The 10 most expensive Primeira Liga transfers of all time

Cameron Smith

• 13 Oct 2024 14:00 CDT
• 5 min read

The Portuguese top flight has been a talent hub for decades, with some of Europe’s best players passing through the division.

While big-money sales are more common than big-money arrivals, clubs in the Primeira Liga have still spent large sums on new signings over the past few years.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 10 most expensive Primeira Liga transfers of all time.

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

10. Oliver Torres - €20m (Atletico Madrid to Porto, 2017)

Oliver Torres was nominated for the 2014 Golden Boy award, but opportunities in Atletico Madrid’s first-team were extremely limited and he eventually joined Porto in 2017 after two loan spells at the club.

The Spaniard spent just two years as a permanent player at Porto, winning the league in 2017-18, before returning to his homeland with Sevilla.

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

9. Julian Weigl - €20m (Borussia Dortmund to Benfica, 2020)

Julian Weigl was considered to be one of the best midfield prospects in world football upon his move to Borussia Dortmund in 2015.

Persistent injury problems unfortunately stunted his growth in Germany though, and he joined Benfica for €20m in 2020. After a fairly solid two-year spell in Portugal, Weigl returned to the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach in 2022.

8. Arthur Cabral - €20m (Fiorentina to Benfica, 2023)

Arthur Cabral netted 65 goals in 106 games for Basel and after a promising spell at Fiorentina, Benfica opted to spend €20m on him in 2023.

However, the Brazilian only mustered 13 league starts in his first year with the Portuguese giants, scoring just six goals.

7. David Carmo - €20.3m (Braga to Porto, 2022)

David Carmo is the most expensive defender in Portuguese top flight history due to his €20.3m move from Braga to Porto in 2022.

He was on the verge of joining Liverpool in 2021, but the move collapsed and Carmo joined Porto instead. However, he made just 25 starts in 18 months and was relegated to the club’s B team before joining Nottingham Forest in 2024.

6. Raul Jimenez - €22m (Atletico Madrid to Benfica, 2015)

Raul Jimenez was unable to establish himself under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid and Benfica decided to pay €22m to sign him in 2015.

However, the Mexican once again struggled for consistent starts, and he left Benfica to join Wolves on loan in 2019. The deal was made permanent the following year and Jimenez departed Benfica with 31 goals in 120 games.

5. Viktor Gyokeres - €24m (Coventry to Sporting, 2023)

Viktor Gyokeres became Sporting CP’s second-most expensive signing of all time following his arrival from Coventry City in 2023.

The Sweden forward bagged 43 goals in 116 games for the Championship side and he backed that up with another 43 goals just during his debut season at Sporting.

4. Manuel Ugarte - €24.5m (Famalicao to Sporting, 2021)

Manuel Ugarte spent just six months at Famalicao, but the Portuguese side turned a huge profit after he joined Sporting CP for €24.5m in August 2021.

The Uruguayan impressed in Lisbon and after rumours of a Premier League switch in 2022, he eventually joined PSG for €60m in 2023. Ugarte then joined Manchester United in 2024.

3. Orkun Kokcu - €25m (Feyenoord to Benfica, 2023)

Orkun Kokcu captained Feyenoord to Eredivisie glory and Champions League qualification in 2022-23, but he surprisingly left the club to join Benfica that summer, despite interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Kokcu departed Feyenoord with 175 first-team appearances to his name, having progressed through the club’s academy system.

2. Darwin Nunez - €34m (Almeria to Benfica, 2020)

After scoring 16 goals in the second tier of Spanish football for Almeria, Darwin Nunez was picked up by Benfica for a whopping €34m.

The Uruguayan struggled during his first campaign, but he scored 34 goals in his second season and earned himself an €85m move to Liverpool - ensuring Benfica made a tidy profit.

1. Enzo Fernandez - €44.3m (River Plate to Benfica, 2022)

Enzo Fernandez only cost Benfica an initial €10m, plus €8m in add-ons, but River Plate included a 25% sell-on clause in the deal - meaning they banked a huge profit when the Argentine joined Chelsea for a Premier League record transfer fee in 2023.

Fernandez made just 29 Benfica appearances, scoring twice and providing seven assists, before his move to Stamford Bridge.

The 10 most expensive Primeira Liga signings of all time