Swiss scientists use a special method to determine the cost of each player in the top 5 European leagues.

Before we move on to the top ten. let's take a look at a few surprising moments in the ranking of the hundred most expensive players in Europe at the moment.

The first thing that surprises is the absence of the owner of the Golden Ball, Cristiano Ronaldo, in the top ten most valuable football players in the world. He is not in the top twenty, and in the top thirty. The Portuguese did not even enter the 40 most expensive players in the world. Ronaldo barely made it into the top 10, finishing in 49th place. His estimated cost is 80.4 million euros - just between Martial (82 million euros) and Fabinho Tavares from Monaco (79.3 million euros).

However, Donnaruma, as you understand, did not become the most expensive goalkeeper on the planet. More expensive than him, for example, is Jan Oblak from Atlético Madrid - 74.8 million euros. But this is not a record either. The goalkeeper of Barcelona Marc-Andre ter Stegen is the most expensive of all the guards of the gate - 96.4 million euros and 31st place in the ranking.

The most expensive footballer representing non-Europe and South America was the Egyptian Mohammed Sallah, who at one time could go to Spartak, then scored against him in the Champions League for Liverpool, and in the summer he will try to score against the Russian team at the 2018 World Cup. Its value at the moment is 140.5 million euros - 12th in the ranking.

In total, not from Europe and South America, seven players fit into the rating. The majority, 5 players, are from Africa. Also in the top 100 most expensive footballers in the world was one from Asia (Tottenham's Son Heung-min for €72.6m) and one from North America (Christian Pulisic from the US for €69.4m).

Now - to the most interesting - to the ten most expensive players on the planet.

10. Paul Pogba - €147.5m

Despite the criticism flying at the Manchester United and France player from all sides, he continues to be on the list of the most expensive players in the world. At one time, he even set a transfer record when Juventus released a football player to England for 105 million euros. Now it is clear that Turintsy sold cheap. Wait a year and you could get at least one and a half times more for a player.

9. Antoine Griezmann - €150.2m

In ninth place is another representative of the French national team, Atlético Madrid player Antoine Griezmann. When in 2014 the football player moved from the Real Sociedad club to his current team, he was paid the minimum amount of compensation prescribed in his contract - 30 million euros. Now the Basques are tearing their hair out, because Antoine is estimated at 150.2 million euros.

8. Romelu Lukaku - €164.8m

When the Belgian teenager, developed beyond his years, Romelu Lukaku, scored against the Russian national team on a hummocky field in Voronezh, no one could have imagined that in a few years he would play at Manchester United and cost 164.8 million euros. Mancunians were still lucky to buy him from Everton for 75 million euros.

7. Kevin de Bruyne - €167.8m

Another Belgian in the rankings, and again from Manchester, is Kevin de Bruyne. Only he plays in the second club from this northern English city - Manchester City. In 2015, he moved to Foggy Albion for 74 million euros. Today it costs 167.8 million euros.

6. Dele Alli - 171.3 million euros

It's been a long time since English footballers were so expensive. And here - Dele Alli from Tottenham is estimated at 171.3 million euros. At the same time, he becomes not even the most expensive player not only from his country, but also from his club. But more on that later…

5. Paulo Dybala - €174.6m

Only one representative of the once best and richest league in the world, the Italian Serie A, got into the top ten most expensive football players on the planet. We are talking about the young star of Juventus and the Argentine national team, Paulo Dybala. More than 100 million euros are already offered for him, but scientists estimate the football player much more expensive - at 174.6 million euros.

4. Kylian Mbappe - €192.5m

The most expensive teenager in the world is Frenchman Kylian Mbappe. This 19-year-old Monaco player, who is on loan at PSG, is valued at 192.5 million euros. If in the case of most other players these amounts remain virtual, then in the case of Mbappe we are talking about real money. The French club plans to buy the player from Monaco for the amount indicated in the lease agreement - 145 million euros. To this, 35 million euros in bonuses could be added later - a total of 180 million euros.

3. Harry Kane - 194.7 million euros

Remember we talked about the most expensive English footballer in history? It was Tottenham striker Harry Kane. In the last calendar year, he became the most productive player in the world. Not surprisingly, his services are already valued at 194.7 million euros.

2. Lionel Messi - €202.2m

More expensive than 200 million euros are estimated only two players. Naturally, one of them is the football player of the Catalan "Barcelona" and the Argentina national team Lionel Messi. Despite all the talk that Leo is no longer what he started to sell, he is still worth 202.2 million euros. Of course, even for such money it is not possible to buy it.

1. Neymar - 213 million euros

Not only is the Brazilian striker Neymar, who is estimated at 213 million euros, is the most expensive football player in the world, he remains the only representative of the top 10 for whom they agreed to pay more than the estimated amount. Recall that in the summer, Barcelona received 222 million euros for the Brazilian.

