Brazil’s ten most expensive transfers: Arsenal star, West Ham ace and Real Madrid trio make the cut

With Brazil being the birthplace of so many greats of the game, often teams across Europe look to Brasileirao for the next Brazilian star to be their latest statement signing. Here are the top ten most expensive players to leave the decorated South American country.

10: Denilson – Sao Paulo to Real Betis, €31.5m

2002 World Cup winner Denilson comes in 10th place despite his move to Real Betis from Sao Paulo coming in 1998. At the time, Denilson’s transfer to Real Betis for €31.5m was the most expensive transfer in the world. Denilson went on to play 188 games for Real Betis, scoring 14 goals and getting five assists.

Throughout his spell there he was known for his silky dribbling and carrying ability to take on players down the line. The Brazilian would often use skill moves to trick players in 1v1 scenarios and progress into more dangerous areas of the pitch. He was considered the best dribbler and one of the most entertaining players of his time.

In his time at Real Betis he also won the Spanish Cup (Copa Del Rey) in a side which included Betis star Joaquin on the opposite wing.

9: Oscar – Internacional to Chelsea, €32m

Chelsea are known for dipping in the Brazilian market in recent years but their record transfer from the country remains Oscar, who joined from Internacional.

Oscar was such an exciting player for Chelsea and played in the era of players like Eden Hazard, Frank Lampard and Willian. He was one of their more technical players and showed so much promise. Within his period at Chelsea, he played 203 games, scoring 38 goals and getting 37 assists, winning two Premier Leagues, one Europa League title and one Carling Cup.

But unfortunately, Oscar is one of the examples of a player who left Europe before he achieved his full potential. Later on Chelsea sold Oscar for a profit when he signed for Shanghai SIPG in the Chinese Super League for €60m in 2017, joining the club at only 25 years old. Right as he was approaching his prime.

Since then he’s surpassed the amount of games he played for Chelsea at Shangai Port, amounting 209 games, 61 goals and 110 assists.

8: Gabriel Jesus – Palmeiras to Manchester City, €32m

Next up is one of the success stories. Gabriel Jesus signing for Man City from Palmeiras in 2017 for €32m seemed like a lot of money at the time but the Brazilian forward would go on to be an influential player for City, playing multiple positions in the front line and being known for his off the ball tenacity and work rate.

Jesus is one of the best pressing forwards the Premier League has seen. His presence unsettles defences and he’s so physical in duels. A very effective link-up and hold-up striker despite being smaller due to his physicality.

During his five and a half years at Man City, Jesus managed to win four Premier Leagues, four League Cups, two Community Shields and one FA Cup. 236 appearances for City with 95 goals and 46 assists in a successful spell of the club. He added so much more to games than just this for them too. He has since moved to Premier League rivals Arsenal for €52.2m in 2022.

7: Lucas Paqueta – Flamengo to AC Milan, €38.4m

Current West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta is next up. His move over to AC Milan from Flamengo in 2019 came with much excitement and anticipation after he’d been the star player in an impressive Flamengo side. However, his time at Milan was underwhelming. He was played in roles and systems which didn’t suit him and he ended up being sold to Lyon for €23.4m only a season and a half later. After 44 appearances at Milan he then went onto to play 80 games for Lyon where he hit the ground running, scoring 21 goals and getting 13 assists.

At Lyon he ended up becoming one of the best players in Ligue 1 and getting capped for Brazil. His partnership with current Newcastle United star man Bruno Guimaraes was very entertaining to watch. Playing in centre-midfield, attacking-midfield, as a second striker and a winger; Paqueta would put in a top performance no matter what position he was in.

Paqueta since moved to West Ham for €42.95m, a club record transfer. He’s very quickly become a key player for the Hammers and was instrumental in them winning the Europa Conference League last season.

6: Lucas Moura – Sao Paulo to PSG, €40m

Lucas Moura is one on this list who is actually back at the club they moved from (Sao Paulo) after his journey around Europe. His move to PSG came with very high expectations due to the fee PSG paid.

Playing 229 games for PSG, Lucas managed to score 46 goals and get 48 assists collecting 18 trophies in a five-year span at the club. He was in a dominant PSG side who would clean up all the trophies in France but always under-performed in European competitions as a Champions League title continued to elude them.

5: Vitor Roque – Athletico Paranaense to Barcelona, €40m

One of the most recent Brazilian departures saw Vitor Roque move to Barcelona in January. Although it’s early days, he’s shown so much potential already for Barcelona. Roque is known as “Tigrinho” in Brazil for his aggression off the ball, physicality and bravery.

