The Dutch centre-back arrived from Juventus in 2022 for a hefty £56.9m fee. Despite flashes of quality, De Ligt failed to consistently convince in Bavaria and was sold to Manchester United in 2024 for a fee reported to be £42.5m including add-ons.

Revealing how the Germans finally made an offer Anfield chiefs could not refuse and the impact of this transfer for both clubs

The big spending in the Bundesliga is usually done by Bayern Munich, as proven by the top 10 most expensive signings in the German top flight's history.