Top 20

Dear readers of the football portal Oursoccer , today we present to your attention a list most expensive transfers in football history. In football nowadays, as you know, money decides a lot, and the club owners often have a fat wallet to achieve the highest goals. Players receive fabulous sums, but not everyone, it turns out, live up to expectations. It is worth noting that all football transfers have taken place in the 21st century. Also, among the 20 teams that paid record amounts for the transfer of players, there is one club from Russia.

20. Andriy Shevchenko

Citizenship - Ukraine

Position - striker

Transfer - from Milan to Chelsea

Transfer amount - 46 million euros

Transfer date - 2006

One of the best players in Ukrainian football opens the list most expensive transfers in football history. After spending 7 years in Italian Milan, Andrei moved to London Chelsea in 2006 for 30 million pounds or 46 million euros. However, the transfer was not successful. For 2 years spent in England, the Ukrainian footballer received a severe back injury and underwent two surgeries. In August 2008, Shevchenko went on loan back to Milan before moving to Dynamo Kyiv a year later.

19. Gaizka Mendieta

Citizenship - Spain

Position - Midfielder

Transfer - from Valencia to Lazio

Transfer amount - 48 million euros

Date of transfer - 2001

Spanish midfielder Gaizka Mendieta, who played in the Spanish Valencia in the 2001/02 season, moved to the Roman Lazio for 48 million euros. However, the career of a football player in Italy did not work out. As part of Lazio, the midfielder spent only one season, playing 20 matches and not scoring a single goal. The very next year, the player went on loan to Barcelona, ​​and spent the next season on loan in the English Middlesbrough.

18. David Louis

Citizenship - Brazil

Position - defender

Transfer - from Chelsea to PSG

Transfer amount - 49.5 million euros

The most expensive transfer of a defender in the history of French football took place in May 2014. David Luiz moved from Chelsea to PSG for a record 49.5 million euros. Louis spent 3 years at Chelsea, playing 81 games for the London club, scoring 6 goals. The transition to PSG took place at the age of 27. Currently, David is the main player of the Parisians.

17. Mesut Ozil

Citizenship - Germany

Position - Midfielder

Transfer - from Real (Madrid) to Arsenal

Transfer amount - 50 million euros

A German footballer of Turkish origin has become the most expensive transfer of the London Arsenal in history. Ozil played for Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, and in September 2013 the transfer of the German midfielder to London's Arsenal was announced. The transfer amounted to 45 million euros, plus another 5 million were paid in the form of bonuses. In his debut season, Mesut scored 5 goals and provided 15 assists.

16. Gianluigi Buffon

Citizenship - Italy

Position - goalkeeper

Transfer - from Parma to Juventus

Transfer amount - 54 million euros

One of the best Italian goalkeepers of all time, Gianluigi Buffon, moved from Parma to Juventus Turin in 2001. With this transfer, two records were set at once, becoming the most expensive player bought by Juventus and the most expensive goalkeeper in the history of football. Buffon has been an indispensable gatekeeper for Turin for many years, having spent more than 400 matches for the club.

15. Hulk

Citizenship - Brazil

Position - striker

Transfer - from Porto to Zenith

In September 2012, St. Petersburg's Zenit blew up the Russian transfer market with the most expensive deal in the history of Russian football. From the Portuguese Porto to the camp of St. Petersburg moved the striker of the Brazilian national team - Hulk. Gazprom gave 55 million euros for the Hulk, and some sources claim that the transfer amount was all 60 million. It is also worth noting that in 2008 the striker's transfer to Porto amounted to only 5.5 million euros.

14. Hernan Crespo

Citizenship - Argentina

Position - striker

Transfer - from Parma to Lazio

Transfer amount - 55 million euros

Transfer date - 2000

A record amount for Roman Lazio and all Italian football was given for the transfer of Argentine striker Hernan Crespo in 2000 from Parma to Lazio. The transfer was paid 35.5 million pounds or 55 million euros. In the first season, Crespo became the top scorer of the Italian Serie A, scoring 26 goals. In total, Crespo played 54 matches for the Roman club, scoring 39 goals. In 2002, Hernan moved to Inter for 40 million euros.

13. Neymar

Citizenship - Brazil

Position - striker

Transfer - from Santos to Barcelona

Transfer amount - 57 million euros

Transfer date - 2013

The star of the Brazilian national team and its young leader - Neymar in 2013 moved from the Brazilian Santos to Barcelona for 57 million euros. Neymar has signed a 5-year contract with the Catalans and is currently one of the leaders of the club. It is worth noting that the presentation of the player, which took place at the Camp Nou, was attended by 56,500 spectators.

