The 2006 BBC African Footballer of the year, Michael Essien, is on record to be the Ghanaian footballer who has so far enjoyed the highest transfer fee of 36 million euros.

His move from French Club Olympic Lyon to English side Chelsea FC in 2005 broke the record, then held by Black Stars skipper Stephen Appiah, who joined Juventus to his current club, Fenebache of Turkey, for 8 million euros in 2005.

Sulley Muntari, who was recently signed by Portsmouth in England, has become the second most expensive player transferred from Udinese of Italy at 11.8 million euro.

Other expensive transfers involving Ghanaian players are Alex Nyarko's move from Lens in France to Everton in England for 6.3 million euro in 2000.

Eric Addo was also bought for 5 million euro from Club Brugge in Belgium to PSV Eindhoven in Holland.

The biggest transfers in the history of football to date have been those of France's Zinedine Zidane, who moved from Juventus to Real Madrid in 2001/2002 for 73.5 million euros, and Portugal’s Luis Figo, who one year earlier switched from Barcelona to arch-rivals Real for 60 million euros.

Eric Addo was also bought for 5 million euro from Club Brugge in Belgium to PSV Eindhoven in Holland.

Credit: Statesman