Full list revealed
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Manchester United suffered their worst season in modern history in the 2024/25 campaign, and it was always going to be a busy summer at Old Trafford. And the Red Devils have wasted no time getting their first transfer business completed. On Sunday, the opening day of the early transfer window to accommodate the Club World Cup, United confirmed the €74.2m signing of forward Matheus Cunha from Wolves after breaking his release clause. The Brazilian signs a five-year deal at the club, with the option of a further 12 months. He scored 31 goals in 76 appearances for Wolves after completing a permanent move to the Midlands in 2023.
Not only does the €74.2m deal to the Red Devils mean he is the seventh most expensive Brazilian of all time, and the eighth most lucrative signing in Man United history, but the 26-year-old now also joins the top 10 in another special category. This isn’t the first big-money move Cunha has made – he joined Wolves in a €50m deal from Atletico Madrid, having previously signed for the Spanish side for €35m from Hertha Berlin. Hertha paid RB Leipzig €18m for him, whilst Leipzig themselves forked out €15m to sign him from Swiss side FC Sion. Those fees have started to add up, and Cunha now ranks in the top 10 players with the highest accumulated transfer fees across their careers. Let’s take a look at the list.
Players with highest accumulated transfer fees across their careers
In first place is another Brazilian in Seleção legend Neymar. The silky winger accumulated as much as €400m in transfer fees from just three moves – his world-record €222m from Barcelona to PSG, his €90m move from PSG to Al-Hilal and his €88m transfer from boyhood club Santos to Barca. In second place is none other than Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian has made as many as nine transfers involving fees across his career – the most expensive of which was the €113m move from Inter Milan to Chelsea in 2021. In total it’s €369m in fees for Lukaku. Third goes to the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo who accumulated €247m from five transfers across his illustrious career.
In fourth place is recent Champions League winner Ousmane Dembélé, who has accumulated €220m from three transfers. Spanish forward Álvaro Morata takes fifth with €208m from as many as eight transfers across his career. In sixth is Man United centre-back Matthijs de Ligt with €198m from three separate deals. Seventh spot goes to Portuguese forward João Félix, who has accumulated €196m from four transfers. Then comes the aforementioned Cunha, who now slots into eighth position with €192m of accumulated transfer fees. At just 26 years of age, he probably still has another potential big move in him too. Antoine Griezmann is ninth with €182m, whilst Philippe Coutinho completes the top 10 at €180m.
