Brazil is known to be the birthplace of many great football players, which is why several teams across Europe often search for their next big signing in the Brasileirao league. In this context, we have compiled a list of the top ten most expensive players who left this decorated South American country.
10: Denilson – Sao Paulo to Real Betis, €31.5m
Denilson, the 2002 World Cup winner, secured the 10th position despite his move to Real Betis from Sao Paulo back in 1998. At that time, the transfer fee of Denilson to Real Betis for €31.5m was the most expensive transfer in the world. Denilson played a total of 188 games for Real Betis and managed to score 14 goals while providing five assists.
During his time at Real Betis, he was famously known for his smooth dribbling and impressive ability to carry the ball down the line, taking on players. He often used skillful moves to deceive players in one-on-one situations, creating opportunities for his team in dangerous areas of the field. Being acknowledged as the best dribbler and one of the most entertaining players of his time, Denilson left a remarkable legacy.
In his time at Real Betis he also won the Spanish Cup (Copa Del Rey) in a side which included Betis star Joaquin on the opposite wing.
9: Oscar – Internacional to Chelsea, €32m
Chelsea has a reputation for recruiting players from Brazil in recent years, with Oscar being their most expensive transfer from the country. Oscar was an exciting addition to the Chelsea team, playing alongside other notable players such as Eden Hazard, Frank Lampard, and Willian. He was considered one of their more technical players and showed tremendous potential during his time at the club, playing 203 games, scoring 38 goals, and providing 37 assists. He won two Premier League titles, one Europa League title, and one Carling Cup during his time at Chelsea.
However, Oscar is an example of a player who left Europe before realizing his full potential. Chelsea sold him for a profit when he joined Shanghai SIPG in the Chinese Super League for €60m at the young age of 25. Sadly, he left just as he was approaching his prime. Since then, he has played over 209 games, scored 61 goals, and provided 110 assists for Shanghai SIPG, surpassing the number of games he played for Chelsea.
8: Gabriel Jesus – Palmeiras to Manchester City, €32m
Next, let’s talk about one of the Premier League’s success stories, Gabriel Jesus. In 2017, Man City signed him for €32m from Palmeiras, which seemed like a huge amount of money at the time. However, the Brazilian forward proved to be an influential player for City, playing multiple positions in the front line. Jesus is known for his off-the-ball tenacity and work rate, making him one of the best pressing forwards the Premier League has ever seen. Despite being smaller, he’s very physical in duels and an effective link-up and hold-up striker.
During his five and a half years at Man City, Jesus won four Premier Leagues, four League Cups, two Community Shields, and one FA Cup. He made 236 appearances for City, scoring 95 goals and providing 46 assists, making his spell at the club a successful one. He added so much more to games than just this for them too. He has since moved to Premier League rivals Arsenal for €52.2m in 2022.
7: Lucas Paqueta – Flamengo to AC Milan, €38.4m
Lucas Paqueta, who currently plays for West Ham United, was highly anticipated after moving from Flamengo to AC Milan in 2019. However, his time at Milan was underwhelming as he was played in roles and systems that didn’t suit him. After 44 appearances, he was sold to Lyon for €23.4m only a season and a half later.
At Lyon, Paqueta became one of the best players in Ligue 1 and got capped for Brazil. He played in various positions, including centre-midfield, attacking-midfield, second striker and winger, and put on a top performance every time. Paqueta then moved to West Ham for €42.95m, which was a club record transfer. He quickly became a key player for the Hammers and played a significant role in their victory in the Europa Conference League last season.
6: Lucas Moura – Sao Paulo to PSG, €40m
Lucas Moura is the only player in the list who has returned to the club where he started his career, Sao Paulo, after traveling across Europe. His transfer to PSG came with great expectations due to the high fee the club paid for him.
During his five years at PSG, Lucas played 229 games, scored 46 goals, and provided 48 assists, winning 18 trophies. He was part of a dominant PSG team that won all the domestic titles in France but couldn’t replicate the same success in European competitions, failing to win a Champions League title.
5: Vitor Roque – Athletico Paranaense to Barcelona, €40m
One of the recent Brazilian football players to leave their home country was Vitor Roque, who moved to Barcelona in January. Even though it is still early days, he has already shown a lot of potential for Barcelona. Roque is known as “Tigrinho” in Brazil because of his aggressive off-the-ball play, physicality, and bravery.
