# List of most expensive American soccer transfers

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

### Historical progression

| Year | Player | From | To | Fee ($) |
| 1990 | Tab Ramos | USSF | Figueres | $250,000 |
| 1998 | Brad Friedel | Columbus Crew | Liverpool | $2.1m |
| 2001 | Claudio Reyna | Rangers | Sunderland | $5.9m |
| 2008 | Jozy Altidore | New York Red Bulls | Villarreal | $10.0m |
| 2013 | Jozy Altidore | AZ | Sunderland | $13.0m |
| 2017 | John Brooks | Hertha BSC | VfL Wolfsburg | $19.4m |
| 2019 | Christian Pulisic | Borussia Dortmund | Chelsea | $65.0m |

## Highest transfer payments received by American soccer clubs

| Player | Nat | From | To | Fee | Year |
| Miguel Almirón | PAR | Atlanta United | Newcastle United | $26.0m | 2019 |
| Thiago Almada | ARG | Atlanta United | Botafogo | $22.0m | 2024 |
| Ricardo Pepi | USA | FC Dallas | FC Augsburg | $20.0m | 2022 |
| Jhon Durán | COL | Chicago Fire | Aston Villa | $18.7m | 2023 |
| Pity Martínez | ARG | Atlanta United | Al Nassr | $18.0m | 2020 |
| Đorđe Petrović | SRB | New England Revolution | Chelsea | $12.5m | 2023 |
| Jozy Altidore | USA | New York Red Bulls | Villarreal | $10.0m | 2008 |
| Daryl Dike | USA | Orlando City | West Bromwich Albion | $9.5m | 2022 |
| Brandon Vázquez | USA | FC Cincinnati | Monterrey | $7.5m | 2024 |
| Zack Steffen | USA | Columbus Crew | Manchester City | $7.5m | 2019 |
| Bryan Reynolds | USA | FC Dallas | Roma | $7.4m | 2021 |
| Tajon Buchanan | CAN | New England Revolution | Club Brugge | $7.0m | 2022 |
| Brenden Aaronson | USA | Philadelphia Union | Red Bull Salzburg | $6.5m | 2021 |

### Historical progression

| Year | Player | Selling club | Buying club | Fee ($) |
| 1990 | Tab Ramos | USSF | Figueres | 250,000 |
| 1998 | Brad Friedel | Columbus Crew | Liverpool | 2,100,000 |
| 2000 | Eddie Lewis | San Jose Earthquakes | Fulham | 2,300,000 |
| 2006 | Clint Dempsey | New England Revolution | Fulham | 4,000,000 |
| 2008 | Jozy Altidore | New York Red Bulls | Villarreal | 10,000,000 |
| 2019 | Miguel Almirón | Atlanta United | Newcastle United | 26,000,000 |

## Highest transfer payments paid by American soccer clubs

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