Hit or Miss: Every €100m+ transfer in football history as Liverpool-bound Florian Wirtz joins the club

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

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

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

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

If you forget the complete circus off the pitch, Kylian Mbappe's move to PSG was a roaring success. Season after season, the forward scored at a quite extraordinary rate and came up big for his side in the Champions League - even if ultimate glory remained elusive.

Yes, away from the football, Mbappe can be a bit of a nightmare. He criticised the club publicly and his long-running flirtation with Real Madrid created problems for a string of head coaches.

But when you're as good as Mbappe, you can be afforded a little bit of leeway when it comes to ego-driven chaos. This is the reason PSG bent to his will so many times, and why he still received a thank you from the club president after their maiden Champions League success, which ironically came the year after his long-awaited departure for Madrid.

Verdict: HIT

Philippe Coutinho looked like a world-beater at Liverpool, but he never came close to replicating those performances at Barcelona, despite the player describing his Camp Nou switch as a dream move in January 2018.

Fans soon let him know they weren't happy with his performances, and after just one full season, he disappeared out on loan to Bayern Munich. In a quite extraordinary quirk of fate, he would end up scoring twice in a Champions League quarter-final against his parent club, adding the gloss to that infamous 8-2 scoreline.

He failed to find a spark after returning to Barca in 2020, plodding along before eventually leaving on loan for Aston Villa - with that move being made permanent in May 2022. Even back in the familiar surroundings of the Premier League, Coutinho continued to struggle, and after loan spells in the Middle East and Brazil, the 33-year-old is set to wind down to retirement in abject fashion. What a remarkable fall from grace.

Verdict: MISS

Cristiano Ronaldo is no stranger to a big-money transfer and in 2018, Juventus broke the bank to bring the legendary forward to Turin. The move was motivated by the Agnelli family's desire to end the club's wait for a Champions League title.

And, judged on that metric alone, Ronaldo's signing was a failure. However, a fairly strong argument can be made that he could not have given much more to the Bianconeri during his three seasons at the club.

In two of those campaigns he pretty much averaged a goal a game in Serie A, helping his side ease to the title in both 2019 and 2020 as well as lift the Coppa Italia in 2021. Those struggles in Europe were frustrating, but when you weigh up the commercial benefits of his signing alongside his on-field contributions, Juventus probably got a fair deal.

Verdict: HIT

The tone was set for Eden Hazard's spell at Real Madrid when he arrived for his first pre-season five kilograms overweight. His excuse? "When I'm on vacation, I'm on vacation." It was a bold start to life as Los Blancos' record signing, and it soon became clear that he would not be producing the performances to back up this laid-back attitude.

Hazard's Madrid stats make for truly grim reading. Across four seasons, he made just 76 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals and registering a pitiful 12 assists.

During 2022-23, his final campaign as a Blanco, he was spotted on the field just 10 times. Despite Carlo Ancelotti's attempts to convince the world that everything was fine, it was clear Madrid would be doing anything to get rid of him. Eventually, Hazard agreed to terminate his contract early, bringing a farcical spell to a long overdue end, and after failing to summon the enthusiasm to start again at a new club, he retired at the age of 32.

Verdict: MISS

Antoine Griezmann made quite the song and dance about leaving Atletico Madrid, releasing the cringe-inducing 'La Decision' mini-documentary - in which he pledged his future to Los Rojiblancos - the summer before he eventually opted to depart the Spanish capital for Barcelona.

After all that fuss, his spell in Catalunya was mediocre at best, with the Frenchman scoring just nine La Liga goals during his first season at the club. The 2020-21 campaign saw slightly better returns, but when Barcelona's financial problems began to spiral out of control, he was among the first on the chopping block.

Ironically, he ended up back at Atleti, initially on loan before agreeing a permanent switch. He wasn't a complete disaster at Barca, but for that price tag they were right to expect a lot more.

Verdict: MISS

When adult men go through a mid-life crisis, they normally buy a motorbike or grow their hair out. Diego Simeone instead spent over €100m on a player completely ill-suited to his managerial style and tactical system.

