The 10 most expensive La Liga transfers of all time

15 Aug 2024 12:44 BST |
Updated: 5 Oct 2026 16:11 BST |
4 min read

Make us your Google favourite

La Liga is one of the best divisions in world football and it features two of the most successful clubs in history – Barcelona and Real Madrid.

The El Clasico rivals have two of the largest fanbases on the planet, and they have always been capable of spending astronomical fees on players, despite the recent emergence of the Premier League and the Saudi Pro League as huge spenders in the market.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 10 most expensive La Liga transfers of all time.

10. Neymar – €88m (Santos to Barcelona, 2013)

Neymar was the creme de la creme of wonderkids during his time at Santos. Despite still playing in Brazil at the time, he finished 10th in the 2011 Ballon d’Or rankings – a simply unheard of achievement.

He left Santos with 201 goals and assists in 225 senior games, and he continued his sublime form at Barcelona.

Neymar helped the Blaugrana win nine major trophies, including the 2015 Champions League, before departing for Paris Saint-Germain for a world record transfer fee of €222m in 2017.

9. Cristiano Ronaldo – €94m (Man Utd to Real Madrid, 2009)

After heavy rumours of a move in 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo finally joined Real Madrid one year later.

The Portuguese international was already a world-renowned superstar at Manchester United, having won the 2008 Ballon d’Or, but he elevated himself to new heights at Real Madrid.

A glittering nine-year career at the Santiago Bernabeu saw Ronaldo score 450 goals and win 16 major trophies, including four Champions League titles, before leaving for Juventus in 2018.

8. Gareth Bale – €101m (Tottenham to Real Madrid, 2013)

Ronaldo was the most expensive football player in history for four years before Gareth Bale broke his record in 2013.

After ripping it up for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, Real Madrid broke their own transfer record to sign the Welshman for €101m.

Bale enjoyed a sensational debut season with Los Blancos and although his career in Spain ended unceremoniously, he left Real Madrid with five Champions League titles and over 100 goals for the club.

7. Antoine Griezmann – €120m (Atletico Madrid to Barcelona, 2019)

After years of eye-catching form for Atletico Madrid, Antoine Griezmann left the club to join Barcelona for a whopping €120m in 2019.

However, despite his evident quality, the Frenchman never quite fitted in at Camp Nou and he only tallied 35 goals in over 100 games for the club.

Griezmann re-joined Atleti on loan in 2021, before the deal was made permanent for just €22m in 2023.

6. Eden Hazard – €120.8m (Chelsea to Real Madrid, 2019)

Eden Hazard can only go down as a huge Real Madrid flop. The Belgian was one of the world’s best players during his time at Chelsea, but things went disastrously after he sealed a dream move to the Spanish capital in 2019.

Hazard suffered consistent injury problems during his four-year stint with Los Blancos and he only mustered seven goals in 76 Real Madrid appearances, before retiring after his exit in 2023.

5. Yan Diomande – €125m (RB Leipzig to Real Madrid, 2026)

Just over 12 months before his €125m move to Real Madrid, Yan Diomande was playing for La Liga minnows Leganes and although he made just 10 appearances for the club, RB Leipzig saw his potential.

They signed him for €20m, and after 26 goals and assists in 36 games during his debut season in Germany, Leipzig sold him to Real Madrid for a whopping €125m.

Diomande had been heavily linked with Liverpool and PSG, but Real Madrid won the race to sign him after identifying the Ivorian as their top right winger target.

4. Jude Bellingham – €127m (Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid, 2023)

Real Madrid secured Jude Bellingham’s signature in 2023, fighting off significant competition from Liverpool in the process.

Los Blancos paid an initial fee worth over €100m to sign the England international from Borussia Dortmund and he enjoyed a fantastic first season at the club, notching 23 goals and 13 assists as Real Madrid won both La Liga and the Champions League.

His transfer fee has now risen to €127m thanks to add-on clauses included in the deal, although the fee still remains fantastic value-for-money.

3. Joao Felix – €127.2m (Benfica to Atletico Madrid, 2019)

Joao Felix was courted by every elite club in Europe after he burst onto the scene at Benfica, but it was Atletico Madrid who won the race for his signature, with the teenager joining the club as Griezmann’s replacement in 2019.

However, Felix never suited Diego Simeone’s style of football and he struggled to adapt to life at the Wanda Metropolitano, despite helping the club win La Liga during his second campaign.

Felix joined Chelsea on loan in January 2023, before spending the entire 2023-24 campaign on loan at Barcelona. He then rejoined Chelsea on a permanent deal.

2. Philippe Coutinho – €135m (Liverpool to Barcelona, 2018)

Philippe Coutinho was expected to join Barcelona during the 2017 summer transfer window, but they were unable to agree a deal with Liverpool and he was forced to wait until January to seal the move.

Coutinho was seen as the heir to Andres Iniesta by the Barca hierarchy, however he was unable to establish himself as an integral player at Camp Nou, and after loan spells at Bayern Munich and Aston Villa, he joined the latter on a permanent deal in 2022.

Coutinho left Barcelona having registered 39 goal contributions in 106 games for the club.

1. Ousmane Dembele – €148m (Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona, 2017)

Ousmane Dembele spent just one season at Borussia Dortmund, but his form under Thomas Tuchel earned him a blockbuster move to Barcelona worth €148m, including add-ons.

Despite his electric spell at Dortmund, the Frenchman suffered a hamstring injury just months after joining the Blaugrana and he was never able to rediscover his best form at Camp Nou.

After just 40 goals in 185 games, Dembele left Barcelona to join PSG for €50m in 2023 and he won the Ballon d’Or two years later.

The 10 most expensive La Liga signings of all time

Cameron Smith is a Digital Content Producer for FootballTransfers, having joined the team upon its inception in November 2020.

View full bio