpool win the Premier League for the very first time in 2019-20.

2. Matthijs de Ligt - €85.5m (Ajax to Juventus, 2019)

De Ligt’s final inclusion sees him rank second due to his €85.5m transfer from Ajax to Liverpool in 2019.

The Netherlands defender had played a key role in Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-final during his final season at the club and he was courted by almost every elite club in Europe.

However, Juventus won the race for his signature and De Ligt left his boyhood club with 117 appearances under his belt.

1. Frenkie de Jong - €86m (Ajax to Barcelona, 2019)

The most expensive Dutch footballer in history is Frenkie de Jong. He joined Barcelona from Ajax for €86m in 2019 following an immense final season in Amsterdam.

The Dutch star left Ajax having made just 89 first-team appearances for the club, while De Jong was viewed as the heir to Sergio Busquets upon his arrival at Camp Nou.

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