Neymar’s £198m move set to break record that has stood for 85 years

In 1932, Argentinian striker Bernabe Ferreyra left Club Atlético Tigre to join River Plate in a move costing £23,000, in the process, he became the first non-English player to hold the world record transfer and the last player to double the previous record… until now.

Ferreyra’s fee came in at 110% more than the previous record of £10,890 which was set when Arsenal purchased David Jack from Bolton four years earlier.

Neymar’s move to PSG on the other hand, will come in at 138% more than the previous record of £89m, set when Paul Pogba returned to Manchester United from Juventus last summer.

Several players have come close to doubling the previous transfer record, with Johan Cruyff’s move to Barcelona in 1973 for £922,000 blowing the previous record of £500,000, set when Juventus signed Pietro Anastasi five years earlier, out of the water. Diego Maradona also went close twice within two years when he joined Barcelona in 1982 and then Naopli in 1984 before Cristiano Ronaldo’s £80m move to Real Madrid in 2009 came tantalisingly close to doubling Zinedine Zidane’s £46.6m move to the same club eight years previously.

The figures go to show just what an incredible transfer this is on all levels and perhaps those who dubbed it ‘the transfer of the century’ were right after all.

No doubt Neymar will be hoping to have as big an impact as Ferreyra at his new club, the Argentine scored 187 goals in 185 games for River before retiring at the age of just 30.