There’s always a huge buzz when a transfer smashes the nine-figure mark, something that’s becoming increasingly common in modern football. Florian Wirtz recently became the latest player to cross that threshold, with Liverpool shelling out €117.5 million for the German star, while Alexander Isak remains strongly linked with a mega-money move to Anfield.
Wirtz, whose fee could rise to €136.3m due to add-ons, is the 18th player in history to command a transfer of at least €100 million. Whether any player is “worth” such a fee is always debatable; transfer values depend as much on a club’s specific needs as they do on talent.
But what happens after the deal is done? How have the players signed for €100m+ actually performed for their new clubs?
While it’s far too early to judge Wirtz, we’ve assessed the 17 other players who crossed the €100m mark, rating them out of 10 based on individual output, impact on the team, and long-term value.
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Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid (€103m)
Real Madrid made a major statement in the summer of 2023 by spending €103 million to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund, making him just the sixth English player to wear the iconic white of Los Blancos.
Bellingham hit the ground running at the Bernabéu, delivering a sensational debut season with 23 goals and 13 assists across all competitions. His efforts helped Real Madrid clinch a Champions League, La Liga, and Spanish Super Cup treble, while he also collected a string of individual honours, including La Liga Player of the Year.
Naturally, matching that level of success was always going to be a tall order. In 2024/25, Bellingham saw his goal involvements dip slightly to 15 goals and 15 assists, as he operated in a deeper midfield role following the arrival of Kylian Mbappé. Real Madrid, meanwhile, were unable to retain any of the major trophies from the previous season.
Still, there’s no question that Bellingham has made a huge impact across the two campaigns and overtime will likely prove to be excellent value despite the big price tag.
9/10
Declan Rice to Arsenal (€116.6m)
Declan Rice made a headline-grabbing move across London in July 2023, joining Arsenal from West Ham after captaining the Hammers to Conference League triumph.
Though he’s yet to lift a trophy with the Gunners, Rice has made a major impact at the Emirates. In his debut season, he played a crucial role in strengthening Arsenal’s defensive stability, and in 2024/25, he elevated his game further.
Operating as a dynamic box-to-box midfielder, Rice contributed nine goals – including two spectacular free-kicks against Real Madrid – and provided 10 assists. His standout performances earned him Arsenal’s Player of the Season award and a nomination for Premier League Player of the Year.
His next task will be propelling Arsenal to silverware.
8/10
Moises Caicedo to Chelsea (€115m)
Chelsea, who appear frequently on this list, secured the signing of Moises Caicedo ahead of rivals Liverpool in the summer of 2023.
His two seasons at the club have been shaped by two different managers. While his first year under Mauricio Pochettino was somewhat inconsistent, Caicedo truly flourished under Enzo Maresca. He started all 38 Premier League matches as Chelsea finished 4th, scored in the Conference League final, helped the team win the Club World Cup, and was deservedly named Chelsea’s Player of the Season.
The Ecuadorian has grown into one of Chelsea’s key players, renowned for his relentless energy, tackling, interceptions, ball recovery, and success in duels. Given he is only 23, he clearly has a very bright and seemingly long-term future ahead of him at the Bridge.
7.5/10
Harry Kane to Bayern Munich (€100m)
Harry Kane made the bold decision to leave his boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur – where he netted 280 goals – for Bayern Munich in August 2023.Although silverware proved elusive in his debut campaign, Kane finally ended his long wait for a major trophy by lifting the Bundesliga title in the 2024/25 season.
Individually, his numbers have been nothing short of world class. Kane has scored 85 goals and provided 26 assists in 96 appearances for Bayern so far. He claimed the Bundesliga Golden Boot in both of his first two seasons, won the European Golden Shoe in 2023/24, and shared the Champions League Golden Boot that same year. Most recently, he was named Bundesliga Player of the Season for 2024/25. Yet, his teammates regularly praise him not just for his goals, but for his link-up play, creativity, and professionalism – qualities that make him an outstanding team player.
Now, the next challenge awaits: helping Bayern reclaim their place at the summit of European football.
9/10
Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea (€121m)
Enzo Fernandez joined Chelsea from Benfica in the January 2023 transfer window, arriving shortly after lifting the World Cup with Argentina. His early months at Stamford Bridge were challenging, as he struggled to make a consistent impact amid Chelsea’s turbulence.