Roque is certainly an exciting prospect and should become a key player for Barcelona in the future. In the meantime, as he settles in, he can learn from Robert Lewandowski to become one of the best goal scorers in Europe. The rivalry could potentially build when compatriot and good friend Endrick joins La Liga rivals Real Madrid.

4: Vinicius Junior – Flamengo to Real Madrid, €45m

The best value for money transfer on this list has to go to Vinicius Junior. His move to Real Madrid for €45m was agreed when he was only 16 and that he would join the club when he turned 18. Initially when he joined, Vinicius struggled to adapt to life in Spanish football and was labelled a ‘flop’ by Spanish media. How ridiculous does that sound now?

Since then, Vinicius has gone on to become one of, if not the best left winger in world football. At times, he has even carried Madrid through huge games. Vinicius is a mentality monster and often steps up in big Champions League or title winning matches to score. He’s a relentless 1v1 dribbler and loves to taunt defenders. During his time in Spain, Vinicius has received so much racial abuse but continues to perform and score goals in the games where it happens. That takes real courage and mental strength to do so.

A successful spell at Madrid has brought a Champions League title, two La Liga titles, one Spanish Cup, three Spanish Super Cups, one UEFA Supercup and two FIFA Club World Cups. Throughout this, Vinicius Junior has racked up 249 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 71 goals and getting 71 assists at the time of writing.

3: Rodrygo – Santos to Real Madrid, €45m

Another successful signing of this time period for Real Madrid was Vinicius Junior’s teammate and compatriot Rodrygo who signed from legendary Brazilian club Santos in 2019. Rodrygo is another player who’s managed to score some important goals for Madrid since he’s joined and be a key figure in winning trophies for the club.

With the potential arrival of Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid, the prospect of a front line that consists of Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo with Jude Bellingham in behind them is a scary one at that. Rodrygo often gets overshadowed by the brilliance of current teammates Vinicius and Bellingham and previous teammate Karim Benzema. But, without Rodrygo, recent title wins might not have happened. He’s a player who stepped up whenever others didn’t. One of many world class players at Madrid and for the €45m they paid back in 2019, it’s looking like a bargain.

2: Endrick – Palmeiras to Real Madrid, €45m

The final Real Madrid signing is their future star Endrick who has agreed a €45m move to Real Madrid and will move to the club in the summer. Endrick is a superstar in Brazil already. For Palmeiras last season they spent majority of the season chasing whoever the league leaders were. Meanwhile, teenager Endrick was starting games for them and making a big impact, and even ended up scoring 11 goals in 31 games to win Palmeiras the 2023 title.

Despite being so young, Endrick has a huge presence about him. He’s already a star. But his maturity and quiet confidence carries him to step up in big moments. An insane physicality for a player so young combined with elite technical ability will make him one of the best strikers in the game.

When he joins Madrid, he’ll also have compatriots Vinicius, Rodrygo and Eder Militao to help him settle into the club. Vinicius and Rodrygo especially will be huge because they’ve made the exact step from Brazilian league stardom to the biggest club in the world in Madrid, and managed to become world class players despite initial trials and tribulations. Along with this, Endrick may also have the best player in the world, Mbappe, to learn from. It’s certainly an exciting time for Madrid fans.

1: Neymar Junior – Santos to Barcelona, €88m

No surprise about who takes the top spot. Barcelona’s signing of Neymar Junior from Santos was probably the most high-profile transfer from South America to Europe of all time. When Neymar was at Santos, people all over the world would stay up till late hours to watch him. From the age of 15-19 at Santos, Neymar was ridiculous. An entertainer of the highest level. Skill moves, smart dribbling, full of tricks, flair and crazy hairstyles.

Neymar was a superstar before he moved to Europe. He even won the 2011 Puskas award whilst at Santos in a classic game for Brazilian football. A 5-4 loss to Flamengo where Neymar scored two goals against a 30-year-old Ronaldinho who scored a hat-trick. A ‘passing of the torch’ moment. From the main entertainer of the last decade of football to the main entertainer of the next 10 years of football.

At Santos, Neymar was wanted and approached by all the biggest clubs around the world. Teams such as Chelsea and Madrid especially were thought to be close to signing him at different times. But in the end, it was Barcelona who signed the silky winger.

After Neymar joined Barcelona, he went on to play 186 games, scoring 105 goals and notching 76 assists. Neymar was part of the illustrious MSN trio which also involved Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez – widely considered by many to be one of the greatest attacks of all time.

Neymar went on to become the most expensive player in the history of football with a transfer to PSG for €222m. A move which was plagued with injuries but despite that, full of many world class performances.