TRANSFER fees have increased and increased to astronomical heights in recent years as £100million deals become a frequent occurrence.

But many smaller fees from years back caught the eye just as much at the time given their relative value when the transfers were completed.

And SunSport has taken a look at some of the most expensive moves ever when you consider what those prices equate to in the modern game.

But what historic deals stand out as those that would have shattered transfer records had they taken place in 2023?

Well, Ronaldo has officially gone down as the most expensive footballer of all time, with the Inter Milan legend costing a whopping £380million after inflation.

The Brazil great cost Inter a mere £25m back in 1997 but the figure would cost a staggering £400m in today’s market.

The legendary striker burst onto the scene at Barcelona in 1996, scoring 47 times in 49 matches, before moving to Italy, where he scored 59 goals in 99 appearances.

After five seasons with the Nerazzurri , Ronaldo moved to Barca’s biggest rivals Real Madrid where he only won one LaLiga title.

He won two World Cup’s during his career, with his Brazil side winning the 1994 and 2002 tournaments.

Italian market analysts PlayRatings came up with an algorithm to determine modern day transfer fees for top players of bygone eras.

Diego Maradona, who sadly died aged 60 in 2020, was the closest to Ronaldo, costing £300m when he joined Napoli from Barcelona in 1984.

Famous for his Hand of God goal against England at the 1986 World Cup, Maradona is regarded as one of finest footballers of all time.

He racked up an impressive 310 goals during his 21-year career.

Michel Platini and Christian Vieri are third and fourth on the list, respectively.

Platini, left French side Saint Etienne for Juventus in 1982 and the attacking midfielder went on to finish his career with the Italian giants after racking up 103 goals in 222 matches.

Two-time World Cup winner Ronaldo was the best striker in the world when he signed for InterCredit: Getty Images

Diego Maradona lived up to the hype at Napoli

Despite costing just £1m in 1987, the report revealed Dutch legend Marco van Basten would have cost £289m in the modern game.

Two more Argentinians are next on the list, with Gabriel Batistuta and Gonzalo Higuain costing a whopping £247m and £232m, respectively.

Batistuta left Fiorentina for Roma in 2000 and the striker bagged an incredible 292 goals during his 17-year career.

He also boasted an impressive 54 goals in 77 matches for his country.

Higuain played for some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Real and Chelsea, but his transfer from Napoli to Juventus in 2016 would now amount to £232m.

Neymar is the world’s most expensive footballer, after joining Paris Saint-Germain for £199m from Barcelona in 2017, but that fee would have been the least-expensive of the eight players named in the report.

Club team-mate Kylian Mbappe may be the only man who can threaten that fee in the pandemic world.

However, he signed a mega £300million deal with the French club – ending speculation of a move to Real Madrid.