Sandro Tonali Ranks Among Top 20 Most Expensive Midfielders in Transfer History

The list of the most expensive midfielders in football transfer history includes Sandro Tonali, whose £52m transfer from Milan to Newcastle in July 2023 secured him a spot among the top 20.

For clarity, the term ‘midfielder’ here refers primarily to defensive and central midfielders, often called 6s and 8s, rather than attacking midfielders or ‘10s’ who belong to a separate category.

These midfielders, serving as the link between defense and attack, have commanded substantial fees, a trend expected to escalate further in the summer of 2026.

Leading Transfers Among Midfielders

1) Enzo Fernandez – £106.8m/€121m (Benfica to Chelsea, January 2023)

Fernandez was acquired by Benfica for €10m in June 2022 as an Argentina youth international and then transferred to Chelsea for €121m six months later, after winning the World Cup with Argentina. Despite the high fee, Chelsea initially struggled, finishing in the bottom half before improving and then declining again amid reports of Fernandez's desire to leave.

2) Declan Rice – £100m/€117.4m (West Ham to Arsenal, July 2023)

Rice's £100m transfer plus £5m in add-ons to Arsenal marked a significant change for the club, breaking what was described as the West Ham curse during his third season.

3) Moises Caicedo – £100m/€117.1m (Brighton to Chelsea, August 2023)

Caicedo has the potential to top this list soon, with half of the £15m add-ons from Chelsea considered easily attainable. Liverpool had offered £111m, but the Ecuadorian player declined, much to the disappointment of some Liverpool supporters.

4) Paul Pogba – £93.2m/€110m (Juventus to Manchester United, August 2016)

Manchester United struggled to utilize Pogba effectively under three different managers, leading to frustration and his eventual free transfer back to Juventus.

5) Jude Bellingham – £88.5m/€103m (Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid, June 2023)

Bellingham's transfer to Real Madrid is considered a bargain close to £100m, with potential add-ons raising the total to £115m/€133.9m over a six-year contract. At 22 years old with over 300 senior appearances, he is expected to continue developing.

6) Frenkie de Jong – £74.5m/€86m (Ajax to Barcelona, July 2019)

De Jong chose Barcelona over Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester clubs during his peak, joining as Barcelona faced financial difficulties. He has since played a central role in their recovery.

7) Aurelien Tchouameni – £68.3m/€80m (Monaco to Real Madrid, June 2022)

Real Madrid would consider paying an additional £17m/€20m if Tchouameni continues to perform well as part of their midfield overhaul, though he reportedly needs to improve his relations with teammates.

8) Arthur Melo – £66m/€72m (Barcelona to Juventus, June 2020)

Arthur was loaned to Liverpool, then the world's fourth most expensive midfielder, to address squad issues, but injuries limited his impact.

9) Rodri – £62.8m/€70m (Atletico Madrid to Manchester City, July 2019)

Rodri initially faced challenges adapting to Pep Guardiola’s style but evolved into a key player, known for tactical fouling and scoring in the Champions League final.

10) Casemiro – £60m/€70m (Real Madrid to Manchester United, August 2022)

Manchester United invested up to £70m in Casemiro, then 30 years old, offering a four-year contract. The transfer yielded mixed results for the club.

11) Martin Zubimendi – £60m/€69.5m (Real Sociedad to Arsenal, July 2025)

After Liverpool failed to convince Zubimendi to leave San Sebastian, Arsenal succeeded a year later, reuniting him with former teammate Mikel Merino.

12) Jorginho – £57m/€65m (Napoli to Chelsea, July 2018)

Manchester City could not finalize a deal for Jorginho, who instead joined Chelsea under Maurizio Sarri, contributing productively over five years.

13) Tanguy Ndombele – £55.4m/€62m (Lyon to Tottenham, July 2019)

Ndombele was Tottenham's record signing at the time, welcomed by Mauricio Pochettino. He left the club after nearly 100 appearances without a transfer fee.

14) Kevin de Bruyne – £55m/€75m (Wolfsburg to Manchester City, August 2015)

Paul Merson and Phil Thompson expressed surprise at de Bruyne’s transfer fee, which now appears justified given his performance for Manchester City over a decade.

15) Miralem Pjanic – £54.8m/€60m (Juventus to Barcelona, June 2020)

Pjanic’s transfer to Barcelona was part of a complex pandemic-era deal involving Arthur, reflecting a trend of clubs exchanging high-wage players amid financial constraints.

16) Romeo Lavia – £53m/€61.9m (Southampton to Chelsea, August 2023)

Despite only 36 senior appearances, Chelsea signed Lavia, continuing their pattern of investing in young midfielders. Manchester City received about £8m from a sell-on clause when Lavia joined Southampton.

17) Matheus Nunes – £53.2m/€62m (Wolves to Manchester City, September 2023)

Nunes forced a move to Manchester City by going on strike after Wolves rejected the initial offer. The deal includes a 10% sell-on clause, and Nunes, a 27-year-old reclassified right-back, may fit better on a different list.

18) Naby Keita – £52.75m/€60m (Leipzig to Liverpool, July 2018)

Keita's transfer is considered a rare expensive misstep by Liverpool's transfer committee, as injuries limited him to 75 starts over five seasons.

19) Sandro Tonali – £52m/€60m (Milan to Newcastle, July 2023)

Tonali’s arrival at Newcastle displaced teammate Bruno Guimaraes (£40m/€50.1m) from this list. Tonali may soon leave for Tottenham.

20) Fred – £52m/€58.9m (Shakhtar Donetsk to Manchester United, June 2018)

Manchester City attempted to sign Fred for less the previous winter but withdrew, allowing Manchester United to secure him. Fred’s signing divided United fans due to his hardworking yet limited style.