History tells us that any club who decide to spend big in the transfer market are far from certain to get there money's worth
Florian Wirtz will join a very exclusive list when he completes his British record €136m (£116m/$156m) move to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen. Only 17 other players have ever been sold for €100m or more, and such a massive investment will inevitably bring with it lofty expectations.
Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester City were also interested in Wirtz, but Arne Slot convinced the Germany international that Anfield is the best place for him to continue his development. The 22-year-old is showing great courage by leaving his homeland to test himself in the Premier League, with it reported that Bayern offered him a higher salary package than Liverpool.
But there will be no hiding place if he doesn't hit the ground running. Wirtz's nine-figure price tag will hang around his neck right from the off on Merseyside, and the midfielder will need the mental toughness to match his technical ability if he is to thrive under that extra pressure.
It also begs the question: Is history on Wirtz's side? Below, GOAL takes a look at the chaotic past of the €100m-plus transfer, rating every player who has ever moved for such a sum as a hit, miss or something in between…
Getty ImagesGareth Bale (Tottenham to Real Madrid – €101m)
He's not universally popular with Real Madrid fans, but Gareth Bale's time in the Spanish capital was undoubtedly a success. His eight-year stint at the club saw him win a frankly ridiculous five Champions League titles, with his outrageous overhead-kick turning the 2018 final against Liverpool in his side's favour.
There were plenty of domestic honours too, with Bale helping Madrid to three La Liga titles and a Copa del Rey triumph in 2014. Again, the Welshman netted an iconic, winning goal in that final, exploding past Marc Bartra before finishing emphatically past Jose Pinto in the Barcelona goal.
When you spell out his achievements like this, it's shocking that any Madridista would have a bad word to say about Bale. However, his love of the golf course, apparent reluctance to learn Spanish and drawn-out departure when injuries had lessened his effectiveness soured his relationship with the supporters.
Verdict: HIT
AdvertisementGetty ImagesPaul Pogba (Juventus to Manchester United – €105m)
They say you should never go back and, in retrospect, both Paul Pogba and United will wish they heeded this advice. After coming through the Red Devils' youth system, the Frenchman established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world during a four-year spell at Juventus.
After a fairly innocuous first season back at Old Trafford, Pogba showed what all the fuss was about during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns. He wasn't always perfect, but he produced plenty of magic moments that suggested he was the elite midfielder the Red Devils believed they had signed.
After that, though, it all went downhill. Injuries restricted him to just 16 Premier League appearances the following season and Pogba never returned to his best again. The final years of his second spell at United turned nasty, with accusations being levelled at the World Cup winner regarding his apparent lack of professionalism.
Verdict: MISS
Getty ImagesNeymar (Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain – €222m)
Neymar's decision to leave Barcelona behind for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 is one of the most discussed and debated transfers of all time. For some, the move was a failure for both club and player. They point to Neymar's failure to secure a Champions League title for his new side and a Ballon d'Or for himself during his time in France as proof that he should've stayed at Camp Nou.
It's an enticing argument, though it does ignore the Brazilian's superb goal record. He departed for Al-Hilal in 2023, having netted 118 times in 173 appearances for PSG, with his Ligue 1 strike-rate being particularly impressive.
It's hard to shake the feeling that he should have achieved more, though. Whether because of the various niggling injuries he picked up, or the rather laissez-faire attitude present at Parc de Princes after he joined, Neymar never made more than 22 league appearances in a season during his PSG career.
Is that really good enough for a world-record outlay? Almost certainly not.
Verdict: MISS
Getty ImagesOusmane Dembele (Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona – €135m)
Replacing Neymar was never going to be easy, but Barcelona definitely backed the wrong horse in Ousmane Dembele. Although his talent has never been in question and the Frenchman had some good spells for the Blaugrana, his time at the club was plagued by wild inconsistency.
Numerous reports emerged over the course of his Barca career that alleged Dembele had a horrific attitude. One source claimed that his diet resembled that of a competitive fast-food eater, not a professional athlete, while he was also said to have a video-game addiction.
As if his shoddy on-pitch performances weren't enough to irk the club, Dembele would later excruciatingly drag out his contract negotiations, eventually signing on for one final underwhelming season before slinking off to PSG, where he has ultimately unlocked his full potential to become a Ballon d'Or contender.
Verdict: MISS
