Javier Pastore is the most expensive player in French football history after he cost Paris Saint-Germain a fee believed to be $56 million. But Pastore is not the first footballer to have swapped clubs for a hefty price tag.
Football's most expensive players —
Javier Pastore is the most expensive player in French football history after he cost Paris Saint-Germain a fee believed to be $56 million. But Pastore is not the first footballer to have swapped clubs for a hefty price tag.
Fernando Torres swapped Chelsea for Liverpool on the final day of the January 2011 transfer window. After moving for a British-record transfer fee, believed to be in the region of $80 million, Torres has scored just five goals in a little over 12 months with the club.
Fernando Torres: Liverpool to Chelsea —
Fernando Torres swapped Chelsea for Liverpool on the final day of the January 2011 transfer window. After moving for a British-record transfer fee, believed to be in the region of $80 million, Torres has scored just five goals in a little over 12 months with the club.
In 2001, Real Madrid broke the world transfer record to bring FIFA World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane to Spain from Italian club Juventus. The fee for the French World Cup winner was reported to be €86.5 million ($115 million).
Zinedine Zidane: Juventus to Real Madrid —
In 2001, Real Madrid broke the world transfer record to bring FIFA World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane to Spain from Italian club Juventus. The fee for the French World Cup winner was reported to be €86.5 million ($115 million).
Real broke world transfer record again in June 2009, paying a reported $100 million to lure Brazil's Kaka away from Italian club AC Milan.
Kaka: AC Milan to Real Madrid —
Real broke world transfer record again in June 2009, paying a reported $100 million to lure Brazil's Kaka away from Italian club AC Milan.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic moved to Real's archrivals Barcelona during the same transfer window. Barca paid Inter Milan a reported $65 million for the Sweden striker, but he lasted only one season before returning to Italy with AC Milan.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Inter Milan to Barcelona —
Zlatan Ibrahimovic moved to Real's archrivals Barcelona during the same transfer window. Barca paid Inter Milan a reported $65 million for the Sweden striker, but he lasted only one season before returning to Italy with AC Milan.
Kaka's time as the world's most expensive player was short, with Real smashing the transfer record once again to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for a reported $130 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo: Manchester United to Real Madrid —
Kaka's time as the world's most expensive player was short, with Real smashing the transfer record once again to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for a reported $130 million.