Yan Diomande becomes most expensive African player in history

Ivory Coast defender Yan Diomande has become the most expensive African player in history. His transfer from RB Leipzig to Real Madrid was completed for €125 million.

This move places Diomande at the top of the all-time list for African transfers. He moves ahead of Nicolas Pepe, who now occupies the second position on the list. The top ten transfers now represent a combined total exceeding €750 million.

Victor Osimhen follows Diomande in the rankings, having previously moved from Lille to Napoli for €78.9 million and from Napoli to Galatasaray for €75 million. Omar Marmoush and Bryan Mbeumo both sit at €75 million following their moves to Manchester City and Manchester United respectively. Antoine Semenyo follows at €72 million for his move to Manchester City.

Other players in the top ten include Achraf Hakimi, who moved from Inter Milan to PSG for €68 million, and Riyad Mahrez, whose €67.8 million transfer took him from Leicester City to Manchester City. Mohammed Kudus rounds out the list with a €63.8 million move from West Ham United to Tottenham Hotspur.

Cedric Bakambu's 2018 move from Villarreal to Beijing Guoan is a unique case. While the total financial outlay reached €74 million due to a mandatory €34 million tax levy paid to the Chinese Football Association, the direct fee paid to the selling club was €40 million. Consequently, Bakambu does not appear in the top ten when only direct transfer fees are considered.

The current list of record-breaking deals features players from eight different nationalities.