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10 players who became the most expensive defenders in the world

  • Frenchman Vincent Candela became the world's most expensive defender when he broke a six year record and signed for Roma in a deal worth £8.1 million in 1996. Roma had broken the record they had previously set in 1990 when they signed Brazilian, Aldair. Candela stayed at the club for eight years before joining Bolton Wanderers. (Credit: Getty Images)
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    Vincent Candela to Roma for £8.1m

    Frenchman Vincent Candela became the world's most expensive defender when he broke a six year record and signed for Roma in a deal worth £8.1 million in 1996. Roma had broken the record they had previously set in 1990 when they signed Brazilian, Aldair. Candela stayed at the club for eight years before joining Bolton Wanderers. (Credit: Getty Images)
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  • Inter Milan's Taribo West's tenure at Inter Milan was short lived, the defender only spent two years at the club, but the Nigerian cost the Italian giants £10.2 million when he signed from French side Auxerre in 1997. The player when on to make 64 appearances in all competitons. (Credit: Getty Images)
    2/10

    Taribo West to Inter Milan for £10.2m

    Inter Milan's Taribo West's tenure at Inter Milan was short lived, the defender only spent two years at the club, but the Nigerian cost the Italian giants £10.2 million when he signed from French side Auxerre in 1997. The player when on to make 64 appearances in all competitons. (Credit: Getty Images)
  • No nonsense defender Japp Stam became a record breaker when he signed for English club Manchester United from PSV in 1998 for £10.6 million. Not only did his transfer break the record for a defender, it also broke the record for the price paid for a Dutchman. (Credit: Getty Images)
    3/10

    Japp Stam to Manchester United for £10.6m

    No nonsense defender Japp Stam became a record breaker when he signed for English club Manchester United from PSV in 1998 for £10.6 million. Not only did his transfer break the record for a defender, it also broke the record for the price paid for a Dutchman. (Credit: Getty Images)
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  • Three years after Stam's move, Lillian Thuram moved Parma to Juventus for a record fee of £22 million in 2001. Thuram went on to make 152 appearances in five seasons for the Italian giants, before signing for Barcelona, where he stayed for two years before retiring. (Credit: Getty Images)
    4/10

    Lillian Thuram to Juventus for £22m

    Three years after Stam's move, Lillian Thuram moved Parma to Juventus for a record fee of £22 million in 2001. Thuram went on to make 152 appearances in five seasons for the Italian giants, before signing for Barcelona, where he stayed for two years before retiring. (Credit: Getty Images)
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  • Manchester United broke the record fee paid for a defender by £8 million when they took Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United for £30 million in 2002. Ferdinand became the most expensive British player in history with the move and signed a five year deal with the club. (Credit: Getty Images)
    5/10

    Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United for £30m

    Manchester United broke the record fee paid for a defender by £8 million when they took Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United for £30 million in 2002. Ferdinand became the most expensive British player in history with the move and signed a five year deal with the club. (Credit: Getty Images)
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  • PSG broke a seven year record for the largest transfer fee paid for a defender when they captured the signature of Chelsea's David Luiz in June 2014. The Brazilian put pen to paper on a five year contract worth £50 million for Chelsea. (Credit: Getty Images)
    6/10

    David Luiz to PSG for £50

    PSG broke a seven year record for the largest transfer fee paid for a defender when they captured the signature of Chelsea's David Luiz in June 2014. The Brazilian put pen to paper on a five year contract worth £50 million for Chelsea. (Credit: Getty Images)
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  • Manchester City equalled the transfer record for a defender when they signed Kyle Walker in July 2017 from fellow Premier League side Tottenham hotspur for £50m. The initial deal was £45 million but rose to £50 million with add ons. (Credit: Getty Images)
    7/10

    Kyle Walker to Manchester City for £50m

    Manchester City equalled the transfer record for a defender when they signed Kyle Walker in July 2017 from fellow Premier League side Tottenham hotspur for £50m. The initial deal was £45 million but rose to £50 million with add ons. (Credit: Getty Images)
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  • Manchester City's signing of Benjamin Mendy broke the transfer record for a defender that they had set just ten days earlier in July 2017 when they brought in Kyle Walker. Mendy signed from Monaco for £52 million. (Credit: Getty Images)
    8/10

