Man Utd overpaying for Casemiro & Chelsea's £230m splurge on two midfielders

Neymar's near-£200m transfer to PSG from Barcelona in 2017 turned the football world on its head and ushered in the future of absurd fees we see today.

Don't get me wrong, transfer sums had been on the rise but the Brazilian's move sparked an incredible initial chain-reaction before setting a new standard for what a player is worth.

The summer of 2022 saw another example of this, with a mad scramble for defensive midfielders hiking prices to such a degree that players purchased for seven-figure sums a couple of years prior could be on the market for over £100m.

Here, Mail Sport takes a look at the 10 biggest transfer profits since 2014, excluding players that had come from the selling club's academy.

The numbers, according to CIES, paint a telling picture of the mind-blowing figures clubs have been willing to pay in recent seasons.

The top 10 actually begins with two transfers tied for ninth place. Manchester United's 2022 capture of five-time Champions League winner Casemiro came at an extraordinary expense considering the Brazilian's age.

The Red Devils forked out £70m for the then-30-year-old, who at times in his debut campaign looked like the club's most important player. Still, even in during that run it was hard to make a case for the eye-watering figure.

Casemiro was a key cog in Erik ten Hag's maiden season at the helm of the Old Trafford club as they earned qualification for the Champions League and reached two cup finals - winning the League Cup.

However, this term things have not been as smooth with injury and poor hinting at an exit in the summer.

9 = Thomas Lemar - £61m

The French winger was one of the breakout stars of Leonardo Jardim's Monaco side that reached the semi-final of the Champions League in 2017