After splurging on Brighton’s left wingback Marc Cucurella, the Blues’ new owners shelled out major cash for Leicester City’s Wesley Fofana who was signed on the eve of Transfer Deadline Day. Earlier in the summer, Matthijs de Ligt moved from Juventus to Bayern Munich for the seventh highest fee all-time.

Those names don’t even include this summer’s Jules Kounde transfer from Sevilla to Barcelona (only €50m / £45m / $55m), and Lisandro Martinez joining his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag at Manchester United thanks to a fee that clocks in at No. 14, according to Transfermarkt.

Transfer fees continue to skyrocket in the modern game, with lists being revised as the years and windows go by. All of the top 10 most expensive defenders come from deals occurring in the last four years. De Ligt is the only defender to appear twice in the Top 10 list, first for his move to Juventus from Ajax and again with his recent switch to Germany.

The Sporting News brings you an overview of the top 15 most expensive defenders, plus other notable defensive transfers in recent history.

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Who are the most expensive defenders in history?

Harry Maguire of Manchester United remains the most expensive defender to date, with his move from Leicester City in 2019. Maguire has been weighed down by the size of his transfer fee and the expectations that have come with it, yet he’s been unable to help lift Manchester United to Premier League title challenger status.

Two Dutch defenders appear next, as De Ligt’s move from Ajax to Juventus in 2019 ranks second, and Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool is third.

Van Dijk has been a prime example of a player who lived up to the transfer fee, proving a key contributor to a host of Liverpool trophies under Jurgen Klopp and developing into one of the top defenders in the world, if not the best on the planet.

(Note: Transfer fees courtesy of Transfermarkt)

Other expensive defender transfers

While the top 10 list provides a snapshot of the most recent ballooning of transfer fees at the upper echelons of the global game, it has also shoved aside a number of significant transfers involving defenders in the modern game.

The following list is a brief overview of some of the most notable past deals that made waves for the transfer fee.

Rio Ferdinand

From: Leeds United To: Manchester United Date: July 22, 2002 Fee: $50. 6 million

Rio Ferdinand was transferred for a high sum twice in his career, setting the transfer record for a defender at the time when he moved from QPR to Leeds United in November of 2000 for £18 million (€20.8m / $21.9m).

Still, it was his move to Manchester United two years later that set the tone for the years to come. It made Ferdinand the most expensive British footballer in history at the time, but Manchester United managed to secure a significant return on their investment as Ferdinand captained the team to domestic and international glory.

Ferdinand’s record for a defender’s transfer would stand for 12 years, an eternity in the football world, only broken in 2014 by David Luiz’s move from Chelsea to PSG.

Alessandro Nesta

From: Lazio To: AC Milan Date: July 5, 2002 Fee: $34. 1 million

In the same summer as Ferdinand’s move to Man United, Alessandro Nesta made the switch from Lazio to AC Milan. He was 26 years old at the time, and would spend the next 10 years at the club before a brief spell at the Montreal Impact.

The transfer fee could have been even higher had Lazio had any leverage, but with the club strapped for cash, they were forced to take the deal to help shore up the books.

Sergio Ramos

From: Sevilla To: Real Madrid Date: Aug. 31, 2005 Fee: $29. 7 million

Three years later after that wild summer of 2002, a 19-year-old Sergio Ramos was transferred to Real Madrid. The fee didn’t come close to Ferdinand, or even Nesta’s haul, but no defender would reach Ferdinand’s fee until 2014.

Still, Ramos’s transfer fee would rank fourth all-time for a defender at the time of his move. Ramos would become a legend at Real Madrid, earning his fee back and then some with his on-field accomplishments.