Blockbuster deals in the summer of 2025 have shaken up the all-time leaderboard for cumulative transfer fees, ushering in new faces and redrawing the map of the world’s most expensive footballing careers.
Sportingpedia‘s latest analysis revisits the players who have generated the highest total transfer fees in history – spotlighting the impact of this year’s historic moves and tracking every step of the journeys that led these stars to the summit.
Perhaps the most intriguing finding of the report is the arrival of three newcomers in the top 10: Alexander Isak, Joao Felix, and Matheus Cunha. The Swedish striker now occupies fourth position, just behind Cristiano Ronaldo, while his compatriot and new teammate at Al-Nassr, Felix has risen up to sixth. Manchester United’s new number 10 rounds up the ranking at tenth spot.
Key Takeaways
- Alexander Isak, Joao Felix, and Matheus Cunha are the newest members of the top 10
- Isak’s €145 million move to Liverpool has elevated him to 4th place in the all-time ranking
- Neymar remains the only player to break the €400 million barrier in career transfer fees
- After joining Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in July 2025, João Félix has surpassed €225 million in transfer fees
- Matheus Cunha’s €74.2 million transfer from Wolverhampton Wanderers to Manchester United in June 2025 has catapulted him into the top 10
- Manchester United and Al-Nassr are the only teams with multiple players in the ranking
Who are the 10 players to have generated the highest cumulative transfer fees in football history?
Matheus Cunha — Manchester United
Cumulative transfer fees: €192.2m
Matheus Cunha is the latest entrant, breaking into the top ten after Manchester United spent €74.2 million to acquire him from Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer – taking his career total to €192.2 million. Cunha’s journey includes spells at Coritiba, Sion, RB Leipzig, Hertha Berlin, Atlético Madrid, and Wolves before arriving at Old Trafford.
Matthijs de Ligt — Manchester United
Cumulative transfer fees: €197.5m
Manchester United’s Matthijs de Ligt, occupies eighth, with €197.5 million after his €50 million switch from Bayern Munich in August 2024.
Antoine Griezmann — Atletico de Madrid
Cumulative transfer fees: €206m
Antoine Griezmann is seventh all-time, his €206 million generated from four transfers, most notably his high-value moves from Real Sociedad to Atlético for €30 million in 2014, then Barcelona for €120 million in 2019, and back to Atlético for €20 million in 2022 (plus a €22 million buy-back adjustment in 2023).
Alvaro Morata — Como
Cumulative transfer fees: €213m
Alvaro Morata is another familiar name, with €213 million in combined fees spanning Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea, Atlético Madrid, AC Milan, and most recently Como in the summer of 2025 (following a loan to Galatasaray).
Joao Felix — Al-Nassr
Cumulative transfer fees: €225.7m
Joao Felix’s €30 million summer transfer to Al-Nassr in July 2025 raised his cumulative tally to €225.7 million, with previous stops at Benfica, Atletico de Madrid, Chelsea (loan), Barcelona (loan), and a permanent return to Chelsea in 2024.
Ousmane Dembele — PSG
Cumulative transfer fees: €223m
Ousmane Dembele sits fifth, his €233 million total built across high-profile switches from Rennes to Dortmund for €35 million in 2016, then to Barcelona for €150 million in 2017 (including add-ons), and his most recent free transfer to PSG in 2023.
Alexander Isak — Liverpool
Cumulative transfer feed: €246.1m
The 2025 summer transfer window propelled Alexander Isak into the historical top four. Liverpool’s €145 million acquisition of the Swede from Newcastle United on September 1, 2025, took his career total to €246.1 million. Isak’s path runs from AIK to Borussia Dortmund, Real Sociedad, Newcastle, and now Anfield – a meteoric rise that makes him the youngest player in this elite bracket.
Cristiano Ronaldo — Al-Nassr
Cumulative transfer fees: €247m
Cristiano Ronaldo, now 40 and playing for Al-Nassr, has accumulated €247 million in transfer fees across four paid moves. From his initial €19 million jump from Sporting to Manchester United in 2003, then to Real Madrid for €94 million in 2009 and Juventus for €117 million in 2018, Ronaldo’s career-long value is only limited by the fact that his most recent switch to Saudi Arabia in December 2022 was a free transfer.
Romelu Lukaku — Napoli
Cumulative transfer fees: €369.2m
Romelu Lukaku holds onto second place, with a remarkable €369.2 million generated from nine transfers – a total boosted by his permanent €30 million move to Napoli in August 2024. Lukaku’s career has spanned Anderlecht, Chelsea (twice), West Brom, Everton, Manchester United, Inter, Roma, and now Napoli, making him one of the most travelled strikers of the modern era.
Neymar Jr — Santos
Cumulative transfer fees: €400m
Neymar still reigns supreme atop the all-time ranking, having amassed a staggering €400 million in total transfer fees. His journey began with an €88 million move from Santos to Barcelona in 2013, followed by the record-shattering €222 million switch to PSG in 2017, and was further boosted by his €90 million transfer to Al-Hilal in August 2023. No other player has yet come close to matching his cumulative tally.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt (Correct as of 5/11/2025)
