Morata Makes the Top 10 Twice
In recent decades, loan agreements have gained popularity in football, proving advantageous for clubs for various reasons. For the selling team, loans can help alleviate the financial burden of an unwanted player’s salary for a season and might include options for a permanent transfer. For the buying club, loans provide an opportunity to evaluate a player closely before committing to a permanent deal, or they serve as a cost-effective solution to temporarily fill gaps in the squad.
Top clubs frequently loan their young talents to smaller teams to gain valuable first-team experience. However, some loan arrangements come with significant fees attached. For example, last summer, Jadon Sancho moved to Chelsea on loan from Manchester United, while Victor Osimhen spent the season at Galatasaray. Both loans were notable but didn’t make the top 30 highest loan fees. Utilizing data from Transfermarkt, we’ve compiled a list of the ten largest loan fees in history!
The Largest Loan Fees in History
Few players have played for as many prominent European clubs as Álvaro Morata, the Spanish international accumulating €208 million in transfer fees over his career. Of this total, €42 million has come from loan fees, with Morata involved in the two priciest loan transactions ever recorded. In September 2022, Juventus paid €20 million to Atlético Madrid to secure Morata’s services for two years in Turin before he returned to Diego Simeone’s squad. As shown in the graphic below, Morata first joined Atlético in 2019, with the Spanish giants paying €18 million to Chelsea for his transfer.
Giovan Lo Celso’s €16 million loan to Tottenham in 2019 ranks third and included a buy-option resulting in his permanent move to London. Duván Zapata’s €14 million loan from Sampdoria to Atalanta currently holds the fourth position, but Jhon Durán’s upcoming loan to Fenerbahçe is expected to surpass this with a reported €15 million fee. Noteworthy transfers in the top ten include James Rodríguez’s move from Real Madrid to Bayern Munich, as well as Carlos Tevez’s transfer from West Ham to Manchester United.