10 most expensive French footballers of all time

Some huge sums have been spent to acquire some of the best football talent to ever come out of the footballing hotbed that is France.

Here is an up-to-date list of the top 10 completed moves involving French players.

1. Kylian Mbappe - Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain - €180m

Taking top spot not for his recent high-profile move to Real Madrid, but for his switch from Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain, superstar striker Kylian Mbappe sits top of the pile.

PSG took a chance on Mbappe, making him the most expensive teenage signing of all time and the second most expensive signing ever at that time, behind Brazilian star Neymar.

While he won numerous domestic trophies during his time at the Parc des Princes, the UEFA Champions League title eluded PSA, who saw Mbappe leave on a free to Real Madrid last summer.

2. Ousmane Dembele - Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona - €135m

Making the big-money move from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona back in August, Ousmane Dembele is second on the list of the most expensive French signings of all time.

Taking on the No.11 shirt previously worn by Neymar, there was plenty of pressure on Dembele the minute he walked through the doors at the Camp Nou.

Injuries hampered Dembele’s time at Barca but he did manage to win two La Liga titles and two Copa del Reys with the Blaugrana before moving on to PSG.

3. Antoine Griezmann - Atletico Madrid to Barcelona - €120m

Another Frenchman whose time at Barcelona did not exactly end as planned was striker Antoine Griezmann.

Completing his boyhood dream by joining Barca back in July 2019, Griezmann left his beloved Atletico Madrid to sign a five-year deal at the Camp Nou.

Some things are just never meant to be and it was in August 2021 that Griezmann was back at Atleti initially on loan, before completing a permanent switch back to Atletico in October 2022 for a reported €20million.

4. Paul Pogba - Juventus to Manchester United - €105m

Paul Pogba made a high-profile return to Manchester United in August 2016 for a then world-record fee.

Pogba did not return to the same United that he’d experienced under the great Sir Alex Ferguson and his unsettled time at Old Trafford ended with a return to Juventus in July 2022.

5. Randal Kolo Muani - Eintracht Frankfurt to Paris Saint-Germain - €95m

Reaching the halfway point of the list, it’s Randal Kolo Muani who comes in at No.5 with his move from Eintracht Frankfurt to PSG in September 2023.

Making a slow start to life at the Parc des Princes, Muani has not had the impact he would have liked on his return to France.

6. Wesley Fofana - Leicester City to Chelsea - €80.4m

A player who made a name for himself at Leicester City, Fofana did enough with his efforts at the King Power Stadium to earn a big-money move to Chelsea in August 2022.

Sadly for the defender from Marseille, injuries have plagued his time at Chelsea, with an anterior cruciate ligament injury seeing Fofana spend a lengthy spell out on the sidelines.

Having missed the entire 2023/24 Premier League season, Fofana is back playing and having an impact for Chelsea once again this term.

7. Aurelien Tchouameni - Monaco to Real Madrid - €80m

A player who shone during his time at Monaco, Real Madrid came calling for Aurelien Tchouameni in June 2022.

Putting pen to paper on a six-year deal, Tchouameni has already won a La Liga title, Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup since making the move to Los Blancos.

8. Lucas Hernandez - Atletico Madrid to Bayern Munich - €80m

Coming in at No.8, defender Lucas Hernandez makes the cut following his switch from Atletico Madrid to Bayern Munich in March 2019.

Spending just under four years in Bavaria, Hernandez won four Bundesliga titles before moving on to PSG in July 2023.

9. Thomas Lemar - Monaco to Atletico Madrid - €72m

Yet another player to develop at Monaco before moving on for a sizeable fee, Thomas Lemar left the Principality outfit for Atletico Madrid in June 2018.

Helping Atleti win the La Liga title in the 2020/21 season, meaning he has now won league titles in both Ligue 1 and the Spanish top-flight.

10. Leny Yoro - Lille to Manchester United - €62m

Just making the cut on this list, Leny Yoro completes the top 10 following his move from Lille to Manchester United last summer.

With injury affecting Yoro’s brief spell at Old Trafford so far, it remains to be seen if the defender was worth the sizeable fee paid for his services.

(All transfers in Euros. Source: Transfermarkt.co.uk.)