It is always sad to see some of the top players leave a football club within the Premier League, however there are times when the money is simply too good to turn down.
Of course, transfers are not always down to money as it will depend on what players, agents, managers and all those are involved are feeling at the time, however it can be a rather big factor into why a switch has happened.
Indeed, bettors who take on the £1 million Lotto x5 jackpot and win would feel as though they have pocketed some rather cool earnings, but the sums of money that football clubs can raise will make their win feel rather small.
According to data from TransferMarkt, there have been a couple of superstar players who have departed the Premier League for over £100 million, whilst there are a few others who have come close to breaking that nine-figure mark!
For those with a keen eye, though, a theme (or even two) should be noticed in regards to the most expensive Premier League departures in history…
1. Philippe Coutinho – £130.5 million
Philippe Coutinho managed to fetch Liverpool over £130 million back in January 2018 as FC Barcelona paid what they felt was acceptable to sign the Brazilian and add to their squad. Things started off okay for the playmaker, however performances soon declined and he was sent out on loan to Bayern Munich – where he would arguably fair better than he did during his time in Spain. However, he is back at the Catalans and has been given the opportunity to revive his career at the Camp Nou.
2. Eden Hazard – £103.5 million
A future Chelsea legend – if he is not already considered one – Eden Hazard was snapped up by Real Madrid for just over £100 million. The Belgian has been put in the same bracket as the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr in regards to challenging the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the best modern players – according to the Argentinian himself. He has struggled in the Spanish capital, though, and looks a shadow of the player he was at Stamford Bridge.
3. Gareth Bale – £90.9 million
Just a few years earlier, Real Madrid splashed out £90.9 million on Gareth Bale, however we all know how that went. Things started incredibly well for the Welshman but then they changed in an incredible fashion as he went from hero to zero with those involved at the Santiago Bernabeu. He is now ‘back home’ at Tottenham Hotspur on loan, but perhaps more importantly, he remains close to a golf course as well.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo – £84.6 million
Real Madrid again, but this time with arguably one of their best signings ever. A big statement to make considering they have had players like Ronaldo (R9), Roberton Carlos, Zinedine Zidane and so many others. However, hardly anyone can really compare to Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar cost them £84.6 million and despite being near the end of his career, clubs would probably still pay around that sum – if not more – to have him a part of their squads now.
5. Luis Suarez – £73.55 million
Another player Liverpool managed to cash in on for a significant value, Luis Suarez made the switch to Barcelona a few years before Coutinho did and proved to be incredibly successful during his spell with the Catalan giants. However, the summer of 2020 saw that come to an end as he was moved on to Atletico Madrid in a move Messi was far from happy about.