12. Fernando Torres

Citizenship - Spain

Position - striker

Transfer - from Liverpool to Chelsea

Transfer amount - 59 million euros

Transfer date - 2011

The transfer of Spanish striker Fernando Torres from Liverpool to Chelsea has long been the most expensive transfer in the English Premier League, and still remains the most expensive transfer of London Chelsea. On January 31, 2011, the player's contract was signed. Torres' salary at Chelsea was £175,000 a week. Fernando played for the aristocrats until 2014, when he was loaned to Italian Milan. For more than 3 years, the striker played 110 matches in the aristocrats and scored 20 goals, which is very little for a striker.

11. Luis Figo

Citizenship - Portugal

Position - Midfielder

Transfer - from Barcelona to Real (Madrid)

Transfer date - 2000

Until 2009, Luis Figo's transfer to Real Madrid remained the club's most expensive transfer. Luis spent 5 seasons with Barcelona by 2000, taking part in 172 matches and scoring 30 goals. As part of Real Madrid, Figo played 5 seasons, playing in 164 games and scoring 36 goals. In 2005, Figo moved to Italian Inter.

10. Falcao

Citizenship - Colombia

Position - striker

Transfer - from Atlético to Monaco

Transfer amount - 60 million euros

Transfer date - 2013

The most expensive transfer of French Monaco took place on May 31, 2013, when a contract was signed with Colombian striker Falcao. For the transfer of the player, Atlético Madrid received about 60 million euros. As part of Monaco, the striker played 20 matches, scoring 11 goals. In January 2014, the player suffered a cruciate ligament injury and missed the 2014 World Cup. In September 2014, Falcao joined Manchester United on loan.

9. Edinson Cavani

Citizenship - Uruguay

Position - striker

Transfer - from Napoli to PSG

Transfer amount - 64.5 million euros

Transfer date - 2013

The most expensive transfer in the history of French football and PSG took place in 2013. Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani joined PSG for 64.5 million euros. Prior to that, the player played for Uruguayan Danubio, Italian Palermo and Napoli. As part of the Neapolitans, Cavani played 69 matches, scoring 52 goals, also in the 2010/11 season, the player played in Napoli on loan, playing 35 matches and scoring 26 goals. Currently, Cavanni continues to play for the French team, being one of the leaders of its attack.

8. Kaka

Citizenship - Brazil

Transfer - from Milan to Real

Transfer amount - 65 million euros

Transfer date - 2009

Brazilian attacking midfielder Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, better known to football fans as Kaka, moved to Real Madrid in 2009 for 65 million euros. Prior to that, Kaka played in Milan, Italy, taking part in 193 games and scoring 70 goals. The performance of the player in Madrid was not very productive; in August 2010, Kaka was injured and was out of action until the end of the year. In March 2011, the player was again injured. In 2013, Kaka returned to Milan. As part of Real Madrid, the footballer played 85 matches, scoring 23 goals.

7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Citizenship - Sweden

Position - striker

Transfer - from Inter to Barcelona

Transfer amount - 69.5 million euros

Transfer date - 2009

7th on the list most expensive transfers in football history located Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede changed a lot of teams during his career, but Barcelona laid out the largest amount for him. In 2009, as a player of the Italian Inter, Zlatan moved to the Catalans for 46 million euros, plus Samuel Eto'o went to the Milan club, whose cost was estimated at 20 million euros. Barcelona also had to pay about 5 million euros. According to official sources, the transfer of the Swede cost 69.5 million euros. Zlatan spent 2 partial seasons with Barça, playing 29 matches and scoring 16 goals. In 2010, on loan, the Swede moved to Milan, and a year later he signed a contract with the Italian team.

6. Zinedine Zidane

Citizenship - France

Position - attacking midfielder

Transfer - from Juventus to Real Madrid

Transfer amount - 73.5 million euros

Date of transfer - 2001

One of the most brilliant players in the French national team, Zinedine Zidane, set a record in 2001 by moving to Real Madrid from Juventus for 73.5 million euros. In Juventus, Zidane played 151 matches, scoring 24 goals. For a long time, the Frenchman could not find himself in the team and adapt to the Spanish championship, but since the winter of 2002, Zidane has become one of the leaders of Real Madrid, leading his club to new titles. Zidane ended his career with Real Madrid in 2006, having made 155 appearances for Real Madrid and scored 37 goals.

5. Angel Di Maria

Citizenship - Argentina

Position - Midfielder

Transfer - from Real Madrid to Manchester United

Transfer amount - 75 million euros

Transfer date - 2014

Argentina national team player Angel Di Maria joined Manchester United in 2014 for a record fee of 75 million euros for the English team. Playing for Real Madrid, Di Maria took part in 124 games, scoring 22 goals. On August 26, 2014, the football player signed a contract with Manchester. In the team, the Argentine midfielder performs under the seventh number.

