Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has emerged the most expensive signing in the just-concluded European football season after his €81m move, plus add-ons, from Lille on July 31.
The move also made him the most expensive African signing of all time, eclipsing Ivoirian Nicolas Pepe’s €80m move from Lille to Arsenal last summer.
Osimhen joined Napoli after a breakthrough maiden season at Lille, where he scored 18 goals in 38 matches to emerge the club’s top scorer.
Kai Havertz’s €80m move from German side Bayer Leverkusen to Chelsea is the second most expensive signing in the transfer window.
Juventus’ €72m purchase of Brazilian midfielder Athur Melo from Barcelona is the third, while Ruben Dias is fourth after his €68m move from Benfica to Manchester City.
In fifth place is Alvaro Morata’s €65m move to Atletico Madrid from Chelsea. This comes ahead of Miralem Pjanić’s €60m switch from Juventus to Barcelona.
Ben Chilwell and Timo Werner both moved to Chelsea from Leicester City and Leipzig for €55m and €52m to occupy the seventh and eighth positions respectively, while Thomas Partey and Mario Icardi complete the top 10 tied at ninth with their €50m move to Arsenal and PSG respectively from Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan.
