The 10 most expensive defender transfers of all time: Maguire to Man Utd, Van Dijk to Liverpool and Man City flop

Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool have been responsible for signing some of the most expensive defenders in history. 

Big-money defensive signings have become more common in recent years as they are now expected to do much more than just prevent goals.

TEAMtalk has recently revealed that Everton have placed a £80million price tag on Jarrad Branthwaite, who is attracting interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.

We’ve now taken a look at the 10 most expensive defenders in history and how they fared after completing their big-money moves.

Note: we’ve included any potential add-ons and bonuses in the total figures.

10. Achraf Hakimi – £60.9m

Despite winning the Serie A title in his debut season at Inter Milan, Hakimi was sold by the club in 2021 in order to raise funds.

Paris Saint-Germain fought off competition from Chelsea and won the race for his signature after agreeing to pay Inter an initial £51.3million and another £9.6million in add-ons.

The Morocco international has justified that price tag at the Parc des Princes and is widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world.

He’s recently been linked with Real Madrid and Manchester City but PSG are looking to extend his contract, which is due to expire in 2026.

9. Marc Cucurella – £63m

Cucurella enjoyed a brilliant debut season at Brighton in 2021/22 and his impressive performances attracted interest from Chelsea and Manchester City.

While City were willing to pay £40million for the left-back, Chelsea outbid them by giving the Seagulls an initial £56million and a further £7million in add-ons.

But he has failed to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge and is currently behind Ben Chilwell and Levi Colwill in the pecking order.

TEAMtalk understands that Chelsea are looking to sell the Spain international in the summer but they will struggle to recoup half of what they paid for him in 2022.

8. Ruben Dias – £65m

One of two Manchester City defenders on this list, Dias joined Pep Guardiola’s side from Benfica in the summer of 2020.

The deal for the Portugal international was worth an initial £62million, with a further £3million subject to potential add-ons.

He made an instant impact at the Etihad Stadium, winning the Premier League Player of the Season award and the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year award in 2020/21.

The centre-back also helped the club win three successive Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA World Club Cup.

RUBEN DIAS. ⛔️😳 @ManCity pic.twitter.com/WnLkQouzj4

— City Xtra (@City_Xtra) August 28, 2023

7= Lucas Hernandez – £68m

Bayern Munich signed Hernandez in 2019 after triggering the £68million release clause in his Atletico Madrid contract.

He enjoyed four trophy-filled seasons in Bavaria, winning four Bundesliga titles, two DFL-Supercups, the DFB-Pokal, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

But the France international, who can play at either left-back or centre-back, struggled with injury problems and made just 74 Bundesliga appearances for the club.

He was sold at a considerable loss in the summer of 2023, joining Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth an initial £34million.

7= Matthijs de Ligt – £68m

Despite only being 24 years old, De Ligt has already been involved in two big-money transfers.

His most recent move saw him swap Juventus for Bayern Munich in 2022 after the Bundesliga side agreed to pay an initial £59.5million and a further £8.5million in add-ons.

The centre-back won the DFL-Supercup and the Bundesliga in 2022/23 and was also named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season.

He fell down the pecking order following the arrival of Kim Min-jae in the summer of 2023 but has now reclaimed his place in Thomas Tuchel’s starting XI.

5= Wesley Fofana – £75m

Fofana spent two seasons at Leicester City and established himself as one of the best young defenders in the Premier League.

The Foxes rejected three bids from Chelsea in the summer of 2022 before accepting a fourth offer of £70million upfront and an additional £5million in bonuses.

“It is a recognition of my work, but I’m trying not to think of the fee because that can quickly put me under a lot of pressure,” he said after completing the move. “It’s important that I keep the enjoyment of playing football.”

But injuries have plagued his first two years at Stamford Bridge, limiting the 23-year-old to just 20 appearances in a Chelsea shirt.

5= Virgil van Dijk – £75m

Eyebrows were raised in January 2018 when Liverpool bought Van Dijk from Southampton in a £75million deal – a then-world record fee for a defender.

But the centre-back has more than proved his worth, helping Liverpool win the Premier League, two Carabao Cups, the FA Cup, the Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA World Club Cup.

He’s also picked up a host of individual accolades, including the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award and the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award in 2018/19.

The 32-year-old initially struggled after suffering an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury in October 2020 but has since rediscovered his best form.

🔴 Van Dijk at Liverpool. What a journey it's been so far… @VirgilvDijk || @LFC || #UCL pic.twitter.com/8n9JWr82mP

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 1, 2023

3. Matthijs de Ligt – £77.1m

The aforementioned De Ligt became one of the most sought-after players in the world after captaining Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals and the Eredivisie title in 2018/19.

Juventus forked out an initial £67.7million and another £9.4million in potential add-ons for the then-19-year-old, making him the third-most expensive teenager of all time.

He won the Serie A title in his debut season and the Coppa Italia in 2020/21 but failed to replicate his Ajax form in a Juventus shirt.

The Netherlands international fell out of favour under Massimiliano Allegri in the 2021/22 campaign and was sold to Bayern Munich at a slight loss.

2. Josko Gvardiol – £77.6m

After winning the treble in 2022/23, Manchester City bolstered their defensive options by signing Gvardiol from RB Leipzig in a £77.6million deal.

“First of all, he’s a central defender left, that’s not easy,” Guardiola said. “His physical condition is really, really good and his build-up with his left foot is also really, really good.

“He is 21 years old so when you buy, of course, it’s a lot of money, but when you are 21 years old, it is not a problem. He will be with us for the future and that’s what we think.”

The Croatia international, who can play at centre-back and left-back, is a brilliant prospect but has struggled to adapt to the pace of Premier League football and is yet to justify that huge fee.

1. Harry Maguire – £80m

Having missed out on De Ligt in the summer of 2019, Manchester United switched their attention to Maguire and agreed to meet Leicester City’s £80million asking price.

The centre-back enjoyed a strong start to life at Old Trafford and was given the captain’s armband in January 2020, but his form took a nosedive amid United’s struggles in the 2021/22 season.

He was stripped of the captaincy by Erik ten Hag in 2023 and United were reportedly willing to sell him to West Ham for £30million, although the move did not materialise over a failure to agree personal terms.

The 31-year-old has played a more prominent role in Ten Hag’s side in 2023/24, but he still faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford.

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