List of Top 10 Most Expensive Striker in Football

Football clubs spend a hefty amount of money on the transfer of strikers, expecting that they will score a good number of goals for the team. These strikrs sometimes proved to be an asset for the team, whereas there are signings in the game that ended up as a flop signing. Big names like Kylian Mbappé, Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku, and Joao Felix have cost more than a small country’s sports budget! The players mentioned earlier are also the most expensive strikers in the world of football. The fees show strikers are the rockstars of football, with price tags that could fund a moon trip! Let's check out the other most expensive striker in the world as of 2025.

Most Expensive Strikers in Football (Ranked)

Below is a detailed ranking of the most expensive striker transfers in football history. The transfer fee shows management's trust in the player's ability to score goals for the team.

Who are the Most Expensive Football Strikers of All Time?

Top strikers command massive transfer fees due to their goal-scoring ability and impact on matches. Below is a detailed list of the most expensive striker transfers in football history, based on fees paid between clubs. Remember, this list is based on the transfer fees paid between clubs and not the salary paid to the player.

10. Victor Osimhen | Lille to Napoli for €81.3m

Victor Osimhen's move to Napoli from Lille brought a powerful striker to the Italian league Serie A. His pace, aerial ability and goal poaching made him one of the best strikers in the league, which justifies his transfer fee of €81.3m. The transfer fee of more than eighty million euros also makes him one of the most expensive football striker in the history of Napoli. He became a key figure in Napoli’s attack, helping them win the league. He scored 76 goals in 133 appearances for the Italian club before leaving for Galatasaray.

9. Darwin Nunez | SL Benfica to Liverpool for €85m

Darwin Nunez's transfer fees of €85m reflect his goal-scoring ability and his determination to contribute to team success. The Uruguayan’s performances in Portugal made him a prime target. While his finishing can is in question nowadays, his potential is undeniable. Liverpool have a history of signing great strikers, be it Luis Suarez in the past and now Darwin Nunez. Liverpool’s investment aims for long-term attacking success. However, if we talk about he overall performance of the player for a Premier League side, it can be termed as average and not worth the amount.

8. Gonzalo Higuaín | Napoli to Juventus for €90m

Higuaín was another one of the great strikers in the 2010s, and his incredible tenure at Napoli further cemented his status. He made 146 appearances for Napoli, scoring 91 goals and providing 26 assists. His big move came after a scintillating 2015/16 season, where Higuaín bagged 38 goals and three assists in 42 appearances for Napoli.

That earned him a move to Juventus that summer and made him one of the most expensive striker transfers, with the player carrying forward with his goalscoring exploits and helping Juve win the Serie A title in his first season.

7. Randal Kolo Muani | Eintracht Frankfurt to PSG for €95m

Probably one of the most surprising amounts shelled out for a player recently, the Parisians acquired Kolo Muani from Frankfurt in a knee-jerk reaction deal, prematurely adding him to the list of the most expensive striker transfers. Kolo Muani was at Nantes during the 2021/22 season, where he scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in 41 games and was signed by Frankfurt. The following season, he amassed 23 goals and 17 assists in 46 appearances, which is mighty impressive but was probably too soon to be spending nearly 100 million on.

6. Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid to Juventus for €100m

Ronaldo’s move from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009 created shockwaves that lasted a few years, but he did more than enough to justify his price tag. The Portuguese sensation made a staggering 438 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring a club-record 450 goals and also providing 131 assists, doing more than enough to justify his spot among the most expensive striker transfers.

For Juventus to persuade Real to part with their prized possession, they had to break the bank to sign Ronaldo in 2018. He repaid their faith as well, scoring 101 goals and providing 22 assists in just 134 games, and winning two Serie A titles during his time with Juve.

5. Romelu Lukaku | Inter Milan to Chelsea for €113m

The only player to feature twice on this list, Romelu Lukaku has been subject to some big-money moves in his time as a professional. He had an impressive 2020/21 season with Inter, scoring 30 goals and providing 10 assists in 44 appearances across competitions that year. The following season, Chelsea wanted their star striker back and showed intent with a massive bid that Inter found hard to turn down. However, the Belgian was unfortunately unable to replicate that form again.

4. Harry Kane | Tottenham to Bayern Munich for €115.8m

In stark contrast to the players before him, Kane’s move fully deserves its place among the most expensive striker transfers. Harry Kane made 435 appearances for Spurs and is their all-time leading scorer with 280 goals and has also provided 61 assists. He left for Bavaria in search of trophies and has done well in his one season with the club so far.

Kane has made 45 appearances for Bayern across competitions and has scored an eye-watering 44 goals along with 12 assists. Despite going trophyless this season, he has set himself up well for his tenure with the club and deserves his spot among the most expensive striker transfers.

3. Antoine Griezmann | Atletico Madrid to Barcelona for €120m

Another move that did not quite work out for the new club, Griezmann’s move to Barcelona in 2019 was expected to be the club’s way of moving on from their retiring legends. However, the Frenchman was unable to properly acclimate himself to life at Camp Nou. He ended up making 102 appearances for Barça, scoring 35 goals and also providing 17 assists in that time. However, having come off an incredible season with Atlético Madrid, where he scored 21 goals and provided 10 assists in 48 appearances, a lot was expected of him which he was unable to deliver.

2. João Félix | Benfica to Atlético Madrid for €126m

João Félix had one of the quickest and most hyped climbs to the top, but has since failed to fully justify the entire buzz. He had an incredible 2018/19 season with Benfica as a teenager, scoring 20 goals and providing 11 assists in 43 appearances, and was immediately approached by a host of top clubs. Atlético were the first ones to directly activate the player’s release clause as they looked at him as one for the present and the future. He has made 131 appearances for Atleti, scoring 34 goals and providing 18 assists as well.

1. Kylian Mbappé | AS Monaco to PSG for €180m

While the fee still seems very exorbitant, one can argue that Kylian Mbappé is good enough to justify even the most ridiculous amounts. Such was the hype around a French teenager who took the world by storm as he scored 21 goals and provided 16 assists in just 46 games in the 2017/18 season.

PSG were the quickest to move and signed Mbappé on an initial loan with an obligation to buy. He spent the next few years with the Parisians and established himself as one of, if not the greatest, active footballers. Kylian Mbappé bagged an impressive 256 goals and 108 assists in 308 appearances for PSG. He also won six Ligue 1 titles, four Coupe de France cups, and three Trophée des Champions, and has done more than enough to justify his spot at the top of the list of the most expensive striker transfers.