Spain has been fertile ground for soccer talent, and in this article we will analyze the ten Spanish players whose transfers reached astronomical figures in the history of soccer.. From skilled midfielders to deadly forwards, we’ll find out who are the most expensive Spanish footballers of all time and their impact on the beautiful game:
The Asturian was a Premier League star and Champions League winner with the Blues, but he opted for a new challenge that was a success despite a disappointing start. Mata, United’s then-record signing, spent eight years in Manchester and came very close to racking up 200 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils.
The Valencian maestro was one of the many millionaire signings made by Lazio during the Sergio Cragnotti period.
Mendieta became the sixth most expensive player in history in 2002 when he arrived in the Eternal City, but his one season at Lazio proved disappointing. The Spaniard found himself outclassed by the likes of Pavel Nedved and Juan Sebastián Verón, and he went on loan for the next two seasons before joining Middlesbrough in 2004.
A somewhat unexpected signing.
It looked as if Ferran was just beginning his career at Manchester City, but the Citizens opted to cut his Premier League stay short when Barcelona answered their call and signed the versatile winger for €55m.
City got a good slice for the Spaniard, who has not managed to establish himself as a starter in Catalonia.
It is not the first time that we have questioned the hiring of Chelsea in this list.
Torres, in his prime, was a force to be reckoned with, but that head-taped phenomenon that terrorized defenses early in his Premier League career was no more by the time the Blues shelled out €58.5m. to sign him from Liverpool.
Lacking in speed and often short of confidence, Torres was not the striker Chelsea thought they were signing. Yet the Spaniard scored 45 goals in 175 appearances for the Blues and starred in one of sport’s most iconic moments at the Camp Nou during Chelsea’s journey to unimaginable Champions League glory in 2012.
Costa was a threat during his time at Chelsea and was the club’s leading man (Eden Hazard aside) to two Premier League titles.
Antonio Conte got the best of the tempestuous striker during his first season in charge of the team, but their flammable relationship culminated in divorce.
City were forced to pay a whopping €65m to sign Laporte from Athletic Club in 2018.
However, the club’s heavy investment proved wise as Laporte quickly established himself in Manchester and proved a crucial addition to Pep’s project.
His ability to play the ball elevated City’s build and helped them win several league titles, though his role at the Etihad waned during the 2022/23 campaign, in which they won the treble.
Brighton proved to be the perfect destination for the agile Spaniard, who quickly became a coveted full-back for City and Chelsea. The Blues won the bid and paid €65.3 million to take it to Stamford Bridge.
Although Cucurella had impressed on the south coast, almost everyone believed Chelsea had overpaid, and those doubts were confirmed when the versatile defender had a tough debut season.
Although Conte insisted that Morata was a man he would like his daughter to marry, the Italian was not particularly happy that the Spaniard ended up being his main man after the departure of Diego Costa.
Conte was desperate to sign Romelu Lukaku but the Blues missed out because United bought the Belgian.
Morata was a good alternative, and his first season at the club was impressive. However, the Spaniard’s form quickly fell off a cliff.
City were proactive in their search for Fernandinho’s successor, acquiring yet another midfielder in the Pep Guardiola mould.
The Citizens signed Rodri from Atlético Madrid for €70m in 2020 and the Spaniard quickly became one of Pep’s mainstays.
Rodri has been like one of the best in his position and his excellent 2022/23 campaign concluded with victory in the Champions League final.
Chelsea not only made Kepa the most expensive Spaniard in history when they signed him from Athletic Club in 2018, they also became the most expensive goalkeeper in history.
The hefty price tag meant it was going to be hard for Kepa to live up to expectations and he has endured some really tough periods in west London. For a time it looked as if his Premier League career had come to an end, but a recent resurgence has seen him regain his number one status from Edouard Mendy.
A decent enough goalkeeper but he never deserved the monstrous sum paid by the Blues.
Position |
Player |
Equipment |
Price |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Kepa Arrizabalaga |
Chelsea |
80M |
2 |
Rodri |
Manchester City |
70M |
3 |
alvaro morata |
Chelsea |
66M |
4 |
Marc Cucurella |
Chelsea |
65.3M |
5 |
Aymeric Laporte |
Manchester City |
65M |
6 |
Diego Costa |
Chelsea |
60M |
7 |
Fernando Torres |
Chelsea |
58.5M |
8 |
ferran torres |
FC Barcelona |
55M |
9 |
Gaizka Mendieta |
lazio |
48M |
10 |
Juan kill |
Manchester Utd |
44.73M |
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