List of world record transfers in football

Posted Monday, September 02, 2013 by Foxsports.com

Gareth Bale has completed his move from Tottenham to Real Madrid for a world-record fee understood to be 100million euros (£85.3m).

Here, we look back at the historic deals that pushed the world transfer record to new levels.

£10,890 - David Jack (Bolton to Arsenal, 1928)

Having scored the first goal at the original Wembley while playing for Bolton in the 1923 FA Cup final, inside-forward Jack was already a noted history-maker when he switched from the Trotters to Arsenal for £10,890 - the world's maiden five-figure fee. The England international ended up with two FA Cup winner's medals from his time with Wanderers and added another in his spell with the Gunners, as well being part of three league title triumphs and scoring plenty of goals along the way.

£142,000 - Luis Suarez (Barcelona to Inter Milan, 1961)

Spain's 1960 Ballon d'Or-winning playmaker Suarez helped Barca to claim a glut of trophies and then did the same for Inter having switched clubs for the world's first six-figure fee. The haul the Italians secured with Suarez included the European Cup in 1964 - when he also won the European Championship with his country - and 1965.

£1.2million - Giuseppe Savoldi (Bologna to Napoli, 1975)

Italy forward Savoldi spent four years with Napoli after they made him football's first £1million+ player by paying out 2billion lira, and during his time in Naples he won the 1976 Coppa Italia and continued his respectable goal-scoring record - before returning to where he had come from, Bologna.

£6.9million - Diego Maradona (Barcelona to Napoli, 1984)

Maradona broke the world transfer record for the second time in succession when he joined Napoli (having joined Barcelona for a then-record £5million), and with the Argentina attacker in their ranks, the Italian outfit had their most successful spell in their history, winning two Scudetti, a Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup. During this time he also tasted World Cup glory, lifting the trophy in 1986.

£10million - Jean-Pierre Papin (Marseille to AC Milan, 1992)

Papin, the 1991 Ballon d'Or winner, had enjoyed great success in his six years with Marseille, but the France striker endured something of a struggle at Milan. The Italian team won the Scudetto twice while he was with them, but his game time was relatively limited and he moved on to Bayern Munich in 1994.

£15million - Alan Shearer (Blackburn to Newcastle, 1996)

Shearer's valuation skyrocketed during a successful Euro 96 campaign, where he won the Golden Boot after scoring five goals. He moved to hometown club Newcastle amid much fanfare and did not disappoint, going on to become the club's leading scorer of all time.

£21.5million - Denilson (Sao Paulo to Real Betis, 1998)

There was great excitement at the time about Denilson's £21.5million move to Betis, but he failed to make a major impact in seven years on the Spanish side's books, during which they were relegated from and promoted back to the Primera Division and the Brazil winger - who spent a spell on loan with Flamengo - became a bit-part player for them. The 2002 World Cup-winner was eventually sold to Bordeaux.

£32million - Christian Vieri (Lazio to Inter Milan, 1999)

Italy striker Vieri was at Inter for six seasons after they forked out £32million for him and he delivered a fairly handsome goal return - but the Coppa Italia was the only trophy they won in that period, coming in 2005 just before he switched to local rivals AC Milan.

£46million - Zinedine Zidane (Juventus to Real Madrid, 2001)

With his move from Italy to Spain, France midfielder Zidane became the first player to break the £40million barrier at the height of the 'Galaticos' era at Real Madrid. At Real the World Cup and European Championship winner saw out the last five years of his glittering career, in which he helped them secure the 2001-02 Champions League and 2002-03 Primera Division titles.

£56million - Kaka (AC Milan to Real Madrid, 2009)

The £50million barrier was broken for the first time when Real pushed the boat out to bring the Brazil playmaker from Italy - but he missed eight months after undergoing knee surgery in August 2010 and has never established himself as a first-choice player in Madrid.

£80million - Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United to Real Madrid, 2009)

Breaking the world transfer record yet again and just days after a deal for Kaka had set new ground, Real again raised the bar considerably by paying out £80million for Ronaldo. In four seasons since then, the Portugal attacker has scored goals for the Spanish side at an astonishing rate and the Primera Division and Copa del Rey have been won - but his Champions League triumph with United is yet to be matched.