Defenders may not get the same amount of credit as goalscoring forwards or playmaking midfielders, but they are important to the success of a team all the same.
As such, plenty have moved for big money over the years – but which players have garnered the largest transfer fees? Centre-backs dominate the record deals, but full-backs are also moving for huge sums in the modern game.
So with that said, we have decided to look at the most expensive defender signings plus a detailed look at the top 11, with the help of data from Transfermarkt and news reports.
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ByCharlie SmithOct 8, 2025 9 Achraf Hakimi Inter to PSG (£61m)
Achraf Hakimi cost Paris Saint-Germain £61m from Inter in the summer of 2021. Hakimi played a key role in the Nerazzurri winning Serie A, which earned him his big-money move to France.
The Morocco international has not only continued playing regularly and performing at the top level, but he has also continued his winning habit. Hakimi, who scored four goals and recorded six assists in his first season in Ligue 1, has won the French league and the French Super Cup three times, as well as the French Cup.
8 Rúben Dias Benfica to Man City (£65m)
In September 2020, Man City paid Benfica £65m to secure the services of centre-back Ruben Dias. The Citizens paid an initial £62 million for the Portugal international, with a further £3m coming in add-ons. Nicolas Otamendi moved in the opposite direction in a separate deal.
Dias has turned out to be an impressive signing for City, as he has become one of the best-performing defenders in the Premier League. Since arriving at the Etihad, Dias has won four Premier Leagues, one FA Cup, one League Cup and the Champions League. He is now on course to break through 200 appearances for City.
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ByBarney LaneJan 28, 2025 7 Matthijs de Ligt Juventus to Bayern Munich (£65.6m)
Defender Matthijs de Ligt makes the top 11 twice. Making a move from Juventus to Bayern Munich in 2022, the German giants paid £65.6m to secure the signing of the Netherlands international.
De Ligt spent two seasons at Munich, during which he played 73 games, with 53 coming in the Bundesliga. During his time in Germany, De Ligt won the Bundesliga in the 2022/23 campaign.
6 Lucas Hernandez Atlético Madrid to Bayern Munich (£68m)
Bayern Munich paid £68m in 2019 to sign full-back Lucas Hernandez from Atlético Madrid.
The deal was finalised in March of that year, but the defender didn’t join the German giants until the following summer. The 28-year-old spent four years in Germany, and despite paying a lot of money, Hernandez struggled to become a regular in the Munich side.
The 2021/22 campaign was Hernandez’s best on a personal level, as he played 25 times in the Bundesliga, as well as eight games in the Champions League.
Hernandez left Bayern having played 107 games and won the Champions League, four Bundesliga titles, a FIFA Club World Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, two German Super Cups, and one German Cup.
5 Wesley Fofana Leicester to Chelsea (£70m)
Wesley Fofana joined Chelsea from Leicester City in a deal worth £70m in the summer of 2022.
The centre-back had his injury problems at Leicester, but that didn’t put Chelsea off from signing him on a seven-year contract.
However, unfortunately for Fofana, his injury problems have continued at Stamford Bridge, as he featured 15 times in the 2022/23 season and failed to make an appearance in the 2023/24 campaign under Mauricio Pochettino.
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2 ByStephan GeorgiouAug 23, 2024 4 Virgil van Dijk Southampton to Liverpool (£75m)
It will come as no surprise to see that Virgil van Dijk has made this list, as when the Dutchman joined Liverpool in January 2018, the fee of £75m was a world-record transfer for a defender.
In many people’s eyes, Van Dijk is one of the best centre-backs to play in the Premier League, and it could be hard to argue against, as he’s played more or less every Liverpool game since joining and has been part of the sides that have won the Champions League, the Premier League, as well as several domestic cups.
He has played over 300 games for the Premier League side in his seven years at Anfield, with the centre-back more than paying back his transfer fee.
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ByHenry JacksonJan 14, 2025 3 Matthijs de Ligt Ajax to Juventus (£76.5m)
Matthijs de Ligt briefly became the world’s most expensive defender following his £76.5m move from Ajax to Juventus in July 2019.
The Turin giants secured the signing of the centre-back after he broke through in the Ajax first team and was a key player in their successful run to the Champions League semi-final.
Juventus also inserted a £134.8m release clause in De Ligt’s contract. The centre-back played 117 times for Juventus and managed to win the Italian Super Cup, the Italian Cup and Serie A before departing for Bayern Munich.
2 Josko Gvardiol RB Leipzig to Man City (£77m)
Josko Gvardiol’s move to Manchester City is one of the more recent signings in this list, as he joined the Citizens in August 2023 for a deal worth £77m.
The defender, who can play at centre-back and left-back, has become a key player at the back in Guardiola’s team and became an instant hit with the club and their supporters. Gvardiol has helped City win the Premier League, the FIFA Club World Cup and the Community Shield.
