Monaco’s 10 biggest sales of all time

13 Jun 2022 20:43 BST |
Updated: 29 Sept 2026 13:58 BST |
5 min read

Make us your Google favourite

Monaco have become one of the smartest clubs in European football thanks to their transfer strategy, with their method of buying young and selling big proving to be hugely successful.

The Ligue 1 club are responsible for some of the biggest sales in world football over the last decade and this strategy has helped them maintain a positive transfer balance.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through Monaco’s 10 most expensive sales ever.

10. Fabinho – €45m (to Liverpool, 2018)

Fabinho is the first, but certainly not the last, player from Monaco’s famous 2016-17 team to appear on this list.

The Brazilian did a fine job at right-back for Monaco before shifting to midfield, where he showed the best of his ability.

He played a key role in Monaco’s run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2017 and he left one year later, joining Liverpool immediately after their loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

He helped Jurgen Klopp’s side achieve revenge the following year before winning the Premier League title in 2020. Fabinho joined Al-Ittihad in 2023.

9. Axel Disasi – €45m (to Chelsea, 2023)

Axel Disasi entered this list in 2023 thanks to his €45m transfer to Chelsea. The Frenchman had previously been courted by both Manchester United and Newcastle, but they were beaten to his signature by the Blues.

Disasi had spent three years at Monaco following a €13m move from Stade Reims, with the Ligue 1 side turning a nice profit on the France international.

Disasi played a key role under Mauricio Pochettino during his debut season at Chelsea, but he soon lost his place and he was subsequently sent on loan to Aston Villa, West Ham United and Crystal Palace.

8. Maghnes Akliouche – €50m (to PSG, 2026)

Maghnes Akliouche became Monaco’s eight-biggest sale of all time when he left the club to join PSG for €50m in 2026.

A Monaco academy graduate, Akliouche made 139 first-team appearances for the club before his departure, with PSG convinced to pay a hefty transfer fee for his signature after he scored six goals and provided seven assists during his final Ligue 1 season for at Stade Louis II.

The France attacker replaced his compatriot Bradley Barcola in the PSG squad, with Liverpool soon taking advantage by bringing Barcola to Anfield.

7. Bernardo Silva – €50m (to Man City, 2017)

Bernardo Silva is another star of Monaco’s imperious 2017 team to appear on the list of their 10 biggest sales in history.

He scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists in his final campaign at the club, which convinced Man City to spend €50m to bring him to England.

During a nine-year spell at the Etihad Stadium, Silva established himself as a modern Premier League great, winning six English top flight titles and playing a pivotal role in City’s first ever Champions League triumph in 2023. He joined Real Madrid on a Bosman deal in 2026.

6. Benjamin Mendy – €57.5m (to Man City, 2017)

Benjamin Mendy was another member of the 2017 Monaco side, and he was one of the most sought-after full-backs in European football at the time.

He followed Bernardo to Man City in another mega deal, but he struggled with injury problems throughout his time in England and his final appearance for the club came in August 2021 as he was suspended pending a police investigation into rape and attempted sexual assault charges.

He was found not guilty and joined Lorient in 2023.

5. Anthony Martial – €60m (to Man Utd, 2015)

Man Utd decision to spend €60m on an unproven Anthony Martial in 2015 was seen as a huge risk at the time, with Monaco even including a Ballon d’Or clause in the deal due to their faith in the young attacker.

Although Martial started brilliantly, with a fantastic debut goal against Liverpool that will live long in the memory, that Ballon d’Or clause was never in danger of being activated, despite a fairly respectable goal tally.

After scoring 90 goals in 317 games for the club, Martial left Man Utd as a free agent in 2023.

4. Thomas Lemar – €72m (to Atletico Madrid, 2018)

Thomas Lemar was another key figure of Monaco’s wonderful 2016-17 season, in which they won Ligue 1 and reached the semi-final of the Champions League.

There was talk of an immediate departure that summer, but Arsenal were priced out of a move, with Monaco reportedly demanding a fee of around €100 million.

However, Lemar got his move one year later when he completed a €72m transfer to Atletico Madrid. His form in the Spanish capital was mixed and marred by injuries. A forgotten man, he was loaned to Girona in 2025.

3. James Rodriguez – €75m (to Real Madrid, 2014)

Colombian superstar James Rodriguez only spent one season at Monaco, having joined from FC Porto in 2013, but the club were able to demand a huge fee thanks to his brilliant 2014 World Cup.

After a fine solo season at Monaco, in which he scored 10 goals in all competitions, scouts were already beginning to take notice of James. However, after scoring six goals at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, winning the Golden Boot in the process, Real Madrid were quick to make a move and they spent big to get their man.

He struggled to have the same impact for Los Blancos and after a two-year loan to Bayern, he embarked on a journeyman career, playing for Everton, Al-Rayyan, Olympiacos, Sao Paulo, Rayo Vallecano, Club Leon and Minnesota United.

2. Aurelien Tchouameni – €80m (to Real Madrid, 2022)

Aurelien Tchouameni became Monaco’s second-most expensive sale in history when he left the Stade Louis II to join Real Madrid in June 2022.

The Frenchman had arrived from Bordeaux in 2020, and following his persistently strong performances in Ligue 1, the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool were interested in 2021.

However, Real Madrid won the race for his signature the following year, with Monaco unable to resist an €80m fee. He immediately won big honours in Madrid, including La Liga and the Champions League.

1. Kylian Mbappe – €180m (to PSG, 2018)

The undisputed leader in this list is Kylian Mbappe, who made a €180m transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2018, after spending a year on loan at the club in 2017-18.

The move to PSG came after a stunning breakthrough season in 2016-17, where he scored 26 goals in 44 appearances at the age of 18. That goal tally earned him his mammoth move to PSG, which is also the second-biggest transfer in football history.

Mbappe became PSG’s all-time record goal-scorer in March 2023, eclipsing Edinson Cavani’s tally of 200 goals for the club. He departed as a PSG legend in 2024, joining Real Madrid on a free transfer.

Monaco’s 10 biggest sales of all time