The price of everything seems to have increased. Bread, milk, strikers…
Transfer fees have long been a talking point in football, but in 2025 they feel almost completely detached from reality. This summer alone we’ve seen Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool for €90m, Bryan Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha to Manchester United for €75m and €74m respectively.
How expensive would the legendary players of yesteryear be if they were on the market now?
To find out, we used the Football Transfer Inflation Calculator. Whilst the calculations are more of a rough estimate rather than a precise calculation, it does give a sense of just how wild the transfer market has become.
10. Didier Drogba – Marseille → Chelsea (2004/05, €39m → €188m adjusted)
In 2004, Didier Drogba was emerging as one of the most fearsome strikers. His performances at Marseille earned him a move to a Chelsea side eager to invest. Chelsea, under José Mourinho, were hungry for firepower and snapped him up amid interest from other European giants.
What a move it turned out to be. Drogba became a talismanic figure, perhaps the ultimate big game striker in the modern game. He scored winning goals in multiple finals and firmly established himself as a legend at Stamford Bridge.
If you offered Chelsea the opportunity to sign a young Drogba for €188m today, they’d bite your hand off.
9. Fernando Torres – Liverpool → Chelsea (2010/11, €59m → €189m adjusted)
Chelsea have never been shy to spend big on strikers. They’ve spent €63.70m on João Pedro and €35.50m on Liam Delap in this window alone. Back in January 2011, they spent €59m on Fernando Torres; equivalent to €189m in today’s market.
At Liverpool, Torres was lethal. The move to Chelsea didn’t quite go to plan. The Spaniard struggled to reproduce his Liverpool form. He became injury-prone, lost a yard of pace and was no longer the clinical finisher he once was.
8. Andriy Shevchenko – Milan → Chelsea (2006/07, €44m → €201m adjusted)
You’ll notice a theme emerging here.
Shevchenko was another top striker who arrived at Chelsea with the world at his feet.
His goalscoring record at AC Milan was second to none. He won the 2004 Ballon d’Or in recognition of his talent at finding the back of the net.
However, the Ukrainian struggled to adapt to the Premier League and returned just nine league goals before returning to Milan.
7. Neymar – Santos → Barcelona (2013/14, €88m → €220m adjusted)
Neymar is the only player to feature twice on this list, with his moves to and from Barcelona appearing.
This move was undoubtedly the more successful of the two. Having attracted the world’s attention at Santos, Neymar formed a potent partnership with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Barcelona. The MSN trio won nine trophies in three years, including one Champions League and two La Liga trophies.
6. Kylian Mbappé – Monaco → PSG (2018/19, €180m → €232m adjusted)
When Mbappé made his move to PSG permanent in 2018, he was already a World Cup winner and amongst the biggest stars on the planet.
His trophy haul at PSG included six Ligue 1 titles and four Coupes de France trophies. In the process, Mbappé became PSG’s all-time top scorer with 256 goals, overtaking Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimović.
PSG would have been disappointed to see Mbappé leave on a free having invested so heavily in the initial transfer fee, but his impact on the pitch was so extraordinary that the transfer will still be remembered as a triumph.
5. Kaká – Milan → Real Madrid (2009/10, €67m → €233m adjusted)
Kaká became the fourth Brazilian to win the Ballon d’Or, picking up the award in 2007. He was the last player to pick up the prestigious award before the decade-long dominance of Messi and Ronaldo.
He was widely regarded as the best attacking midfielder in the world at the time. Manchester City and Chelsea were rumoured to have explored a move for the Brazilian, before Real Madrid secured his signing as part of the second Galácticos era. He joined in the same window as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso.
While Kaká’s start to his Madrid career was promising, persistent knee problems prevented him from ever truly dominating La Liga the way he had in Serie A. When fit, he produced moments of brilliance that were reminiscent of his Milan prime. Whilst the move might not have lived up to expectations, he left Madrid with a La Liga and Copa del Rey.
4. Zinedine Zidane – Juventus → Real Madrid (2001/02, €78m → €250m adjusted)
One of football’s most iconic transfers, befitting one of the most iconic players of all time.
Zidane joining Real was a statement of intent, and he certainly didn’t disappoint. His winning volley in the 2002 Champions League final remains one of the greatest goals ever scored.
After finishing his playing career with Madrid in 2006, he rejoined the club as manager in 2016, ushering in a new era of European dominance for Los Blancos.
3. Gareth Bale – Tottenham → Real Madrid (2013/14, €101m → €253m adjusted)
The €101m paid for Gareth Bale in 2013 eclipsed what Real had previously paid for Ronaldo to become the world’s most expensive signing at the time.
Bale’s Real Madrid career can be summed up as a mixed bag. He played a key role in four Champions League titles, but also struggled with injuries, inconsistent form and a perceived lack of integration with the rest of the team.
2. Neymar – Barcelona → PSG (2017/18, €222m → €280m adjusted)
Neymar’s second appearance in the top ten.
PSG’s staggering move was designed to give Neymar the opportunity to step out of Messi’s shadow and firmly establish himself as the greatest player of the new generation.
Domestic success followed, but PSG’s superstar signings were unable to secure the desired European glory. Neymar, Mbappé and Messi never quite hit the heights that MSN did. Pochettino’s rigid 4-3-3 struggled to get the best out of the trio, especially in Europe.
The arrival of Christophe Galtier and a 3-4-3 formation did see an improvement, but it wasn’t until the three forwards left that PSG were finally able to secure a Champions League.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United → Real Madrid (2009/10, €94m → €326m adjusted)
The greatest transfer of all time.
Across nine seasons, Ronaldo scored a staggering 450 goals in 438 games, won four Champions League titles, two La Liga titles and became the club’s all-time leading goalscorer. His rivalry with Lionel Messi defined the 2010s, pushing football to new heights. His performances in the biggest matches cemented his place as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
Even at €326m in today’s money, Madrid would likely consider it a bargain.
