Football transfers are not cheap. To have a player strengthen their ranks, teams are willing to pay big money. The football transfer considered to be the most expensive in the sport's history was that of Gareth Bale leaving Tottenham to play at Real Madrid. The Spanish club paid not less than £86 million (about $133 million at today's exchange rates) to have the player among its own. But recent news suggest that this record might be broken this year. According to reports in the media, UK Premier League team Manchester United is willing to almost double that amount.

A bishop walks past a new street-art collage by Italian artist Maupal showing Pope Francis playing tic-tac-toe and drawing peace signs as a Swiss guard keep watches the street near the Vatican on October 19, 2016 in Rome. (Photo by Tiziana Fabi/AFP Photo)

Furniture design “Chair” by Allen Jones ( £600,000-800,000) is seen at Christie's London on September 29, 2017 in London, England. Christie's Auction House is to sell millions of pounds worth of art and design from the 20th and 21st centuries during Frieze Week from October 3rd to October 7th. (Photo by Nils Jorgensen/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Toyota's driver Nasser Al-Attiyah of Qatar (R) and his co-driver Mathieu Baumel of France compete during the prologue of the Dakar 2023 by the Red Sea in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, on December 31, 2022. Swedish driver Mattias Ekstrom and his co-driver Emil Bergkvist of Sweden won the prologue ahead of French driver Sebastien Loeb and Belgian co-driver Fabian Lurquin. (Photo by Franck Fife/AFP Photo)

Aaron Ramsdale of Arsenal fails to save a shot from Pedro Goncalves of Sporting CP (not pictured) as he scores their side's first goal during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 leg two match between Arsenal FC and Sporting CP at Emirates Stadium on March 16, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Jaime Munguia lands a left to Canelo Alvarez in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Photo by John Locher/AP Photo)

France's athlete Auriana Lazraq-Khlass celebrates second place in the women's heptathlon final during the European Athletics Championships at the Olympic stadium in Rome on June 8, 2024. (Photo by Filippo Monteforte/AFP Photo)

Naked cyclists wearing masks, ride through the streets of Mexico City during the World Naked Bike Ride day, Saturday, June 11, 2022. (Photo by Eduardo Verdugo/AP Photo)