15 Most Expensive Goalkeepers in Football History (Ranked)

The inflation that has hit the world of football now affects all clubs, large and small, rich and poor alike. But where money used to be spent trying to recruit attacking players capable of winning games, it is increasingly diverted towards their defensive counterparts.

After years of being overlooked, the match-winning value of goalkeepers is finally being reflected in the transfer market. The largest sum paid for a shot-stopper was not surpassed for 17 years until it was shattered twice in the same summer of 2018.

The recent flux of lucrative acquisitions has been littered with flops and fan favourites, underscoring the enduring unpredictability of football’s transfer market. Here’s a closer look at the 15 most expensive goalkeepers of all time and how they coped with their hefty price tag.

15 Neto – £21.9m

From Valencia to Barcelona (2019)

Neto arrived at Barcelona in the No.2 role, where he played a total of 21 games over three seasons, before joining Bournemouth in the summer of 2022. Although he has now become captain of the Cherries, the 35-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper will be playing for Arsenal in the coming months.

The transfer was made on loan to meet a need that arose following Aaron Ramsdale’s departure for Southampton at the end of the mercato. With over 250 professional matches under his belt, the former Juventus man should have a role to play with the Gunners, especially given the density of the season ahead.

14 Alex Meret – £21.9m

From Udinese Calcio to Napoli (2019)

After arriving at Napoli as the successor to Pepe Reina, who left for AC Milan on a free transfer, Alex Meret has now established himself as the incumbent in the position. However, not everything was handed to him on a silver platter. Injured on arrival, he then had to contend with competition from David Ospina.

It was only in 2022, after the Colombian’s departure, that the Udine native took over the number 1 spot. A status he has never relinquished since. At the age of 27, the Italian international with three caps for Italy was instrumental in the Gli Azzurri’s Serie A title triumph, and was the last line of defence in the league’s best defensive line.

13 Francesco Toldo – £22.3m

From Fiorentina to Inter Milan (2001)

After spending eight years in goal for Fiorentina, with whom he played over 300 games, Francesco Toldo decided to sign for Inter Milan in the summer of 2001. A transfer worth around £22m quickly proved fruitful for all parties, with the Nerazzurri winning numerous trophies with the Italian in goal.

In the space of nine seasons and 233 matches, the 28-time international won in particular four Scudetti and three Italian Cups. In 2010, following his side’s victory in the Champions League, Toldo finally decided to retire, as he was no longer playing a key role (Julio Cesar was now preferred to him).

12 Aaron Ramsdale – £23.5m

From Sheffield United to Arsenal (2021)

When Aaron Ramsdale signed for Arsenal in 2021, it was no exaggeration to say that the England goalkeeper was coming off a miserable season. Despite making all 38 Premier League appearances for Sheffield United, the Stoke native was unable to prevent the Blades from finishing rock bottom and dropping into the second tier. It was the second relegation Ramsdale had suffered in as many seasons after tumbling out of the top flight with Bournemouth.

However, his personal record was far from poor. Ramsdale boasted a 71% save rate – better than Manchester United’s David de Gea – and recorded the second-most stops in the division. Those battling performances convinced the Gunners to invest £23.5m to acquire his services.

11 Jordan Pickford – £24m

From Sunderland to Everton (2017)

Rarely, if ever, invited into the discussion about the best goalkeeper in the world, Jordan Pickford is nonetheless an exceptional custodian. The enigmatic England international has been voted Everton’s Player of the Season in four of his first seven seasons at a club locked in a perennial relegation battle.

The former Sunderland player continues to justify the £24m invested in him by Everton in 2017. The most expensive England goalkeeper of all time has established himself as one of the best in his position in the country’s history, elbowing Joe Hart out of the Three Lions first team ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

10 Manuel Neuer – £25.2m

From Schalke 04 to Bayern Munich (2011)

Regarded by many as the greatest goalkeeper in history, Manuel Neuer no longer needs any introduction. Initially unloved following his controversial move from Schalke 04 to Bayern Munich in 2011, the German has captured almost every major trophy in his long career.

The winner of one World Cup, two Champions League crowns, six German Cups and 11 Bundesliga titles has unmistakably earned his place among the great legends of the game. While constructing this swollen trophy cabinet, Neuer revolutionised the entire goalkeeping position, popularising an adventurous sweeper-keeper technique which is now widespread. Germany’s World Cup-winning manager Joachim Low once gushed: “He could play in midfield.”

9 Giorgi Mamardashvili – £25.2m

From Valencia to Liverpool (2024)

Despite numerous rumours of a move to Saudi Arabia during the 2024 transfer window, Alisson Becker finally stayed at Liverpool. However, this good news did not prevent the Reds from acquiring the services of Georgian giant Giorgi Mamardashvili, who is seen as the future of the English club.

Recruited from Valencia for the sum of £25.2m, he proved his worth at Euro 2024, where he was one of the key figures in his country’s fine run at the competition, in which he took part for the first time in its history. At the age of 23, Mamardashvili has a bright future ahead of him, even though he will not be turning out for Liverpool just yet.