Roque is certainly an exciting prospect, and he could become a key player for Barcelona in the future. While he settles in, he can learn from Robert Lewandowski to become one of the best goal scorers in Europe. The rivalry could potentially grow when his compatriot and good friend Endrick joins La Liga rivals Real Madrid.
4: Vinicius Junior – Flamengo to Real Madrid, €45m
Vinicius Junior’s transfer to Real Madrid for €45m, which was agreed when he was just 16 years old, is considered to be the best value for money transfer on this list. The agreement was that he would join the club when he turned 18. However, when he initially joined, Vinicius found it difficult to adapt to life in Spanish football and was labelled a ‘flop’ by the Spanish media. Looking back, this label seems ridiculous now.
Since then, Vinicius has become one of the best left wingers in the world of football. He has even carried Madrid through crucial games at times. Vinicius is known for his mental strength and often steps up in big Champions League or title-winning matches to score. He is a relentless 1v1 dribbler who loves to taunt defenders. Despite receiving a lot of racial abuse during his time in Spain, Vinicius continues to perform and score goals in the games where it happens, showing real courage and mental strength.
As a result of his successful spell at Madrid, Vinicius has won a Champions League title, two La Liga titles, one Spanish Cup, three Spanish Super Cups, one UEFA Supercup and two FIFA Club World Cups. At the time of writing, Vinicius Junior has made 249 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 71 goals and getting 71 assists..
3: Rodrygo – Santos to Real Madrid, €45m
Real Madrid made another successful signing during this time period in the form of Vinicius Junior’s teammate and compatriot, Rodrygo, who joined from the legendary Brazilian club Santos in 2019. Since joining the team, Rodrygo has scored some crucial goals for Madrid and has been a key player in helping the club win trophies.
The potential arrival of Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid is exciting, as it could create a formidable front line consisting of Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, and Rodrygo, with Jude Bellingham playing behind them. Even though Rodrygo’s brilliance often gets overshadowed by the current teammates like Vinicius and Bellingham, as well as previous teammate Karim Benzema, he’s a player who has consistently stepped up whenever others didn’t. Without him, recent title wins might not have been possible.
Rodrygo is one of the many world-class players at Madrid, and considering the €45m they paid for him in 2019, it’s looking like a great bargain.
2: Endrick – Palmeiras to Real Madrid, €45m
Real Madrid have made their final signing of the season, agreeing to pay €45m for Endrick who is considered as their future star. Endrick is already a superstar in Brazil and had a major impact last season for Palmeiras. Despite the team spending most of the season chasing the league leaders, Endrick started games for them and ended up scoring 11 goals in 31 games, ultimately leading Palmeiras to win the 2023 title.
Despite being young, Endrick has a strong presence and maturity that helps him step up in crucial moments. His combination of exceptional physicality and technical ability will make him one of the best strikers in the game. Endrick will join fellow Brazilian teammates Vinicius, Rodrygo and Eder Militao at Real Madrid, who will help him settle into the club. Vinicius and Rodrygo, in particular, have made a similar transition from Brazilian league stardom to Real Madrid and have become world-class players despite initial difficulties.
Moreover, Endrick will have the opportunity to learn from the best player in the world, Mbappe. Overall, it’s an exciting time for Real Madrid fans as they look forward to seeing Endrick in action.
1: Neymar Junior – Santos to Barcelona, €88m
Barcelona’s signing of Neymar Junior from Santos was one of the most high-profile transfers from South America to Europe of all time. It’s no surprise that he takes the top spot. When Neymar was at Santos, people all over the world would stay up till late hours to watch him. From the age of 15-19 at Santos, Neymar was a fantastic entertainer, full of skill moves, smart dribbling, tricks, flair, and crazy hairstyles.
Neymar was already a superstar before moving to Europe. He even won the 2011 Puskas award while at Santos in a classic game for Brazilian football. In that game, a 5-4 loss to Flamengo, Neymar scored two goals against a 30-year-old Ronaldinho who scored a hat-trick. It was a ‘passing of the torch’ moment from the main entertainer of the last decade of football to the main entertainer of the next 10 years of football.
At Santos, Neymar was wanted and approached by all the biggest clubs around the world, including Chelsea and Madrid. However, Barcelona was the club that signed the silky winger. After joining Barcelona, Neymar played 186 games, scoring 105 goals and notching 76 assists. Neymar was part of the illustrious MSN trio, which also included Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, widely considered by many to be one of the greatest attacks of all time.
Neymar went on to become the most expensive player in the history of football with a transfer to PSG for €222m. Despite being plagued with injuries, he delivered many world-class performances.