However, Fernandez started to showcase his talent under Enzo Maresca in the 2024/25 season, where he registered 26 goal contributions across all competitions as Chelsea secured a top-four Premier League finish and lifted both the Conference League and Club World Cup.
Although his progress has been clear, particularly last season, there’s still room for further development in his game.
6.5/10
Jack Grealish to Manchester City (€117m)
Jack Grealish had a slow first year at Manchester City, but everyone struggles in their debut campaign under Pep Guardiola.
His first season was best summed up by the second-leg of City’s Champions League tie against Real Madrid where he came off the bench, almost scored two world-class Ronaldinho-esque goals, but then failed to make a simple five yard sprint to block the cross that ended up eliminating City from Europe.
Things picked up significantly as Grealish became a regular starter – particularly in the Champions League – as City won a historic treble: lifting the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup.
However, his influence has waned dramatically since. He managed just one goal and one assist in the Premier League last season, and only three goals and one assist the year before.
While there have been flashes of quality, Grealish’s overall return of 17 goals and 23 assists across four seasons falls far short of expectations for a £100m signing, even though his role did change and in the end he had limited game time. It now looks like he’s played his last game for the club.
5/10
Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea (€115m)
The Belgian was re-signed by Chelsea in the summer of 2021, fresh off winning Serie A with Inter, and he looked to be the final piece of the jigsaw to make Chelsea title contenders.
He scored eight goals all season and Chelsea loaned him back to Inter for a €8m loan fee with no obligation to buy. That’s right, Chelsea took a €107m loss on Lukaku within the space of one year. There’s not much more to say beyond that.
A colossal, gargantuan flop at Chelsea, but a huge success at pretty much all of his other clubs.
2/10
Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for €100m
Gareth Bale was the original €100m man, although Real Madrid didn’t acknowledge that at first because they didn’t want to upset Cristiano Ronaldo (who they had signed for €94m remember) by making him the world’s second-most expensive player. However, football Leaks did eventually uncover that, yes, Bale was officially the world’s first €100m transfer.
And what a transfer it has was! In terms of trophies won and big moments in finals, Gareth Bale is up there with the very best in Real Madrid history. By the end of his first season he had won Real Madrid the Copa del Rey and Champions League, scoring killer goals in both finals. He continued to shine for Carlo Ancelotti, and guided Los Blancos to his second Champions League final (under Zinedine Zidane) in 2016.
Bale was largely injured for 2016/17 and the wheels began to come off. He won Madrid a third consecutive Champions League with an earth-shattering brace in Kyiv against Liverpool in May 2018, but still couldn’t fight his way back into the plans of any of Madrid’s next coaches.
He managed to pick up his fifth Champions League winners medal in 2022, but just as in 2017 he didn’t really feature much at all. And that was the thing with Bale at the Bernabeu: the consistency just wasn’t there. Madrid’s two best seasons in half a century came while Bale was on the bench watching, and the club was only too happy for him to leave on a free transfer last summer.
Ultimately, however, it comes down to this: before him Real Madrid had nine Champions League. Now, thanks largely to him, they have 14. Consider the needle well and truly moved.
9/10
Paul Pogba to Manchester United for €105m
The announcement of Paul Pogba to Manchester United remains one of the coolest things about Pogba joining United, which is a troubling statement, but you have to admit it was pretty damn cool.
Pogba’s time at United, much like Bale’s in Madrid, was full of inconsistency. Unlike Bale, however, his team-mates weren’t good enough to carry him. Pogba’s talent was obvious but he never showed it for long enough, and given the way Bruno Fernandes showed up and took the team by the scuff of the neck showed that leading United to looking great was genuinely possible.
In the end, Pogba left United for free last summer, and no one was really bothered. It’s hard to say anything more critical than that. A €105m signing leaving for free and no one is fussed. The 2017 Europa League means he has to at least break even with a 5/10, given how scarce trophies have been to post-Fergie United the needle did move (just barely). But take away that final against Ajax and it’s a 4 if he’s lucky.
5/10
Neymar to PSG for €222m
The big one! Neymar’s move to PSG redefined the transfer landscape in a way no one had done since Cristiano and Kaka in 2009. This move was earth-shattering and out of nowhere. A huge statement of intent by PSG, who sought to assemble a galactico-style squad capable of mixing it with the cream of Europe.
However, it hasn’t quite worked out.