4. James Rodriguez

Citizenship - Colombia

Position - attacking midfielder

Transfer - from Monaco to Real Madrid

Transfer amount - 80 million euros

Transfer date - 2014

Colombian midfielder Hames joined Real Madrid on July 22, 2014 for 80 million euros. Before that, Hames played as part of the French Monaco, where he moved for 45 million euros. As part of Monaco, James played 34 matches, scoring 9 goals. Hames managed to make his official debut with Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup match, coming out in the starting lineup. The Colombian scored his first goal for Real Madrid on August 19 in the match for the Spanish Super Cup against Atlético Madrid.

3. Luis Suarez

Citizenship - Uruguay

Position - striker

Transfer - from Liverpool to Barcelona

Transfer amount - 81 million euros

Transfer date - 2014

Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez became famous not only for his brilliant game on the field, but also for his "biting". This bite was the third in the player's career! After the incident, the football player was suspended from football for 4 months. In July 2014, it was announced the transfer of a football player from Liverpool to Barcelona. The transfer amount was 81 million euros. Suarez spent 4 seasons with Liverpool, scoring 69 goals in 110 games. As part of the Catalans, Suarez is currently an indispensable link in the attacking trio of Neymar - Messi - Suarez.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo

Citizenship - Portugal

Position - striker

Transfer - from Manchester United to Real Madrid

Transfer amount - 94 million euros

Transfer date - 2009

Cristiano Ronaldo, a world football star, set a record in 2009 when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid for 94 million euros. The football player won the golden ball twice in his career in 2013 and 2014. Cristiano made 196 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 84 goals. Speaking in Real Madrid, Ronaldo has already scored more than 200 goals against opponents and continues to increase this figure.

1. Gareth Bale

Citizenship - Wales

Position - striker

Transfer - from Tottenham to Real Madrid

Transfer amount - 100 million euros

Transfer date - 2013

The most expensive transfer in football history was the transfer of Welsh striker Gareth Bale from English Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013. For this transfer, the Spanish team had to pay about 100 million euros (some sources give a figure of 91 million euros). Playing for Tottenham, Bale took part in 146 games, scoring 42 goals against opponents. Currently, the player is one of the leaders of Real Madrid and, together with Cristiano Ronaldo, makes up the attacking line of the royal club.

At the end of the story most expensive football transfers I would like to sum up a few things:

Among the top 20 most expensive transfers, 11 players are forwards, 7 are midfielders, and one defender and one goalkeeper each.

All transfers were made by European teams: 9 teams from Spain, 4 teams from England, 3 teams from Italy and France, and 1 Russian team.

Among 20 most expensive transfers Real Madrid made 6 purchases; Barcelona - 3; Chelsea, Lazio and PSG - 2 each; Arsenal, Juventus, Zenit, Monaco and Manchester United one each.

As for the teams that received funds for the sale of players, in our top 7 sales were made by Italian clubs, 5 by English and Spanish teams, and one club from Portugal, Brazil and France.

Listed 20 the most expensive transfers 4 representatives of the Brazilian national team, 2 representatives of the national teams of Spain, Argentina, Portugal, Colombia and Uruguay and 1 each of the national teams of Ukraine, Germany, Italy, Sweden, France and Wales.

According to the latest information reports, the cost of the best players of the world's leading football clubs has long exceeded 150 million euros. But this mark some few years ago seemed unattainable. Judge for yourself: the most expensive player in 2018, according to the most recent data, is Barcelona striker Neymar. Back in 2017, the price tag for the Brazilian was just crazy - 222 million euros! But even such amounts now do not scare away potential employers. For example, the French "PSG" easily parted with this money in order to get the "selesao" star into their ranks. The Parisian club was not deterred by the tight financial fair play framework set by UEFA.

Who besides Neymar is in the top most expensive football players right now? With this, the current rating of the cost of the leading players of our time, prepared by the journalists of "Football-Fan", will help to figure it out. When compiling it, we used the calculations of the authoritative portal "Transfermarkt", based on unique insiders and a powerful analytical base.

THE MOST EXPENSIVE FOOTBALL PLAYER OF 2018 IN THE WORLD. RANKING OF THE TOP 11 POTENTIAL TRANSFERS

1. Neymar (PSG)

The most expensive football player of 2018 is the 26-year-old magician Neymar, who has held the first line for at least two seasons in a row. However, disputes are admissible concerning its cost. The real market price for a Brazilian has almost doubled in a year and now stands at 180 million euros. However, for such relatively low money, PSG will never let go of its leader.

Even when he played for Barcelona, ​​the amount of 222 million euros of compensation appeared in the press. This is exactly what Neymar's clause was, it is also the maximum value officially prescribed in the contract. In the event that a club was ready to pay this money, Barca was obliged to enter into the negotiation process at the same time. In the summer of 2017, PSG made an offer for the "transfer of the century", as the world media dubbed the possible transfer. As a result, Ney agreed to change Barcelona to Paris, automatically entering the top 5 highest paid football players on the planet. According to insiders, Neymar received a salary of 2.25 million euros per month.

