Christian Pulisic, who completed the most expensive transfer ever by an American soccer player.

The following is a list of most expensive American soccer transfers, which details the highest transfer fees ever paid for players, as well as transfers which set new American transfer records. The current transfer record was set by the transfer of Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea for $65 million in August 2019.

Highest transfer payments for American players

Fees $4.0m or higher.

Player From To Fee Year Ref
Christian Pulisic Germany Borussia Dortmund England Chelsea $65.0m 2019 [1]
Folarin Balogun England Arsenal France Monaco $43.0m 2023 [2]
Brenden Aaronson Austria Red Bull Salzburg England Leeds United $30.2m 2022 [3]
Tyler Adams England Leeds United England Bournemouth $25.5m 2023 [4]
Christian Pulisic England Chelsea Italy AC Milan $24.2m 2023 [5]
Tyler Adams Germany RB Leipzig England Leeds United $24.1m 2022 [6]
Sergiño Dest Netherlands Ajax Spain Barcelona $23.1m 2020 [7]
Weston McKennie Germany Schalke 04 Italy Juventus $22.5m 2021 [8]
Yunus Musah Spain Valencia CF Italy AC Milan $20.0m 2023 [9]
Ricardo Pepi United States FC Dallas Germany Augsburg $20.0m 2022 [10]
John Brooks Germany Hertha BSC Germany Wolfsburg $19.4m 2017 [11]
Jozy Altidore Netherlands AZ England Sunderland $13.0m 2013 [12]
Matt Turner England Arsenal England Nottingham Forest $12.7m 2023 [13]
Timothy Weah France Lille Italy Juventus $12.4m 2023 [14]
Timothy Weah France Paris Saint-Germain France Lille $11.4m 2019 [15]
Michael Bradley Italy Roma Canada Toronto FC $10.4m 2014 [15]
Jozy Altidore United States New York Red Bulls Spain Villarreal $10.0m 2008 [15]
Ricardo Pepi Germany Augsburg Netherlands PSV $9.8m 2023 [14]
Daryl Dike United States Orlando City SC England West Bromwich Albion $9.5m 2022 [16]
Josh Sargent Germany Werder Bremen England Norwich City $9.5m 2021 [17]
Clint Dempsey England Fulham England Tottenham Hotspur $9.0m 2012 [17]
Clint Dempsey England Tottenham Hotspur United States Seattle Sounders FC $9.0m 2013 [18]
Brandon Vázquez United States FC Cincinnati Mexico Monterrey $7.5m 2024 [19]
Zack Steffen United States Columbus Crew England Manchester City $7.5m 2019 [20]
Bryan Reynolds United States FC Dallas Italy Roma $7.4m 2021 [20]
Kevin Paredes United States D.C. United Germany Wolfsburg $7.0m 2022 [17]
DeAndre Yedlin England Tottenham Hotspur England Newcastle United $6.7m 2016 [17]
Gianluca Busio United States Sporting Kansas City Italy Venezia $6.6m 2021 [21]
Brenden Aaronson United States Philadelphia Union Austria Red Bull Salzburg $6.5m 2021 [20]
Djordje Mihailovic Canada CF Montréal Netherlands AZ $6.0m 2023 [22]
Maurice Edu Canada Toronto FC Scotland Rangers $5.9m 2008 [17]
Claudio Reyna Scotland Rangers England Sunderland $5.9m 2001 [23]
Tim Howard England Manchester United England Everton $5.7m 2007 [17]
Matt Miazga United States New York Red Bulls England Chelsea $5.2m 2016 [17]
Aron Jóhannsson Netherlands AZ Germany Werder Bremen $4.6m 2015 [17]
Bobby Wood Germany Hamburg Germany Hannover 96 $4.5m 2016 [17]
Owen Otasowie England Wolverhampton Wanderers Belgium Brugge $4.4m 2021 [24]
Kenny Saief Belgium Gent Belgium Anderlecht $4.3m 2018 [17]
Tim Ream United States New York Red Bulls England Bolton Wanderers $4.1m 2012 [17]
Brek Shea United States FC Dallas England Stoke City $4.1m 2013 [25]
Tanner Tessmann United States FC Dallas Italy Venezia $4.0m 2021 [26]
Matthew Hoppe Germany Schalke 04 Spain Mallorca $3.9m 2021 [27]
Brad Friedel England Blackburn Rovers England Aston Villa $3.9m 2008
Eddie Johnson United States Kansas City Wizards England Fulham $3.6m 2008
Paul Arriola Mexico Tijuana United States D.C. United $3.5m 2017 [28]
Konrad de la Fuente Spain Barcelona France Marseille $3.3m 2021
Hérculez Gómez Mexico Santos Laguna Mexico Tijuana $3.0m 2013 [17]

