PSG stunned the world with the £198m signing of Neymar… but how have record transfer fees evolved?
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN stunned the football world when they agreed to pay Neymar's £198m release clause.
The Brazil superstar swapped life in Barcelona for France amidst a backdrop of controversy as Unai Emery's side forked out the incredible sum to make Neymar the world's most expensive player.
It only seemed a matter of time before the £100m barrier was smashed — with the £89m Man United paid Juventus for Paul Pogba last year going dangerously close.
In recognition of the world's first-ever £100m transfer fee, SunSport takes a look at landscape has changed since Aston Villa made West Brom’s Willie Groves the first £100 player back in 1893.
In an era where England was the financial hub of football, Middlesbrough became the first side to pay £1,000 when they bought Alf Common from Sunderland.
And it was Arsenal who broke the £10,000 barrier — paying Bolton £10,890 for David Jack.
Four years later, however, a side from another country smashed through the world record transfer barrier.
In fact, it was another continent.
River Plate paid Tiger an earth-shattering £23,000 for Bernabe Ferreyra.
Derby restored English pride in 1949 when they signed Johnny Morris from Manchester United for £24,000 — before Sheffield Wednesday bought Eddie Quigley from Preston for £26,500 later that year.
However, 1952 saw the emergence of a new football super power — Italy.
Napoli broke the £50k barrier when they paid Atalanta £52,000 for Hans Jeppson.
And just two years later, Milan upped the record to £72,000 when they bought Juan Schiaffino from Penarol
But three years later Juventus went up to £93,000 when they plucked Omar Sivori from River Plate to create a deadly partnership in attack with John Charles.
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It was an Italian side who broke the £100,000 barrier. Inter paid Barcelona a staggering £152,000 for reigning Ballon d’Or winner, Luis Suarez in 1961.
And Pietro Anastasi became the first £500,000 player when Juventus bought him from Varese in 1968.
Napoli broke the record for a second time in 1975 when they made Giuseppe Savoldi the first £1m-player when they paid Bologna £1.2m for his services.
From 1952 to 1992, the world record transfer fee was broken on 17 occasions — with an astonishing 15 of those coming from Italy.
Barcelona broke the record on the other occasions, and they were certainly worth it.
In 1973, they paid Ajax £922,000 for Johan Cruyff, before paying Boca Juniors £3m for Diego Maradona nine years later.
The Argentina superstar was the world’s most expensive player for two consecutive transfers when he moved to Napoli for £5m in 1984.
Jean-Pierre Papin became the first £10m player when Milan signed him from Marseille.
And Newcastle made Alan Shearer the first £15m star — the only time a Premier League side has broken the world transfer record.
Ronaldo has twice been the most expensive player in the world.
Barcelona paid PSV Eindhoven £13.2m for the Brazilian’s service in 1996 — and sold him to Inter just a year later for £19.5m.
The Nerazzurri then attempted to create the greatest strikeforce in world football when they made Lazio’s Christian Vieri the first £30m — leaving fans worldwide open-mouthed as they shelled out £32.1m in 1999.
While Lazio paid Parma £35m for Hernan Crespo in 2000 — 11 years before the Premier League matched that fee.
Milan, Napoli and Barcelona have all broken the world-record fee on three occasions, while Juventus and Inter have done it four times each.
Real Madrid, however, hold the record for record fees.
The Bernabeu giants have done it five times — and are the only side to have broken is since 2000.
Zinedine Zidane was the record transfer at £46.6m for a eight years — the longest since the £1m barrier was broken — when he was signed from Juventus in 2001.
His record when when they spent £56m signing on Kaka in 2009 before smashing that by splashing out £80m on Cristiano Ronaldo.
Roberto Baggio was a Fiorentina fan through-and-through and loathe to leave La Viola — but the hierarchy couldn’t turn down a world-record £8m from Juventus in 1990.
The move created a rift between the two sets of fans which still stands today.
However, it’s far from the most controversial world-record transfer of all-time.
Gianluigi Lentini was billed as one of the shining lights of Italian football — and Fabio Capello convinced Milan to splash out a whopping £13m on him in 1992.
Pope John Paul II labelled the move “’an offence against the dignity of work”.
A near-fatal car crash seriously hampered Lentini, and the transfer never worked out.
But it’s Luis Figo whose record move caused the biggest uproar.
Florentino Perez promised to bring the Portuguese star from Barcelona if he was elected president of Real Madrid — he was and he did.
Los Blancos paid their fierce rivals £37m to purchase their star player.
Figo received vehement abuse at every return to the Nou Camp, and once had a pig’s head thrown at him.
World record £1m+ transfers
1975: Giuseppe Savoldi — Bologna to Napoli, £1.2m
1976: Paolo Rossi — Juventus to Vicenza, £1.75m
1982: Diego Maradona — Boca Juniors to Barcelona, £3m
1984: Diego Maradona — Barcelona to Napoli, £3m
1987: Ruud Gullit — PSV Eindhoven to Milan, £6m
1990: Roberto Baggio — Fiorentina to Juventus, £8m
1992: Jean-Pierre Papin — Marseille to Milan, £10m
1992: Gianluca Vialli — Sampdoria to Juventus, £12m
1992: Gianluigi Lentini — Torino to Milan, £13m
1996: Ronaldo — PSV Eindhoven to Barcelona, £13.2m
1996: Alan Shearer — Blackburn to Newcastle, £15m
1997: Ronaldo — Barcelona to Inter, £19.5m
1998: Denilson — Sao Paulo to Real Betis, £21.5m
1999: Christian Vieri — Lazio to Inter, £32.1m
2000: Hernan Crespo — Parma to Lazio, £35.5m
2000: Luis Figo — Barcelona to Real Madrid, £37m
2001: Zinedine Zidane — Juventus to Real Madrid, £46.6m
2009: Kaka — Milan to Real Madrid, £56m
2009: Cristiano Ronaldo — Manchester United to Real Madrid, £80m
2013: Gareth Bale — Tottenham to Real Madrid, £86m
2016: Paul Pogba - Juventus to Manchester United, £89m
2017: Neymar - Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, £198m