The 10 most expensive goalkeepers of all time

Updated: 6 Jun 2026 19:03 BST |
4 min read

Cameron Smith
|
Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

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Kepa Arrizabalaga remains the most expensive goalkeeper in football history, courtesy of his move from Athletic Club to Chelsea.

The Spaniard may have been a flop at Stamford Bridge, but the Blues paid a whopping €80 million to sign him in 2018.

Athletic Club strictly follow a club policy of only employing players from the Basque region, meaning it typically costs a lot of money to sign one of their talents.

As a result, Chelsea were forced to break the world record fee for a goalkeeper in order to land Kepa in 2018, after losing Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid in the same summer transfer window.

Chelsea were also linked with another goalkeeper during the summer they signed Kepa – Brazilian shot-stopper Alisson.

Instead, Alisson joined Liverpool from Roma and he was briefly the most expensive goalkeeper of all time before Kepa’s move. Alisson is now the second on this list, having cost Liverpool €62.5m. His transfer was a huge success.

The third-most expensive goalkeeper of all time is Gianluigi Buffon thanks to his €52.9m move from Parma to Juventus way back in 2001. This stood as the world’s record transfer fee for a goalkeeper until 2018. Buffon is remembered as arguably the greatest goalkeeper of all time.

Andre Onana’s transfer to Manchester United in the summer of 2023 sees him rank fourth on the list, having set the Red Devils back €50.2m – after Inter had signed him for nothing from Ajax just the season prior. He failed to live up to his price tag.

French shot-stopper Lucas Chevalier entered this list at number five after PSG signed him from Lille for €40m in 2025. He was arguably the most highly-rated young goalkeeper in the world at the time of his move, but his first season in Paris was a disaster.

Brazilian international Ederson is sixth on the list. His move from Benfica to Manchester City cost the latter €40m, the same fee as Chevalier, and he played a pivotal role in establishing City’s dominance under Pep Guardiola.

Next up is Jasper Cillessen, whose move from Barcelona to Valencia was worth a whopping €35m. Courtois’ transfer from Chelsea to Real Madrid also cost €35m, meaning he is the joint-seventh most expensive goalkeeper of all time.

In ninth place is David Raya. The Spaniard joined Arsenal from Brentford on a permanent deal for €31.9m in 2024 after a successful loan spell at the club. He was pivotal as the Gunners won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final in 2026.

James Trafford became the 10th-most expensive goalkeeper in history when his return from Burnley to Man City was confirmed for €31.2m in the summer of 2025. He arrived at the Etihad off the back of a remarkable season in the Championship.

However, Man City pounced on Gianluigi Donnarumma’s availability just a few weeks later. He was probably the best goalkeeper in the world at that time, and Man City signed him from PSG for €30m, effectively replacing Trafford in the same window they acquired him.

The 10 most expensive goalkeepers of all time