Neymar Tops Lukaku, Ronaldo for Highest Total Transfer Fees After Al Hilal Move

Neymar Tops Lukaku, Ronaldo for Highest Total Transfer Fees After Al Hilal Move

Elijah Odetokun
updated at August 14, 2023 at 2:21 PM
In this article:
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior logo
Neymar
Al-Hilal Saudi FC logoFBrazil logo
Romelu Lukaku logo
R. Lukaku
Chelsea logoFBelgium logo
Cristiano Ronaldo logo
C. Ronaldo
Al Nassr FC logoFPortugal logo
Philippe Coutinho logo
P. Coutinho
Clube de Regatas Vasco da Gama logoMBrazil logo
  • Neymar Jr is departing Europe after 10 years to join Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia
  • Paris Saint-Germain will receive less than €100m, and the player will receive a similar amount in salary
  • Romelu Lukaku was the record holder for the highest transfer fees but is about to lose it

Per multiple reports, Brazilian attacker Neymar Jr is on his way to Saudi Arabia club Al-Hilal after he and Paris Saint-Germain decided to end their six-year association, and will receive a little less than €100m.

Neymar joined PSG for a world record fee of €222m in 2017, having moved for big money from Santos to La Liga giants, Barcelona, four years earlier in 2013.

Neymar, PSG, Joenbuk Hyundai Motors, Japan.
Neymar scored his final goal for PSG against Joenbuk Hyundai Motors in Japan. Photo by Anthony Wallace/AFP.
Source: Getty Images

Sports Brief looks at the players who have accumulated the highest transfer fees as Neymar overtakes Romelu Lukaku.

1. Neymar Jr

According to Planet Football, before the Brazilian sealed his move to Saudi Arabia, he was second on the all-time list of players with most transfer fees accumulated with €310m. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported that PSG would receive a little less than €100m, taking his total fees to over 400 million.

2. Romelu Lukaku

The Belgian forward has had quite some big money moves in his career. As noted by Transfermarkt, Lukaku has amassed €333.3m in transfer fees. He and Chelsea have agreed to part ways and are currently waiting for an offer in the region of €40m which would take his fees to €373m. Proposed transfers to Juventus and Inter Milan have collapsed.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is currently playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, which he moved to as a free agent after his Manchester United contract was terminated. He has amassed a total transfer fee of €247m, including a world-record move to Real Madrid in 2009.

4. Alvaro Morata

Morata is a big club nomad and has moved between some of Europe's best clubs - Real Madrid, Chelsea, Juventus and Atletico Madrid. He has totalled €189m in transfer fees. Breaking The Line journalist, Zach Lowy described him as "that restaurant that never has any customers in it, yet has somehow managed to stay in that same high-rent, downtown location for 10 years."

5. Philippe Coutinho

The Brazilian playmaker has not been the same since he left Liverpool for Barcelona. He is currently at Aston Villa and could be on the move again. He has moved for a total transfer fee of €180m.

Saudi beckons to Lukaku

Sports Brief reported on Romelu Lukaku's possible destination after Juventus reportedly cooled interest in him due to fan backlash and the financial implication of the deal.

Juventus was left as his only option after Inter Milan pulled out of the deal. He has constantly rejected approaches from the Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, but it continually looked like his next destination.

Authors
Elijah Odetokun photo
Elijah Odetokun
Elijah Odetokun is Reuters-trained journalist with three years of experience having previously worked at Daily Times Nigeria, OmaSports and El Futbolero.
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Transfers