The top money makers under the bar

World
Europe

Soon after he was unveiled at Stamford Bridge, the world's most expensive goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, said, "It's great that big fees are paid for strikers and other players, but why not for goalkeepers? It's a good way to acknowledge a good goalkeeper."

The Spaniard's proud remark surely underlined the status of the goalkeepers in the big money transfer market in world soccer. A striker or a playmaker are much in demand and often fetches record transfer fees, whereas some of the best defenders and goalkeepers often get sold for peanuts, compared to their astronomically high-valued counterparts up front.

They may not be able to score goals, unlike an exceptional Jose Luis Chilavert, the flamboyant former Paraguay custodian, but more often in a crunch knockout game or a do-or-die match, the man under the bar saves the day for his side with a magnificent penalty save or thwarting an opposition attempt.

Alisson Becker after signing a new contract for Liverpool FC on July 19, 2018. /VCG Photo

Therefore, it's good news for the ugly ducklings of the game that they have started attracting premium prices, earlier reserved for the forwards or the attacking midfielders.

Until last month, the all-time highest record price for a goalkeeper was that of Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon's 32.6 million pounds (42 million US dollars) transfer to Juventus from Parma in 2001. That remained unsurpassed for 17 long years before Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker was bought by Liverpool from AS Roma for a then record sum of 65 million pounds (83 million US dollars) in July this year.

The former Juventus and Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon attends the press conference announcing his arrival at the Paris Saint Germain (PSG) on July 9, 2018 in Paris. /VCG Photo

That seemed to have set the ball rolling for the goalies with Spain's number 2 and David De Gea's understudy Kepa shattering the all-time record to join the English Premier League giants.

Interestingly, Belgian stalwart Thibaut Courtois, the man whom Kepa is replacing at Chelsea, has managed to climb up to the all-time list for the most expensive goalkeepers in the game's history with his 35 million pounds (44.8 million US dollars) transfer to Real Madrid.

New signing Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid is presented to fans after he signed a six-year-deal with Real Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on August 9, 2018 in Madrid. /VCG Photo

Even though Buffon remains in the top five, the English Premier League witnessed two high-value goalkeeping transfers last year with Ederson Moraes boarding the Manchester City bus from Benfica and England's FIFA 2018 World Cup darling Jordan Pickford joining Everton from Sunderland.

Here is a list of the top-ten goalkeepers with big bucks transfer in world football history.

The 10 most expensive goalkeepers

1. Kepa Arrizabalaga, Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea in 2018, 71m pounds (90.9 million US dollars)

2. Alisson Becker, AS Roma to Liverpool in 2018, 65m pounds (83.2 million US dollars)

3. Thibaut Courtois, Chelsea to Real Madrid in 2018, 35m pounds (44.8 million US dollars)

4. Ederson Moraes, Benfica to Manchester City in 2017, 34.7m pounds (44.4 million US dollars)

5. Gianluigi Buffon, Parma to Juventus in 2001, 32.6m pounds (41.7 million US dollars)

6. Jordan Pickford, Sunderland to Everton in 2017, 25m pounds (32 million US dollars)

7. Francesco Toldo, Fiorentina to Inter Milan in 2001, 23.85m pounds (30.5 million US dollars)

8. Bernd Leno, Bayer Leverkusen to Arsenal in 2018, 19.3m pounds (24.7 million US dollars)

9. Manuel Neuer, Schalke to Bayern Munich in 2011, 19m pounds (24.3 million US dollars)

10. David De Gea, Atletico Madrid to Manchester United in 2011, 18.9m pounds (24.2 million US dollars)