Most Expensive Transfers In Football Before 2010 (Adjusted For Inflation)

Using Hargreaves Lansdown’s calculator, we have been able to show the effect of inflation on the transfers listed below, and uncover what they would be worth in today’s money.

10. Rio Ferdinand £64.5m (£30m In 2002)

One of the first of his kind, Rio Ferdinand was an imposing, speedy ball-playing defender that would undoubtedly command a fee in excess of £64m – the world record price for a defender Manchester United paid in 2002, adjusted to today’s inflation.

His recent claim of a £170m price tag is far-fetched to say the least, but a long list of desirable characteristics would make him one of the most sought after defenders in today’s market.

9. Gabriel Batistuta – £72m (£32m In 2000)

Argentina’s second-most prolific scorer of all-time often doesn’t get the adulation he deserves, but his £32m move from Fiorentina to Roma at the turn of the millennium typified the might and power of Serie A‘s golden age.

Having fired in 23 goals in 30 appearances in the league, as well as five in 10 in the Champions League, the trophy-starved Romans were eager to bring in the necessary firepower in order to deliver the Scudetto to the capital.

8. Andriy Shevchenko – £74m (£39m In 2006)

Having established himself as one of the most potent forwards in Europe, Ukraine’s crowning jewel switched Milan for London in 2006 after Chelsea paid a British record fee of £39m.

Having been awarded the Ballon D’or after guiding AC to a Scudetto two years prior, he rounded off his career in red and black with a staggering 175 goals in 322 games.

7. Christian Vieri – £94.9m (£41m In 1999)

Another of the Serie A’s abundant selection of strikers in the late 1990’s, Christian Vieira was rightly regarded as one of the world’s best in his prime, and his goalscoring return is testament to that.

In his most prolific years, the Italian hit double figures in eight consecutive seasons in Spain and Italy, and after making the switch from Lazio to Inter Milan for a monumental £41m fee in 1999, he would go on to score 123 times in 190 appearances for I Nerazzurri.

6. Kaka – £99m (£56m In 2009)

Just days separated Kaka’s then-world record transfer from AC Milan to Real Madrid, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s £80m switch to the Spanish capital.

A Ballon D’or recipient two years prior, the Brazilian was blessed with exceptional speed given his height and build, which was also complemented by an incomparable, ambidextrous creativity on the ball.

5. Zinedine Zidane – £101.3m (£46.6m In 2001)

The world’s best player became its most expensive when Florentino Perez and Real Madrid paid £46m to bring Zinedine Zidane to Spain.

£46m is a fee now associated with run-of-the-mill-players, but at the time one of the game’s quintessential number 10’s commanded a world record fee which is now worth in excess of £100m.

4. Gianluigi Buffon – £108m (£50m In 2001)

In an era where wavy-haired Serie A strikers commanded the biggest fees in world football, Gianluigi Buffon bucked that trend in 2001 after Juventus paid a world-record sum for the then-Parma goalkeeper.

As the man himself claimed in 2019, he turned out to be one of the best investments the Old Lady have ever made, going on to make 685 appearances whilst registering 322 clean sheets.

3. Zlatan Ibrahimovich – £111.5m (£63m In 2009)

Known for his remarkable self-confidence, the Swede’s £63m to Barcelona in 2009 appeared to be one of the signings of the window, as he joined up with a glittering Blaugrana side headed up by Pep Guardiola.

Despite netting 22 time in 46 appearances, he describes his solitary season in Catalonia as the ‘worst memory’ of his career, admitting that he ‘lost his identity’.

2. Luis Figo – £120m (£54m In 2000)

At his peak, Luis Figo was the world’s most gifted player, and in 2000 he became its most expensive in one of the wildest transfer stories in history.

Of course, his time at Madrid resulted in two La Liga triumphs, a Champions League title and a Ballon D’or.

An often misunderstood chapter of his career has unfortunately underpinned his time in Madrid, but there is no doubting his place among football’s greats.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – £141.5m (£80m In 2009)

As already mentioned, Real Madrid broke their own world-record just days after seemingly making Kaka their marquee signing of 2009.

However, as history has shown, the world’s best player at the time, Cristiano Ronaldo would prove to be one of, if not the single greatest signing in history after cementing himself as a legend in every sense of the word.

He left for Juventus in 2018 as Los Blancos’ all-time record goal scorer, netting a stupendous return of 450 goals in 438 games.