But the Brazilian, prone to simulation and swinging rights, was not happy in Paris for long. Less than six months later, he quarreled with another PSG leader, the Uruguayan Edinson Cavani, after which rumors began to circulate in the press about Neymar's dissatisfaction with his current position. The name of the new club interested in the potential transfer of Ney, Real Madrid, also often appeared. If the “creamy” really decide to sign Neymar, in order to strengthen the attack in this way after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, then they will have to fork out a lot. In the red, Paris Saint-Germain will definitely not want to stay - which means that the Galacticos will have to prepare at least $ 250 million, and also agree to a significant increase in the salaries of the players themselves. If this happens, then Neymar will once again break a number of transfer records.

2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

According to Transfermarkt experts, the current value of the five-time winner of the Golden Ball has increased by 60 million euros over the year and now stands at 180 million. As with Neymar, in the event of a possible transfer of their main leader, Barcelona will definitely not be cheap. On the other hand, every year the price of the striker, who has already exchanged for the fourth decade, will inexorably decline. Moreover, the recent 2018 World Cup showed that Bloch is already close to the period when its game performance will gradually begin to decline. He lost almost the last opportunity to raise the coveted World Cup over his head, and in the Example, against the backdrop of restructuring at Real Madrid and the departure of the main competitor in the person of Ronaldo, Lionel will become noticeably more boring. A word behind adequate proposals for Messi from the top clubs in Europe?

3. Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

The freshly minted 2018 world champion quickly burst into adult football. Now Mbappe is 19 years old - and he is deservedly one of the three most expensive football players on this planet. The estimated value of the young winger, who in the near future is simply obliged to grow up to win the Golden Ball, is 150 million euros. Back in January 2018, it cost about 120 million, and in August last year - even 35 million euros. Huge leap!

Mbappé's transition scheme from Monaco to PSG in the summer of 2017 was quite secretive. Paris wanted to get around the grips of financial fair play, so they turned the transfer over as a one-year loan with a mandatory buyout option. In July 2018, the Capitals activated this clause of the agreement by transferring 135 million euros to the Monegasques. If PSG decide to sell Kylian in the future, the minimum amount offered for the talented Frenchman will start at 200 million euros. It is Mbappe who is now reasonably seen as perhaps the only player capable of breaking Neymar's transfer record.

4. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

26-year-old Egyptian Mo Salah was one of the most enjoyable discoveries of the 2017/18 season. With 32 goals in 36 Premier League games, the curly-haired winger helped Liverpool finish fourth in the league table. Salah was also indispensable in the Champions League: having scored 11 goals in 15 meetings, Mohamed became one of the creators of the sensational entry of the Merseysiders into the final of the most prestigious club tournament in Europe. Alas, there the "Reds" ran into the powerful Madrid "Real" Zinedine Zidane, who, as a result, completed the conquest of the third "Eared" in a row. And Mo Salah, after contact with Sergio Ramos, injured his shoulder, thereby crumpling the process of preparing for the Russian World Cup.

But the achievements of the Egyptian could not go unnoticed. During the year, his transfer fee increased from 35 to 150 million euros. And this is not the limit: experts predict Salah's personal success in the 2018/19 season as well. This will logically translate into an even bigger change in the price tag for a scoring winger and, very likely, a promotion to Real Madrid or Barcelona. But potential buyers will have to shell out a lot: the Reds extended the contract with one of their main stars in advance.

5. Harry Kane (Tottenham)

Spurs striker Harry Kane has risen in price by 90 million euros over the past year. Now its estimated cost is 150 million euros, but rest assured: tight-fisted Tottenham management will not part with their striker for such a modest amount for any money. Moreover, Kane deserved excellent press with his good performance at the 2018 World Cup. And the title of the best scorer of the World Cup (6 goals; however, half of them were scored from the penalty spot) raised the price of the striker even higher. Kane's contract with the London club is valid right up to June 2024, so in the next 3-4 years we can hardly expect a decrease in the price tag attached to the striker. Another Premier League transfer record coming up?

6. Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)

De Bruyne had a phenomenal season, becoming the Premier League champion and also the league's top assister with 16 assists. No wonder the transfer fee for the Belgian, who won the 2018 World Cup bronze medals, has risen to a sky-high €150m. For example, back in the summer of 2017, Kevin was estimated at only 65 million - and this is almost 2.5 times less.

If he does not slow down and does not reduce the requirements for himself, he will be able to aim at something more. Fortunately, age allows you to look into the near future with undisguised optimism: after all, now de Bruyne is only 27 years old - the prime of his career!

7. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)

One of the best forwards of our time, Antoine Griezmann, who won the World Cup gold medals in July 2018, is also 27 years old. And even though his transfer in the summer of 2017 was estimated at a modest 80 million euros, a year later, the value of the forward increased to 120 million. The management of Atlético fussed in time with a new employment contract: now Griezmann is bound by a contract with the "mattress" until 2023, which means he has nowhere to rush. At the same time, Antoine rejected the offer of Barcelona, ​​wishing to fully concentrate on performances under the leadership of Simeone. In Madrid, this decision is extremely happy. Everyone is well aware that in a season or two the French striker can be sold much more expensive than its current value.

8. Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona)

The market value of the 26-year-old Blaugranas attacking midfielder has increased from 45 to 120 million euros compared to previous figures. But this is only indicative, since we all remember the most important nuance: in January 2018, Barcelona bought Coutinho from Liverpool for 125 million euros! Should we expect that the "barsiks" suddenly want to part with a powerful hav cheaper? No, this is a utopia: therefore, the real price for the Brazilian, whose contract with Barça is valid until the end of the 2022/23 season, will start at 140-150 million.

9. Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Eden Hazard did not play his best football last season under the leadership of Jose Mourinho. However, with the arrival of Antonio Conte on the coaching bridge of the Blues, the Belgian winger perked up noticeably and managed to return to his former amazing form. It was only after the championship season of the "pensioners" that Hazard, along with other leaders of the London Grand, significantly lowered the bar, which led to Chelsea's rollback to 5th place and relegation from the Champions League zone.

That's just a drop in game performance did not lead to a decrease in the transfer cost. On the contrary, on Azar we see a 120 million price tag! Now Eden continues to confidently occupy a place in the top 10 most expensive football players, being quoted at the level of Griezmann and Coutinho.

10. Paulo Dybala (Juventus)

Closes the top ten most expensive players on the planet "Juventini" Paulo Dybala. The cost of the Argentine is 110 million euros - and yet a year ago the striker was estimated at a modest 65 million!

Now Cristiano Ronaldo has become his partner - and this can significantly affect the individual growth of the attacking midfielder. By the way, in the summer of 2018, Dybalu tried to lure away the English Liverpool, but the 90 million euros offered by the Merseysiders did not interest the bosses of the Old Lady.

11. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)

In 2017, the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo was ranked 3rd in the top 10 most expensive football players of our time. But now he is only the eleventh! At the same time, we did not have the right not to include Krishti in our list due to his undeniable merits to world football and the highest media coverage of this performer.

Now the price for the 33-year-old ex-forward of Real Madrid is 100 million euros: it was for this amount that the "creamy" sold their main star of recent years to Turin's Juventus. And this is surprising: one gets the impression that the "galacticos" are pretty cheap. However, the strong desire of the Portuguese himself to quickly change his residence permit played a significant role here.

LIST OF THE 20 MOST EXPENSIVE FOOTBALL PLAYERS IN THE WORLD-2018:

10th place. Zinedine Zidane (France)

In 2001, from Juventus to Real Madrid for 73.5 million euros

For fifteen years, the resonant transfer of Zidane from the beginning of the century has slipped to the very tail of the top ten, or rather, a sharp drop in the rating has occurred not even in a decade and a half, but over the past few years, when the market exploded with crazy deals. Zinedine's move from Juventus to Real Madrid is unique in that Zizou held the historic transfer record for eight years, although prior to his move to Madrid, the maximum was consistently updated once a year for five seasons. Can another French midfielder stay at the top for that long?

9th place. Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium)

In 2015, from Wolfsburg to Manchester City for 74 million euros

Above Zidane is a red-haired magician from Belgium, whose first visit to England was not a success, but after peppy performances in the Bundesliga, Kevin became a tasty morsel of the transfer pie. Last summer Manchester City paid a tidy sum for De Bruyne, and the midfielder immediately rushed to work off the investment, and even under the leadership of Guardiola should flourish altogether. De Bruyne's move from Wolfsburg to City is the biggest football deal involving a German club.

8th place. James Rodriguez (Colombia)

In 2014, from Monaco to Real Madrid for 75 million euros

The Colombian creative has not played for all the money in Madrid yet, but in his case there is not only a football component, but also an image component. In this regard, Real Madrid and its president are unlikely to have lost, because Rodriguez's transition is "good for business". However, Zidane, and the club is counting on him in the future, since this summer rejected an offer of 85 million euros.

7th place. Angel Di Maria (Argentina)

In 2014, from Real Madrid to Manchester United for 75 million euros

In fact, two years ago, Real Madrid arranged the exchange of Di Maria for Rodriguez, because the Argentine went to Manchester United for the same amount that Hames cost. It is difficult to call this deal successful for all parties: Real Madrid received money, but lost a player who played a key role in the campaign for Decima, the Argentine himself did not take root in England so much that the Red Devils were forced to sell Angel at a discount to PSG a year later.

6th place. Luis Suarez (Uruguay)

In 2014, from Liverpool to Barcelona for 82 million euros

The summer of 2014 turned out to be rich in large transfers, so Luis Suarez moved from Liverpool to Barcelona for more than 80 million euros. The Reds lost their leader and seriously slowed down after his departure, but the Uruguayan in Barcelona immediately became his own, having won the Treble in the first season together with the Catalans, and in the second campaign he performed even brighter and more productively than Leo Messi himself. In the upcoming campaign, Louis will definitely aim for new trophies and individual achievements.