Oh, sure, Neymar has been majestic when he’s played. He’s just not played all that much. Injuries and a lavish lifestyle have taken their toll on the most expensive player in the world. Kylian Mbappé, Marco Verratti and even the 34 year-old Lionel Messi surpassed him in importance at the Parc des Princes, and you imagine the only reason he’s still at the club is because, now that Josep Bartomeu isn’t in charge of Barcelona, they can’t find anyone stupid enough to sign a player with such obvious issues staying healthy and actually playing football.
Neymar is now 31 years old. And perhaps the biggest indictment about his time at PSG isn’t that he has failed to capture the Champions League for the club, but that his six seasons have left him with just five league titles. In a one team league, his PSG contrived to finish second. There’s also the fact that they’re still (allegedly) trying to sell him. He has 118 goals in 173 games for the Parisians but if anything the needle has moved backwards while he’s been there.
4/10
Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona for €105m
When Barcelona lost Neymar, they had a literal €222m to spend and everyone knew it. Suddenly, transfer prices skyrocketed, but Barcelona had to pay because they needed talent. Ousmane Dembele was their chosen lad (he had just turned 20) to replace Neymar. On paper, it made sense: Dembele was an ambipedal wing-wizard with pace to burn and a creative skill-set that fit right in at Barcelona.
But goodness, injuries have played a huge factor. Dembélé has had just as many injury issues as Neymar (he’s played just 150 times for Barcelona across five whole seasons) but he wasn’t a world-class superstar when he made the move. The winger missed crucial developmental years, which explains why he still plays with the naiveté of a teenager.
He helped Barcelona win the 2018/19 Liga title, for sure, but that was his only good contribution for the club up until the last six months of 2021/22. With his contract expiring in the summer, Dembélé suddenly found form and fitness easy to come by and proceeded to show everyone just why Barcelona paid all that money for him. Xavi said he could be the best in the world, and he played like it.
Dembele really stepped up under Xavi, despite ongoing injury problems, which has turned this failed move into an average one. But unfortunately, despite moments of magic, he never had the impact or consistency that warrants a €100m+ fee. Saying that, he’s now playing like a €100m+ player at PSG where he’s the favourite to win the 2025 Balon d’Or.
5/10
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Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona for €145m
Barcelona spent a year courting Coutinho, but they only tried to sign him in the wake of selling Neymar which forced the fee way, way up. They had to wait six months but they eventually got their man. And for six months it was so, so good. Coutinho shone in the back-half of 2017/18, helping Barcelona do a domestic double, but for some reason he was a total disaster after that.
What went wrong? Tactics? His position? Lack of stamina? The pressure got to him? It was probably a combination of everything, really. Watching Coutinho in Blaugrana was like watching a foal try to walk for the first time during a stampede of rhinos.
Barcelona spent forever trying to ditch Coutinho, even sending him to Bayern where he promptly help the Bavarians humiliate Barcelona 8-2 in the Champions League. He showed none of that same fire for Barcelona since, of course, and the financial absurdity that was both his transfer fee and wage packet were big factors in the Blaugrana financial collapse in 2021.
Coutinho helped crater the Catalan club’s finances and to make matters worse, absolutely no one would take him off their hands for over a year, he just had to stay there collecting his huge wages (good for him!) until Steven Gerrard saved the day by bringing him to Aston Villa for a cut price deal where, absent the pressure of performance, he looked more comfortable — until he actually signed permanently.
The biggest transfer flop of all-time? Not anymore, though he was only spared a 1 by virtue of those first six months.
2/10
Kylian Mbappe to PSG for €180m
Signed from Monaco in 2017 alongside Neymar, initially on loan, Mbappe’s big-money permanent move came the following year. He quickly established himself as the world’s brightest football talent – no ifs, no buts.
By the time he left, Mbappe was PSG’s all-time top scorer with 256 goals, boasting seven Ligue 1 titles, nine domestic cups, and a host of individual awards. However, the one prize that eluded him was the Champions League, which PSG won only after his departure to Real Madrid. However, those seven seasons – including the loan spell – were a colossal success.
8/10
Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus for €100m
No one has done more to earn a €100m deal than Cristiano Ronaldo – 450 goals in 438 games for Real Madrid plus three consecutive Champions Leagues is one hell of a justification. Performing for your new club matters though. In 2018/19 he bagged Juve 21 goals in the league (a team high) and he won them a lot of points, but Juve were winning points anyway. Serie A had long been their domain and with the Portuguese they went from 95 points in 2017/18 to 90 in 2018/19. They won less because Cristiano cannibalised their goalscoring for himself without supplying the gaudy numbers that he did for Madrid.
