Paul Pogba Smash Guinness Book of Records: £89 million, World’s Most Expensive Football Player Ever

After weeks of speculation and negotiation between two giants of club football the French midfielder Paul Pogba has completed his move from Juventus to Manchester United, smashing a Guinness World Records title in the process.

Pogba now holds the title for the Most expensive football player single transfer for the reported fee of £89 million (€105 million; $116 million) surpassing the previous record held by Welshman Gareth Bale who moved from Tottenham to Real Madrid for a reported £85.30 million (€99.95 million; $132.16 million) on 1 September 2013.

In fact Real Madrid had been responsible for the last five world record transfers dating back to Luis Figo in 2000.

This represents only the 2nd time since the Guinness World Records book was first released in 1955 that an English club has bought the most expensive player.

The last time was in 1996 when Newcastle United secured the services of Alan Shearer for £15 million.

It is also only the 3rd time that a Frenchman has held this record, Jean Pierre-Papin was the first ever £10 million player in 1992 and his compatriot Zinedine Zidane left Juventus, like Pogba, in a £46 million move to Real Madrid in 2001.

It is all a far cry from 1893 when Scotsman Willie Groves became the first 100 pound player when moving from West Bromwich Albion to Aston Villa.