5th place. Neymar (Brazil)

In 2013, from Santos to Barcelona for 88 million euros

Actually, Neymar's exact transfer fee is unlikely to ever be made public, there is a lot of muddy water around this transition, but now is not the time to build conspiracy theories and start from unsubstantiated guesses, especially since 88 million is also a lot of money. Note that all other transactions are intra-European, and in this case, a solid jackpot went overseas, to the treasury of Santos.

4th place. Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina)

In 2016, from Napoli to Juventus for 90 million euros

Until recently, only Real Madrid, Barcelona and two clubs from Manchester were among the clubs making the most expensive deals in the history of football. Recently, Juventus burst into this cohort, paying Napoli 90 million euros for Gonzalo Higuain. At the time of its implementation, it was the third deal in world football, however, by selling Pogba to Manchester United, the Old Signora pushed their own purchase beyond the conditional pedestal.

3rd place. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

In 2009, from Manchester United to Real Madrid for 94 million euros

Ronaldo urgently needs to go somewhere for a record amount, because it is such a blow to pride - to be the third! Florentino Perez tried to convince Cristiano that he remained the most expensive player in the history of football after the acquisition of the “creamy” Bale, but you can’t hide the sewing in the bag, and now Pogba has perched on the highest perch.

2nd place. Gareth Bale (Wales)

In 2013, from Tottenham to Real for 101 million euros

A curious feature attracts attention: before Paul, Real Madrid players held the transfer record for sixteen years. Madrid have beaten their own achievement three times: Figo (2000-2001), Zidane (2001-2009), Ronaldo (2009-2013), Bale (2013-2016). Gareth has been playing for the Royal Club for three seasons and is unlikely to regret his transition, because during this time he won two Champions Cups. The Welshman is one of a small group of players who could theoretically break Pogba's fresh record, but to do so, Real Madrid must be willing to part ways with Bale.

1st place. Paul Pogba (France)

In 2016, from Juventus to Manchester United for 105 million euros

The most incredible thing about this transfer is that Manchester United bought an asset that was already in his hands for crazy money. Four years ago, Pogba moved from Manchester to Turin on a free transfer, but the Red Devils had to pay dearly for a return ticket. Is Paul worth the money? Can he work them out? We will begin to find out the answers to these questions in the next season.

The CIES Football Observatory compiles an annual ranking of the five best European championships. The following components are considered the main ones: age, role on the field, duration of the contract with the club, performance and other factors that affect the value of the player.

The most expensive football players of 2018

10th place. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) - 147.5 million euros

A bright career at Juventus in the 2015/16 season made it known throughout Europe that this is an extra-class player who will line up with big clubs. Manchester United were the most persistent. This is his second visit to Old Trafford. The first took place in 2011, but Sir personally rejected the talent Alex Ferguson. The Red Devils had time to regret selling him to Juventus in the summer of 2012 a little later, and after all, after many years they should have paid 105 million euros for Pogba. A move in 2016 made the Frenchman one of the most expensive transfers in football history.

The last two seasons make it clear that Paul's appearance at Manchester United under Jose Mourinho is not random. And now it's hard to imagine the current team without him. His dominance in the center of the field, body cover, strong shots from long range, and incredible stamina make the 25-year-old Frenchman one of the best midfielders in modern football.

9th place. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) – €150m

The current season has developed for Atlético and Griezmann in the best possible way. Wards of Diego Simone won the Europa League, in which the French striker shone and scored 6 goals. Arsenal missed a very important goal from Griezmann in the semi-final at the Emirates. "Mattress" was left with ten men and without a head coach at the edge of the field, but Antoine pulled the team out of a difficult situation. He scored two goals in the final game against Marseille. You can add another 19 goals in the Spanish championship for all the success of the season.

In 2014, the 27-year-old Frenchman signed a contract with Atlético Madrid, paying 30 million euros for him to Real Sociedad. Now the price can be multiplied by five. It will be difficult to keep a player for the current club next summer. Barcelona are crying for him, based on the latest rumors in the press.

8th place. Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United) €164.8m

He was the personification of Everton a little earlier, and since the summer of 2017 he became a player of Manchester United. The Red Devils fought with Chelsea, where a striker was also needed. Alvaro Morata went to London, but Lukaku joined Jose Mourinho. Everton received 84.7 million euros from Manchester for the Belgian striker.

More than 16 Premier League goals and 27 overall for the season were expected of him. If we compare the statistics with those in the last campaign at Everton, then there are differences. In 2017, he scored 25 goals in the Premier League alone. Lukaku has not fully developed his talent, and he can score even more than in his best years.

