Who is the most expensive Asian player of all time? Top 10 most valuable football players in Asia

In recent years, Asian players have become increasingly prominent in world football, with many talents competing in Europe. Today, nowgoal.pro lists the 10 most expensive Asian player transfers of all time, as well as the 10 most valuable Asian players at the moment.

Top 10 most expensive Asian players of all time

At the moment, Bayern Munich defender Kim Min-jae holds the record for the most expensive transfer in the history of an Asian player. The Korean centre-back moved from Napoli to Bayern Munich for £43m in 2023, shortly after winning the Serie A title with Napoli. Notably, Kim spent most of his youth career in South Korea before moving to Europe in 2021. Two years later, he was playing for one of the best clubs in the world and won the Bundesliga last season.

Second on the list is Shoya Nakajima, who transferred from Portimonense to Al Duhail for £29m in 2019. At the time, the Qatari club surprised many by paying such a high fee for a midfielder who had only played in Europe for half a season. Just five months later, Nakajima returned to Europe to join Porto, but he was frequently loaned out before returning to Japan in 2023.

Son Heung-min ranks third on this list, following his £22m transfer from Bayer Leverkusen to Tottenham Hotspur. This move proved to be a major success for the London club. Over 10 years at Tottenham, Son made 333 appearances, scored 127 goals, and provided 77 assists. He became club captain and helped lead the team to their first trophy in 15 years by winning the Europa League in the 2024/25 season. Before joining Tottenham, Son spent seven years in Germany with Hamburg and Leverkusen, moving to England in 2015.

Another Japanese player on the list is national legend Hidetoshi Nakata, who completed a €21m transfer from AS Roma to Parma in the summer of 2001. Unlike many Japanese players of that era, Nakata spent most of his career playing in Serie A during its peak years. He moved from Japan to Italian side Perugia in 1998, then joined Roma for €18.7m in 2000, before being sold to Parma just one year later. Nakata later played for clubs such as Bologna and Fiorentina before retiring in 2006 at the age of 29.

Top 10 most expensive Asian football transfers of all time

1. £43m - Kim Min-jae - Napoli to Bayern Munich

2. £29m - Shoya Nakajima - Portimonense to Al Duhail

3. £22m - Son Heung-min - Bayer Leverkusen to Tottenham

4. £19m - Hidetoshi Nakata - Roma to Parma

5. £17m - Alireza Jahanbakhsh - AZ Alkmaar to Brighton

6. £16m - Takehiro Tomiyasu - Bologna to Arsenal

7. £15m - Lee Kang-in - Mallorca to Paris Saint-Germain

8. £13m - Shinji Kagawa - Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United

9. £12m - Ritsu Doan - PSV Eindhoven to Freiburg

10. £11m - Mehdi Taremi - Rio Ave to Porto

Top 10 most valuable players in Asia right now

Leading the list at present is not a Japanese or Korean player, but Abdukodir Khusanov. The Manchester City centre-back is currently valued at £30m. He joined City from Lens in the January transfer window last year for a £40m fee. Although he has lacked playing time in recent months, he remains the most valuable Asian footballer in the world.

Second on the list is Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma, valued at £26m. Brighton’s left winger moved to England in 2021 after spending three seasons with Japanese club Kawasaki Frontale. He was later loaned to Union SG for one season before establishing himself at Brighton. Known for his tactical discipline and serious approach to learning football, Mitoma is highly rated and was named Japan’s Footballer of the Year twice, in 2020 and 2022.

Another Japanese player on the list is Takefusa Kubo, who became well known during his time in Spain. In 2019, while playing for FC Tokyo, Kubo attracted attention from Real Madrid and moved to Spain on a free transfer. He did not secure a regular place in Madrid’s first team and spent several seasons on loan before joining Real Sociedad in 2022. He is now one of the club’s most important players and is valued at £26m.

Kaishu Sano ranks fourth, with a market value of £22m. The 25-year-old defensive midfielder joined Mainz 05 in the summer of 2024 and quickly became a key player for the club. He has started every match for Mainz, played all available minutes, and recorded three goal contributions.

Among the other names on the list, Paris Saint-Germain treble winner Lee Kang-in sits in fifth place, followed by Kim Min-jae. Son Heung-min, despite leaving Europe for half a season, still ranks 10th with a valuation of £15m, tied with Bayern Munich centre-back Hiroki Ito.

Top 10 most valuable players in Asia at the moment (via Transfermarkt)

1. Abdukodir Khusanov - 21 – Uzbekistan - Manchester City - £30m

2. Kaoru Mitoma - 28 - Japan - Brighton & Hove Albion - £26m

3. Takefusa Kubo - 24 – Japan - Real Sociedad - £26m

4. Kaishu Sano - 25 - Japan - 1. FSV Mainz 05 - £22m

5. Kang-in Lee - 24 - South Korea - Paris Saint-Germain - £22m

6. Min-jae Kim - 29 - South Korea - Bayern Munich - £22m

7. Ritsu Doan - 27 - Japan - Eintracht Frankfurt - £22m

8. Zion Suzuki - 23 - Japan - Parma Calcio 1913 - £17m

9. Hiroki Ito - 26 - Japan - Bayern Munich - £15m

10. Son Heung-min - 33 - South Korea - Los Angeles FC - £15m

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