8 David Raya – £26.8m

From Brentford to Arsenal (2024)

David Raya’s arrival at Arsenal in 2023 prompted some raised eyebrows. Snapped up by Mikel Arteta after Aaron Ramsdale had just finished a top-flight season as a solid number one, the Spanish goalkeeper initially arrived on loan – with an obligation to buy – from Brentford. Arteta claimed that he was prepared to rotate his goalkeepers, but Raya soon won the manager’s unanimous approval – much to the dismay of his main rival.

The Premier League’s Golden Glove winner at the end of his debut season in north London, Raya kept a league-high 16 clean sheets. Boasting an ease in possession which Arteta values, the goalkeeper is prone to some passing errors. As he once warned: “In every game, there will be a mistake.”

7 Thibaut Courtois – £29.4m

From Chelsea to Real Madrid (2018)

After already showing great promise in goal for Atletico Madrid and Chelsea, it was at Real Madrid that Thibaut Courtois reached his full potential. The imposing Belgian goalkeeper has played a vital role in his team’s conquest of various titles since arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2018.

An imperial performer in the big games and one of the best goalkeepers in the world, he will be remembered for his outstanding showing in the 2022 Champions League final, stopping a record-breaking nine Liverpool efforts on target. It was a truly outstanding performance that rounded off a campaign in which he was named Real Madrid’s Player of the Season.

6 Jasper Cillessen – £29.4m

From Barcelona to Valencia (2019)

Jasper Cillessen’s transfer from Barcelona to Valencia was certainly one of the most incomprehensible of recent years. Fresh from a season in which he made just three La Liga appearances, the Dutch goalkeeper left Catalonia to join Los Che for a hefty sum of £29.4m. As many expected, the union quickly turned into a nightmare.

The Dutch goalkeeper suffered several physical setbacks during his time in Valencia and was eventually relegated to a reserve role. Three seasons and 51 matches after his arrival, it was already time for him to leave Mestalla and return to his homeland, where he signed for NEC Nijmegen for the modest sum of £840,000.

5 Ederson – £33.6m

From SL Benfica to Manchester City (2017)

There are many aspects of the beautiful game in which Pep Guardiola is a forerunner. One of them is the way he uses his goalkeepers. As soon as he arrived at Manchester City in 2016, the Catalan coach was adamant that he needed to have a goalkeeper who was adept on the ball.

With that in mind, he quickly replaced Joe Hart with Claudio Bravo, before recruiting Ederson, who was then playing for SL Benfica. It was a move that paid off handsomely, with the Brazilian goalkeeper playing an active role in the club’s conquest of six Premier League titles, one Champions League and two FA Cups. On a personal level, Ederson has kept more clean sheets than any of his peers in three separate seasons (2020, 2021, 2022).

4 Andre Onana – £42.2m

From Inter Milan to Manchester United (2023)

Just like his team, Andre Onana did not enjoy the easiest campaign in 2023/24, but he has nonetheless shown that he is a talented player. Admittedly, perhaps not enough to justify the £42.4m invested by Manchester United in snatching him from Inter Milan last year.

He has been divisive and decisive, playing a key role in the Red Devils’ FA Cup final victory over fierce rivals Manchester City after a campaign littered with high-profile blunders, particularly in the Champions League. At 28, the Cameroon international does not yet seem to have reached his glass ceiling, and will undoubtedly be one of Erik ten Hag’s key players if the Dutchman is to return Manchester United to former glories.

3 Gianluigi Buffon – £44.4m

From Parma to Juventus (2001)

While it is now commonplace to see transfer prices soar, the fact that Juventus spent £44.4m to lure Gianluigi Buffon from Parma in 2001 is exceptional. Even more so for a goalkeeper. So much so, in fact, that the Italian held the record for the most expensive goalkeeper in history for the best part of two decades.

It may have been a hefty sum, but the 2006 World Cup winner still proved to be a bargain. Buffon played a total of 685 matches for Juventus and won no fewer than 22 trophies, including 10 Serie A titles, two Champions Leagues and five Coppa Italia crowns.

2 Alisson Becker – £52.5m

From AS Roma to Liverpool (2018)

If investing more than £50m on a player already requires a good dose of confidence, doing so on a goalkeeper could, for some, border on madness. Yet it was a risk that the Liverpool management decided to take in the summer of 2019 when they completed the arrival of Alisson Becker from AS Roma. The Brazilian goalkeeper quickly justified the price tag, establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s most dependable performers.

Winner of the first-ever Yashin Trophy, an award dolled out to the best goalkeeper of the year, Alisson has made a major contribution to his team’s success on the domestic and international stage. These achievements have been all the more important given that they have come in an era when Liverpool’s main rivals, Manchester City, boast unrivalled financial dominance.

1 Kepa Arrizabalaga – £67.2m

From Athletic Club to Chelsea (2018)

Unlike Alisson, Kepa Arrizabalaga’s transfer to England turned out to be a damp squib. Recruited by Chelsea from Athletic Club for the record sum of £67.2m in 2019, the Spaniard has never really lived up to the expectations inherent in the deal. His loan to Real Madrid during the 2023/24 season, when he was supposed to replace Courtois after a serious knee injury, was also unsuccessful.

So much so, in fact, that he was forced to watch Los Blancos’ key victories from the bench, while Andriy Lunin shone in the Madrid goal. At 29 years of age and with a year remaining on his contract, his departure from Chelsea now seems inevitable, and the London club will no doubt be trying to get the best possible price for him.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 2nd of September 2024.