Highest transfer payments received by American soccer clubs

Player Nat From To Fee Year Ref
Miguel Almirón  PAR Atlanta United FC England Newcastle United $26.0m 2019 [20]
Ricardo Pepi  USA FC Dallas Germany Augsburg $20.0m 2022 [20]
Jhon Durán  COL Chicago Fire England Aston Villa $18.7m 2023 [29]
Pity Martínez  ARG Atlanta United FC Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr $18.0m 2020 [20]
Jozy Altidore  USA New York Red Bulls Spain Villarreal $10.0m 2008 [20]
Daryl Dike  USA Orlando City SC England West Bromwich Albion $9.5m 2022 [20]
Brandon Vázquez  USA FC Cincinnati Mexico Monterrey $7.5m 2024 [19]
Zack Steffen  USA Columbus Crew England Manchester City $7.5m 2019 [20]
Bryan Reynolds  USA FC Dallas Italy Roma $7.4m 2021 [20]
Tajon Buchanan  CAN New England Revolution Belgium Brugge $7.0m 2022 [20]
Brenden Aaronson  USA Philadelphia Union Austria Red Bull Salzburg $6.5m 2021 [20]

Historical progression

Year Player Selling club Buying club Fee ($) Ref
1990 Tab Ramos Miami Sharks Spain Figueres 248,000
1998 Brad Friedel Columbus Crew England Liverpool 2,100,000 [30]
2000 Eddie Lewis San Jose Earthquakes England Fulham 2,300,000
2006 Clint Dempsey New England Revolution England Fulham 4,000,000 [31]
2008 Jozy Altidore New York Red Bulls Spain Villarreal 10,000,000 [20]
2019 Miguel Almirón Atlanta United FC England Newcastle United 26,000,000 [20]

Highest transfer payments paid by American soccer clubs

Player Nat From To Fee Year Ref
Thiago Almada  ARG Argentina Vélez Sarsfield Atlanta United FC $16.0m 2022 [18]
Pity Martínez  ARG Argentina River Plate Atlanta United FC $15.5m 2019 [18]
Ezequiel Barco  ARG Argentina Independiente Atlanta United FC $15.0m 2018 [18]
Brenner  BRA Brazil São Paulo FC Cincinnati $13.0m 2021 [18]
Rodolfo Pizarro  MEX Mexico Monterrey Inter Miami $12.0m 2020 [18]
Luiz Araújo  BRA France Lille Atlanta United FC $11.0m 2021 [18]
Alan Pulido  MEX Mexico Guadalajara Sporting Kansas City $9.5m 2020 [18]
Javier Hernández  MEX Spain Sevilla LA Galaxy $9.4m 2020 [18]
Clint Dempsey  USA England Tottenham Hotspur Seattle Sounders FC $9.0m 2013 [18]
Brian Rodríguez  URU Uruguay Peñarol Los Angeles FC $8.8m 2019 [18]
Talles Magno  BRA Brazil Vasco da Gama New York City FC $8.2m 2021 [18]
Miguel Almirón  PAR Argentina Lanús Atlanta United FC $8.0m 2016 [18]
Xherdan Shaqiri   SUI France Lyon Chicago Fire $7.5m 2022 [18]

References

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