    Benjamin Mendy to Manchester City for £52m

    Manchester City's signing of Benjamin Mendy broke the transfer record for a defender that they had set just ten days earlier in July 2017 when they brought in Kyle Walker. Mendy signed from Monaco for £52 million. (Credit: Getty Images)
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  • Virgil Van Dijk became the most expensive defender in the world when he signed for Liverpool in the 2018 January transfer window. The Dutchman moved to Liverpool from former Premier League side Southampton for £80 million, smashing the previous record by £28 million, set just a year earlier. (Credit: Getty Images)
    9/10

    Virgil Van Dijk to Liverpool for £75m

    Virgil Van Dijk became the most expensive defender in the world when he signed for Liverpool in the 2018 January transfer window. The Dutchman moved to Liverpool from former Premier League side Southampton for £80 million, smashing the previous record by £28 million, set just a year earlier. (Credit: Getty Images)
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  • Harry Maguire has signed for Manchester United from Leicester City for a world-record fee of £80 million. The 26-year-old penned a six year deal at Old Trafford in August 2019 to beat the record set the year before by Virgil van Dijk. United became the fourth Premier League side in a row to break the transfer record for a defender. (Credit: Getty Images)
    10/10

    Harry Maguire to Manchester United for £80m

    Harry Maguire has signed for Manchester United from Leicester City for a world-record fee of £80 million. The 26-year-old penned a six year deal at Old Trafford in August 2019 to beat the record set the year before by Virgil van Dijk. United became the fourth Premier League side in a row to break the transfer record for a defender. (Credit: Getty Images)
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Frenchman Vincent Candela became the world's most expensive defender when he broke a six year record and signed for Roma in a deal worth £8.1 million in 1996. Roma had broken the record they had previously set in 1990 when they signed Brazilian, Aldair. Candela stayed at the club for eight years before joining Bolton Wanderers. (Credit: Getty Images)
Inter Milan's Taribo West's tenure at Inter Milan was short lived, the defender only spent two years at the club, but the Nigerian cost the Italian giants £10.2 million when he signed from French side Auxerre in 1997. The player when on to make 64 appearances in all competitons. (Credit: Getty Images)
No nonsense defender Japp Stam became a record breaker when he signed for English club Manchester United from PSV in 1998 for £10.6 million. Not only did his transfer break the record for a defender, it also broke the record for the price paid for a Dutchman. (Credit: Getty Images)
Three years after Stam's move, Lillian Thuram moved Parma to Juventus for a record fee of £22 million in 2001. Thuram went on to make 152 appearances in five seasons for the Italian giants, before signing for Barcelona, where he stayed for two years before retiring. (Credit: Getty Images)
Manchester United broke the record fee paid for a defender by £8 million when they took Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United for £30 million in 2002. Ferdinand became the most expensive British player in history with the move and signed a five year deal with the club. (Credit: Getty Images)
PSG broke a seven year record for the largest transfer fee paid for a defender when they captured the signature of Chelsea's David Luiz in June 2014. The Brazilian put pen to paper on a five year contract worth £50 million for Chelsea. (Credit: Getty Images)
Manchester City equalled the transfer record for a defender when they signed Kyle Walker in July 2017 from fellow Premier League side Tottenham hotspur for £50m. The initial deal was £45 million but rose to £50 million with add ons. (Credit: Getty Images)
Manchester City's signing of Benjamin Mendy broke the transfer record for a defender that they had set just ten days earlier in July 2017 when they brought in Kyle Walker. Mendy signed from Monaco for £52 million. (Credit: Getty Images)
Virgil Van Dijk became the most expensive defender in the world when he signed for Liverpool in the 2018 January transfer window. The Dutchman moved to Liverpool from former Premier League side Southampton for £80 million, smashing the previous record by £28 million, set just a year earlier. (Credit: Getty Images)
Harry Maguire has signed for Manchester United from Leicester City for a world-record fee of £80 million. The 26-year-old penned a six year deal at Old Trafford in August 2019 to beat the record set the year before by Virgil van Dijk. United became the fourth Premier League side in a row to break the transfer record for a defender. (Credit: Getty Images)
Lee Jarvis

Manchester United’s signing of Harry Maguire for £80m from Leicester City makes him the most expensive defender of all time.

The England international’s transfer has broken the record set last year when Virgil van Dijk moved to Liverpool from Southampton.

We look back at 10 times this particular record has been broken, there are some famous names in this list!