Simeone is one of the greatest defensive managers of all-time and he has achieved miracles with his fierce Atleti squad over the years. In this harsh environment, mercurial playmakers can often struggle to thrive, but that did not stop Simeone betting the house on teenage sensation Joao Felix back in 2019.

For some time, both parties tried to kid themselves that the move would work out and, during the 2021-22 season, there was even some signs that Felix was starting to hit his stride. However, things soon unravelled.

After a falling out with Simeone, he was sent out on loan to Chelsea for the second half of the 2022-23 campaign, and spent the entirety of the following year at Barcelona, before Atletico sent him back to Stamford Bridge on a permanent basis. Unsurprisingly, Felix has not been able to make a fresh start for Chelsea, and after another underwhelming loan spell, this time at AC Milan, his future looks unclear. The entire Felix project has been a bit of a waste of time for all parties.

Verdict: MISS

Here's another cautionary tale about returning to your former club. After a tricky spell at Manchester United, Romelu Lukaku was finally playing with a smile on his face at Inter having formed a lethal partnership with Lautaro Martinez and helped the Nerazzurri win the Serie A title in 2021.

With a heavy heart, he was sold to Chelsea at the end of that season - and it didn't go well. The early signs were promising enough, with the Belgian scoring three times in his first three Premier League games. The goals soon dried up, though, before a series of knocks kept him intermittently sidelined until December.

During one of these absences, an interview where Lukaku chose his words extremely poorly surfaced. In a sit down with Sky Sports Italia, Lukaku revealed his desire to return to Inter and also publicly criticised Blues boss Thomas Tuchel - an extremely bold move considering his shaky start to life in west London.

He would score just five more times for Chelsea in the league after the interview surfaced, before being shipped out on loan to Inter for the 2022-23 season. Incredibly, he also managed to alienate that fanbase by exploring a possible transfer to Juventus, and ended up at Roma instead, where he did at least manage to rebuild some lost confidence.

Chelsea finally severed all ties with Lukaku last summer, and he has since secured his second Scudetto with Napoli, cementing his standing as football's ultimate enigma.

Verdict: MISS

Confirmation that Jack Grealish's move to Manchester City had broken the British transfer record was greeted with more than a few question marks, and the England international did little to prove his doubters wrong during his maiden season at the Etihad, as he registered just three goals and three assists in the Premier League.

Grealish was an important cog in Guardiola's treble-winning machine in 2022-23, and boy did he celebrate when the campaign came to a close. But it still felt like he wasn't the right fit for the Catalan coach's rigid tactical set-up. Grealish still wasn't making a consistent impact in the final third, having stopped taking the risks that made him so thrilling to watch at Aston Villa.

Over the last two seasons, Grealish's City career has gone from being satisfactory to a complete disappointment. He's only started 17 Premier League games after falling behind Jeremy Doku and Savinho in the attacking pecking order, and was left out of Guardiola's 27-man squad for the expanded 2025 Club World Cup.

Now, Grealish will have to leave City to have any hope of one day getting back into the England national team picture, and at 29, it feels like he has wasted his prime years.

Verdict: MISS

If it's one thing Benfica know how to do, it's sell their players. A few years after flogging Felix for mega bucks, they sold Enzo Fernandez for Chelsea - who were desperate for midfield reinforcements at the time.

Two-and-a-half years later, it's still difficult to gauge whether Fernandez will ever repay his fee. The Argentine's first 18 months at Stamford Bridge were miserable, and serious doubts were raised over whether he could reach the required physical standards to succeed in the Premier League.

Fernandez's fortunes didn't immediately improve after Enzo Maresca's arrival either, and he had lost his place in the team by the start of November 2024. But that seemed to shake the 24-year-old into life, and Fernandez was one of Chelsea's best players in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign, finishing up with an impressive 22 goal involvements across all competitions.

Maresca has not only brought the best out of Fernandez by pushing him further forward, he's saved his Chelsea career, and he's starting to look like the same player who played a key role in Argentina's 2022 World Cup success. Now he must show he can maintain the same level going forward.

