The English Premier League has at all times been a treasure trove of world-class soccer gamers. Unsurprisingly, non-English powerhouses are drawn to those superstars, agreeing to pay loopy costs to prize them away from England.
On the time of writing, Atletico Madrid is pushing exhausting to signal Julian Alvarez from Manchester Metropolis. In response to reviews, Los Rojiblancos are set to splurge round £83 million ($105.37 million) to take the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner to the Spanish capital, which might make Alvarez Metropolis’s greatest sale in historical past. Nevertheless, relating to the most costly Premier League departures of this century, Alvarez is sort of a great distance off the highest spot.
Proceed studying to take a look at the seven most costly Premier League exports and uncover how they fared outdoors of England. Let’s start!
Valuation: The Mirror
#7 Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United to Inter Milan): £60 million ($76.17 million)
Solely two years after signing him from Everton, Manchester United green-lit Romelu Lukaku’s departure to Serie A aspect Inter Milan. The Nerazzurri paid £60 million ($76.17 million) for the Belgian’s companies, making him the second Most worthy departure in Pink Devils’ historical past. In his two years at Outdated Trafford, Lukaku performed 96 matches throughout competitions, scoring 42 objectives.
Lukaku unlocked his greatest type at Inter Milan, rising as a power to be reckoned with. Throughout the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, Lukaku scored 64 occasions in 95 matches. His objectives helped Inter Milan to the Serie A title within the 2020-21 season and a UEFA Europa League runners-up spot in 2019-20. Chelsea cherished what they noticed from the center-forward and paid an enormous £97.5 million ($123.77 million) to carry him again to England. Sadly, the transfer has not labored out, with the Blues at the moment considering his sale for an enormous loss.
#6 Luis Suarez (Liverpool to Barcelona): £70 million ($88.86 million)
In July 2014, Barcelona splurged an enormous £70 million ($88.86 million) charge to signal Luis Suarez from Liverpool. Primarily based on uncooked numbers, the transfer made good sense. The ex-Ajax man had scored a stellar 82 objectives in solely 133 appearances and nearly single-handedly made the Reds title contenders. Nevertheless, his biting incident within the 2014 World Cup confirmed him in a nasty mild. Because of the disciplinary sanctions, which saved him from enjoying till late October, many prime groups, together with Actual Madrid, pulled out from the race to signal the Uruguayan. Barca, in the meantime, stood by him, realizing they’d an excellent participant of their ranks.
Their religion paid off within the following six years, as Suarez helped Barcelona to 4 La Liga titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy. His telepathic understanding with Lionel Messi was a sight to behold, with the 2 discovering one another with little or no effort. Suarez emerged as the most effective gamers in La Liga throughout his time at Barcelona, scoring 195 objectives and offering 113 assists in 283 video games throughout competitions.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United to Actual Madrid): £80 million ($101.56 million)
Simply probably the most profitable Premier League export in historical past, Cristiano Ronaldo left his beloved Manchester United to satisfy his future at Actual Madrid in the summertime of 2009. Madrid needed to signal the Portuguese in 2008 itself, however Sir Alex Ferguson blocked the transfer. The next yr, he begrudgingly allowed his favourite pupil to depart, with Manchester United incomes a cool £80 million ($101.56 million) from his sale.
The worth tag was becoming, in fact, as Ronaldo had gained all of it throughout his time at Outdated Trafford. His heroics helped Manchester United to a few Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy, and he deservedly gained the 2008 Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldo was on the prime of his recreation throughout his nine-year keep at Actual Madrid. He shattered information left, proper, and middle, rising because the membership’s all-time main scorer with 451 objectives in 438 matches. Because of his blistering showings, which helped Madrid to 4 UEFA Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles, Ronaldo gained 4 Ballon d’Or awards.
#4 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur To Bayern Munich): £81.7 million ($103.72 million)
Arguably the best participant to return out of Tottenham Hotspur’s academy, Harry Kane, joined Bayern Munich in a mammoth £81.7 million ($103.72 million) deal in the summertime of 2023. Kane, the second-highest scorer in Premier League historical past, scored 280 objectives and claimed 61 assists in 435 matches for the Lilywhites in all competitions between 2009-10 and 2022-23. Sadly, regardless of his greatest efforts, Spurs couldn’t win even a single trophy throughout his time on the membership.
Seeking silverware, Kane joined the largest membership in German soccer. Nevertheless, issues didn’t work out the best way he anticipated in his debut season. Kane loved the most effective season of his profession in 2023-24, scoring 44 objectives and offering 12 assists in 45 video games, however Bayern fell brief in all competitions, ending trophyless for the primary time since 2011-12. Will probably be fascinating to see if Girl Luck lastly stands by the Englishman’s aspect within the 2024-25 season.
#3 Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur to Actual Madrid): £86.9 million ($110.32 million)
Among the best Premier League wingers of all time, Gareth Bale left Tottenham Hotspur for Actual Madrid in then British-record £86.9 million ($110.32 million) in August 2013. The Welsh Wizard, who had scored 55 objectives and offered 50 assists in 203 video games for Spurs, partnered up with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in assault, forming one of the vital fearsome attacking trios on this planet.
Bale helped Los Blancos to their tenth UEFA Champions League and the Copa del Rey in his debut season, scoring in each finals. He additionally transformed from the spot within the 2015-16 UCL remaining and scored an excellent brace, which included an overhead kick, within the 2017-18 remaining towards Liverpool. Bale slipped down the pecking order after the 2018-19 season however he had already cemented his Actual Madrid legacy by then. Earlier than leaving the Whites for Main League Soccer (MLS) aspect Los Angeles FC in 2022, Bale performed 258 video games, scoring 106 objectives and offering 67 assists. He gained three La Liga titles and 5 UEFA Champions League trophies on the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
#2 Eden Hazard (Chelsea to Actual Madrid): £103.9 million ($131.9 million)
After years of to-and-fro, Actual Madrid secured the companies of Belgian famous person Eden Hazard from Premier League giants Chelsea. Regardless of having just one yr remaining on his contract, Chelsea acquired £103.9 million ($131.9 million) for the left-winger’s companies.
Having contributed to 195 objectives (110 objectives and 85 assists) in 352 video games for Chelsea, two-time Premier League winner Hazard joined Madrid with an enormous status. Nevertheless, he by no means reached the extent everybody knew he was able to reaching. He acquired criticism for not being severe sufficient about his health and suffered plenty of accidents throughout his four-year keep within the Spanish capital. Earlier than retiring in 2023, Hazard performed 76 video games for Madrid, scoring seven occasions and offering 12 assists.
#1 Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool to Barcelona): £116 million ($147.26 million)
Former Brazil worldwide Philippe Coutinho emerged as the most effective gamers within the Premier League throughout his time at Liverpool. Becoming a member of from Inter Milan in January 2013, Coutinho performed 201 video games for Liverpool, chipping in with 54 objectives and 43 assists. Impressed together with his performances, Barcelona prized him away from Anfield Stadium for a staggering £116 million ($147.26 million) charge in January 2018.
Sadly, issues didn’t go in accordance with plan in Catalonia. After an encouraging half-season in 2017-18, throughout which he scored 9 objectives in 22 appearances, Coutinho fell off. In his first full season, he solely scored 11 occasions and offered 5 assists in 54 appearances. Following the underwhelming marketing campaign, Barcelona loaned him to Bayern Munich, the place he gained the Treble. He even scored twice in Bayern’s historic 8-2 routing of Barcelona within the Champions League quarter-finals. One other mortgage to Aston Villa adopted earlier than Barca shipped him off for good to the Villans for a £17.26 million ($21.91 million) charge.
