Rating the last 10 record-breaking signings in the Bundesliga

We're going on a journey from 1997 to 2023 as we look at the last 10 record-breaking transfers in the Bundesliga, giving each one a rating out of 10. It shows a staggering change in the transfer market in just over a quarter of a century, and recently shows quite how dominant Bayern Munich has become as they flex their financial muscles to dominant both on the pitch and in the transfer market!

Elber was signed from VfB Stuttgart in 1997 for €6.5 million (£5.38 million/$6.9 million) and became a huge part of an incredibly successful Bayern Munich side, winning four Bundesliga titles and a Champions League, all while scoring a goal every other game, which is the usual benchmark for a top-quality striker. 9/10.

Roberto had spells at both Leverkusen and Munich, but it was his move from Flamengo to Leverkusen that made him the eight-most expensive player in Bundesliga history, costing €7 million (£5.8 million/$7.45 million). Roberto's time at Leverkusen was mixed with his team winning nothing during his time there, he was a member of Kicker's Team of the Season twice, however. 8/10.

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Emile Mpenza is a Belgian forward who was playing as recently as 2014, but is perhaps best known for his spell at Schalke at the turn of the Millennium. Schalke shelled out €8.5 million (£7 million/$9 million) for his services. During his time in Germany, he came oh so close to winning a Bundesliga title, only slipping up on the final day. He did secure two DFB-Pokal trophies, though. 7.5/10.

Rosicky is best known in England for an injury-plagued spell at Arsenal where he won over the Gunners faithful, at not much else. However, back in 2001, he was hot property, with Borussia Dortmund spending €14.5 million (£12 million/$15.4 million) to secure his services from Sparta Prague. A league title in his first year with Dortmund was his only trophy in Germany, but that is still worthy of a 9/10.

Marcio Amoroso broke the Bundesliga transfer record when he signed for Dortmund in 2001 with the German side splashing the cash to sign the Brazilian forward for €25.5 million (£21 million/$27 million). He led the league in his first Bundesliga season before his production fell off, and he promptly left for Malaga in La Liga. 5/10.

Ribery is among the best players in Bayern Munich history, which is saying something. Nine Bundesliga trophies and a Champions League highlight his career in Bavaria, which is quite the bargain for €30 million (£25 million/$32 million). This can only be given a 10/10.

Possibly an even more integral part of Bayern's utter dominance of German football during the 2010s than Ribery, Martinez won everything there is to win in his career, including two Champions Leagues and nine Bundesliga titles. He was signed for €40 million (33 million/$43 million) in 2012 and was worth every penny. 10/10.

Once seen as the next great German attack, Draxler's transfer from Schalke to Wolfsburg cost €43 million (£35.5 million/$46 million) in 2015. Unlike many on this list, Draxler never settled at Wolfsburg and soon moved on to Paris Saint Germain, where he struggled for output. While not a bad player, Draxler never quite lived up to the hype. 5/10.

Munich would've been hoping for more from Lucas Hernandez when they signed him from Atlético Madrid in 2019 for €80 million (£67 million/$85 million). He played a role in multiple league titles and a Champions League win, so it certainly wasn't a failure of a signing, but they were happy for him to leave last Summer for nearly half of what they paid for him. 6/10.

Harry Kane's career up until he signed with Munich had been an infinite loop of, scoring a million goals and not winning anything. Then he moved to Germany, where a trophy was all but guaranteed, only to see Bayer Leverkusen cruise to a league title. That's tough for a €95 million (£78.5 million/101 million) man. Still, he is scoring millions of goals. 7/10.

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