Even in Europe with his usual saving grace, he was average at best, besides one spectacular performance against Atletico Madrid where he bagged a brilliant hat-trick to bring Juve back from 0-2 down to 3-2 ahead. However, he couldn’t prevent later elimination at the hands of a youthful Ajax side, nor could he guide Juve beyond Lyon and Porto in subsequent seasons. His whole purpose for joining Juve, to help them get over the Champions League hump, was unfulfilled.
His signing also played a part in the departure of transfer guru Beppe Marotta. The Italian’s knack for shrewd deals and savvy fiscal management is what got Juve back to the top table of European football and the Cristiano deal was, given his age and financial demands, nothing like a deal he would sanction. But Chairman Andrea Agnelli felt Cristiano would not only boost the club’s goalscoring but also boost the club’s earnings into the stratosphere. He did neither, and Marotta departed.
In his wake Juve have, in part because they’re paying the Portuguese an eye-watering €50m a year after tax, slipped near to the Financial Fair Play black hole. Hence the sudden and random offloading of the brilliant Joao Cancelo and the steady decine from perennial title winners to a side that lost out on the title to Inter.
It’s a shame Real Madrid didn’t pay Man Utd €100m for Cristiano back in 2009, because that deal would have been rated a 12/10 by the time he left in terms of value for money and moving the needle (he’s basically the second-greatest player in Real Madrid’s history, lagging only behind Alfredo di Stefano aka the guy who made Real Madrid a superclub on the pitch).
But in terms of his transfer to Juve,
Has Cristiano been good? Absolutely. His individual stats were outstanding, just as expected, and he did help Juventus secure domestic trophies. But did he truly move the needle for the club? Not really. While his personal impact was undeniable, the team suffered in other areas, and he ultimately couldn’t deliver the European success Juventus brought him in for. In the end, he didn’t elevate the club to the level many had envisioned throughout his three-year spell.
7.5/10
Joao Felix to Atletico Madrid (€126m)
So much was expected from Joao Felix after his breakout season with Benfica and he’s delivered almost none of it. In his defence he’s a poetic footballer playing for the terminally prosaic Diego Simeone, but it is what it is.
There have been injuries, for sure, but 34 goals in 134 games is not a return you expect for all that money. He did help Atleti win La Liga in 2020/21, but that triumph owed more to their defence and the manic goalscoring of Luis Suárez than their young Portuguese.
He’s had unwhelming loan spells at Chelsea (then made permanent), Barcelona, and AC Milan and has now headed off to Al-Nassr.
5/10
Antoine Griezmann to Barcelona (€120m)
Another €100m+ move from the summer of 2019, Joao Felix’s arrival at Atletico Madrid opened up the door for Antoine Griezmann to finally get his move to Barcelona. Setting up a mouthwatering attacking trio alongside Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi, the excitement around the Camp Nou was high.
The performances… not so much.
Griezmann never looked himself at Barcelona. Seemingly unable to find a place in the team that complimented both Leo Messi and Luis Suárez. Well, a place besides defensive workhorse doing all the pressing and tracking back for those two.
Griezmann never lacked for effort nor application. He never sulked, never complained, and always got on with it. Of course given what he was being paid there was never a reason for him to rock the boat.
Griezmann did help Barcelona win the 2021 Copa del Rey with a string of great performances, including in the final, but for the most part, he went missing whenever the Blaugrana needed him most. They ended up loaning him back to Atleti in 2021, which has since been made permanent. Not a massive flop, especially given Barcelona’s lack of squad building around him, but definitely a flop.
4/10
Eden Hazard to Real Madrid (€100m)
After what felt like years of flirting between the two, Real Madrid finally got their man in 2019 when Eden Hazard joined from Chelsea. But the dream become an absolute nightmare for the otherwise brilliant Belgian.
Hazard played just 76 games across four seasons for Los Blancos – scoring just seven goals – and suffered various injury problems. He missed the start of his debut season with a hamstring injury and that set the tone. And when he did manage to get on the pitch he rarely looked fit and never looked like the live wire he was in his Chelsea days, terrorising defensive with phenomenal dribbling skills.
He’s picked up huge trophies in his time at Madrid (the great hilarity is that he has won La Liga as many times as Cristiano Ronaldo) but he’s been an unmitigated disaster. So bad that Real Madrid were happy to mutually terminate his contract a year early. Worse than Coutinho? Probably just about.
1/10