Verdict: JURY STILL OUT

Jude Bellingham established himself among Europe's elite midfielders at Borussia Dortmund, but has become a complete all-rounder since making his blockbuster switch to Real Madrid in 2023. For much of his first season at Santiago Bernabeu, Bellingham even led Real's three-pronged attack alongside Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo as he plundered a hugely impressive 23 goals in 40 appearances.

Vinicius stole most of the headlines, but Bellingham was the driving force behind Madrid's La Liga and Champions League double success, and it was remarkable how quickly he adjusted to the demands of life at the world's biggest football club.

Naturally, topping that in 2024-25 proved a difficult task. The summer addition of Mbappe disrupted the harmony in Ancelotti's side as Bellingham was moved into a deeper role, and Madrid finished the campaign without a single major trophy. Still, Bellingham was arguably Real's most consistent performer, as evidenced by his haul of 28 goal involvements in all competitions. The trophies will flow again soon enough for the England international, who was clearly born to be a Galactico.

Verdict: HIT

"Mikel Arteta is a massive factor in why I've come here," Declan Rice said after completing his club-record move to Arsenal from West Ham two years ago. "I know he's going to get the best out of me. I know I've got more levels to go up in my game, and I feel like he's the manager to take me to those next levels."

Rice's prediction turned out to be spot on. Arteta has helped the England midfielder fine-tune his main strengths, namely breaking up play and keeping the ball circulating, but has also turned him into a set-piece expert who now contributes almost as much in attack as he does in defence.

Unfortunately, Rice's improvement has not yet inspired Arsenal to any tangible rewards, but he's now the most important player in Arteta's line up, and has developed the useful habit of delivering when the stakes are at their highest. The 26-year-old's two beautifully struck free-kicks to down Real Madrid in last season's Champions League quarter-finals solidified his status as a cult hero at the Emirates, and the ex-West Ham man continues to set a shining example to the younger generation with his work ethic and professionalism.

Verdict: HIT

Harry Kane scored 213 Premier League goals in nine seasons for Tottenham, just 47 shy of Alan Shearer's all-time record, but had no silverware to show for his superhuman efforts in the final third. When Bayern Munich came calling in 2023, Kane had to make a tough decision between staying loyal to his boyhood club or finally getting his hands on some trophies, and, in the end, the allure of near-guaranteed success in Germany proved too great.

It did not come as quickly as Kane would have hoped, though. The England captain scored 44 goals in his debut season at Bayern, but they still slumped to their first trophy-less season in 12 years, surrendering the Bundesliga crown in meek fashion to first-time champions Bayer Leverkusen. To many fans, this was confirmation that Kane was under a curse from which there would be no end.

As a result, Kane has faced an unfair amount of scrutiny after every bad result or ineffective performance, but it never broke him. He bounced back to finish as Bundesliga top scorer for the second straight year in 2024-25, and this time, it was enough to get Bayern over the line and finally lift his trophy hoodoo.

Kane has emerged as the true heir to Robert Lewandowski at Bayern, while also making a huge difference with his playmaking skills, and he's now well on his way to becoming a club legend.

Verdict: HIT

More than a few eyebrows were raised when Chelsea spent €135m on Moises Caicedo in August 2023. The Ecuador international arrived at Stamford Bridge on the back of a stellar second season at Brighton, but he was still only a 21-year-old who had yet to test himself at the very highest level.

That lack of experience showed throughout Caicedo's first year at Chelsea. He was hailed as the Blues' new N'Golo Kante, but ended up being a pale imitation of the Frenchman as the team struggled for consistency under Mauricio Pochettino. By his own admission, Caicedo lost confidence in himself, and was "not the same Moises" that rose to prominence at the Amex Stadium.

Maresca's arrival as Chelsea's new head coach last summer changed everything for Caicedo, though, as the Italian had him swap positions with Enzo Fernandez, making him the more defensive-minded midfielder in the double-pivot. Caicedo thrived in that more structured role last season, completing more passes and winning possession more times than any other player in the Premier League.

Caicedo was deservedly named Chelsea's Player of the Year after they secured a top-four finish, and no one is questioning his price tag anymore.

Verdict: HIT