7th place. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) – €167.8m

De Bruyne had an outstanding season at Manchester City. Wards of Guardiola set records after records, and the Belgian handed out passes and was a key player on the field. But at Chelsea, under the leadership of Mourinho, his talent was not revealed, and there was a time when De Bruyne was written off. He went through the thorns of the Bundesliga, after which he returned to conquer the Premier League.

An absolutely versatile list of virtues makes him one of the best playmakers in the world. Wolfsburg acquired De Bruyne for €22m from Chelsea, later selling the player for €70m to Manchester City, and is now worth much more. Every team needs players like this, and the investment for the 26-year-old Belgian should not be wasted.

6th place. Delle Alli (Tottenham) - 171.3 million euros

Delle Alli made a huge leap in his career. Now he is 22 years old, and he is one of the leaders of Tottenham. Three years ago he played for Milton Keynes Dons, and in 2015 his life changed when he signed a contract with Premier League clubs. Despite his youth, the Englishman has appeared in 36 Premier League games for Spurs this season.

Alli became a Tottenham player for some 6.5 million euros, and now his value has increased to, scary to imagine, 171.3 million euros. His example shows how to improve your level. After a successful first season at the London club, he was awarded a deal until January 2021. We can say that Alli is the pearl of Tottenham, and his progress is due not only to the player, but also to the club.

5th place. Paulo Dybala (Juventus) €174.6m

In Argentina, a new star has appeared - Paulo Dybala. Now Messi and Higuain in the national team will not be bored. His career took off at modest Palermo, which landed him at Juventus in 2015. The child prodigy from Laguna Larga has Argentinean, Polish and Italian roots. After a successful last season at Palermo, his career continued in Turin, but the first season did not work out for him.

In the 2017/18 season, the player set a personal performance record, scoring 25 goals. With his help, the Bianconeri became Italian champions and cup winners. He is adored by local fans and loves them back. Many compare Dybala to Messi.

4th place. Kylian Mbappe (PSG) – €192.5m

The youngest player in this ranking. He is only 19 years old, but he already has excellent seasons at Monaco and PSG. The player has every chance to climb the football throne in the near future, when Ronaldo and Messi stop entertaining fans with a lot of goals.

PSG paid Monaco €180m for Kylian. This season, the attacking trio of Mbappe-Cavani-Neymar was considered one of the best in Europe. The Frenchman's Twitter gives away his humble nature. In many ways, he is still a child, albeit a very talented one. Of course, this is the future of world football for many years to come. Its cost is only increasing, and the limit of development is not yet visible.

3rd place. Harry Kane (Tottenham) - 194.7 million euros

The British goalscorer of recent years and the leader of Tottenham has noticeably increased his value. 2017 was a swan song for Kane as he managed to score 56 goals ahead of Lionel Messi. In addition, he broke the record of Alan Shearer, who scored 36 goals during the Premier League season in 1995. Kane set a new milestone by scoring 39 goals against opponents.

He's handled injuries well in the past two seasons, which has helped him make history. Performance could improve in the coming years if the striker stays in the Premier League. There are proposals to Tottenham from Real Madrid and other clubs that would not mind having such a player in their squad. Kane deserved such honors and even more. His game is not marked by any refinement, it's all about positioning and stability.

So far, Kane can only dream of the titles that Ronaldo and Messi have, but the 24-year-old Englishman is determined to keep working.

2nd place. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - 202.2 million euros

Achievements can not be counted, it is worth saying that he is a five-time winner of the Golden Ball. The only desire for him is a triumph at the World Cup with Argentina. To buy from Barcelona, ​​you will have to shell out at least 200 million euros.

Leo has been playing for the Blaugranas since 2003, not intending to keep up with fame and money in other clubs. Everything suits him in the team that gave him the opportunity to become a great football player. This season, Barcelona left the Champions League at the quarter-final stage, and Messi did not become the hero of this draw.

He is the epitome of the modern football era. His playing style is like no other, it is truly magic. No amount for this Argentine will stop the big clubs from acquiring him, but here the question is different. Lionel himself is not eager to leave the club. As a child, he suffered because of his short stature, through which he was not taken seriously. He had to work on himself so that we can now observe this perfection.

1st place. Neymar (PSG) - 213 million euros

Topping the list is the Brazilian, who moved to PSG in 2017. Probably only the Parisian giants could go to a dizzying amount of 222 million euros to have this talent belong to their club. This is crazy money even by the standards of the current transfer market. Neither Barcelona nor Neymar himself could resist such an offer.

PSG bosses to achieve their dream of winning the Champions League. The arrival of Neymar was supposed to improve their chances in the tournament, but they had to limit themselves to the 1/8 final stage this season, losing to Real Madrid. By the way, it is the “creamy” who want to acquire a player next summer, there are also “red devils” among the contenders. Here everything will depend on the financial component. You can be sure that Neymar will go to any club that will agree to the best deal. A return to Barcelona is also not out of the question.