Benjamin Mendy is the latest big-money arrival at Manchester City and the France defender has also become the world’s most expensive left-back after completing his move from Monaco.
Pep Guardiola has spent £49.2m on Mendy and he comfortably ousts Manchester United’s Luke Shaw to take his place in our team of football’s costliest players by position.
Combined, the side cost £690.45m to assemble – with the inclusion of seven substitutes listed in the positions they typically might be for a match taking the amount to over £1bn.
Ederson (Benfica to Man City, £34.7m): Ederson became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper just last month when he signed a five-year deal with Manchester City in a move from Benfica. He is now expected to be the club’s first choice in the position ahead of Claudio Bravo, signed for £17.1m from Barcelona last summer.
Kyle Walker (Tottenham to Man City, £50m): The total cost of the deal which has taken Walker to the Etihad almost doubles the previous record for a right-back, the £27.1m Real Madrid paid Benfica for Fabio Coentrao in 2011. The Portugal international moved to Benfica’s fierce rivals Sporting Lisbon on loan this month.
David Luiz (Chelsea to PSG, £50m): Luiz’s move to PSG in 2014 represents terrific business for Chelsea, especially as they were able to buy the Brazil international back for £20m less just two years later. He played a key role in their Premier League title win last season, the club’s fifth in 12 years.
John Stones (Everton to Man City, £50m): The total package which took Stones to City amounts to £50m, with Everton receiving an initial £47.5m when the defender signed a six-year deal with Pep Guardiola’s team last summer. He made 23 Premier League starts in his first campaign at the club, with four more outings off the bench.
Benjamin Mendy (Monaco to Man City, £49.2m): The 23-year-old swapped the south of France for the Etihad in July 2017, with the powerful defender costing Guardiola just under £50m. And that means four of this back five have all been signed by the Catalan since he took over at City.
Angel Di Maria (Real Madrid to Man Utd, £59.7m): Di Maria features twice near the top of the list of highest football transfer fees given he also cost PSG £44.3m when he left United but it’s the £59.7m which took him to Old Trafford for his sole season in Manchester which secures him a place on the right wing of the world’s costliest team.
Paul Pogba (Juventus to Man Utd, £93.25m): The current world record holder for the highest ever transfer fee, Pogba moved back to United from Juventus for a total cost of £93.25m last year. Will his mark be surpassed this summer? It has not come close to happening yet – but there’s little sign of summer spending tailing off either.
James Rodriguez (Monaco to Real Madrid, £63m): Rodriguez signed for Real from Monaco off the back of an impressive series of displays for Colombia at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but has struggled to justify his £63m fee as he has failed to hold down a regular place. He is now starting a two-year loan in Germany with Bayern Munich.
Gareth Bale (Tottenham to Real Madrid, £85.3m): Bale’s £85.3m transfer fee stands as the highest amount received by a British club following his switch from Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013. He has been linked with a move away from the Bernabeu and at 27, the Welsh international would cost big money to acquire were he to move on again.
Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli to Juventus, £75.3m): Perhaps due to the rounding up of the differing Euro rate against the pound as much as anything, Higuain’s move from Napoli to Juventus keeps Romelu Lukaku out of the starting line-up by a mere £300,000. He scored 24 goals in Serie A for the Champions League finalists last season.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd to Real Madrid, £80m): Still the world’s most expensive striker after his transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid eight years ago, Ronaldo is unhappy at being accused of tax fraud in Spain and could move on. He’ll cost much more than £80m though, with claims of a £1bn release clause in his contract.
