This summer's transfer window has been one of the most bizarre in recent memory.

A plethora of the world's most well-known stars have been lured to Saudi Arabia owing to ludicrous contract offers, while Chelsea appear determined to buy every young player in the whole of Europe.

With the likes of Todd Boehly prepared to spend extortionate amounts to attract the biggest talents in world football, it's meant transfer fees are going through the roof.

Indeed, it felt like only yesterday that Paul Pogba became the first ever £100 million player. Yet, that sort of sum feels like a pretty common occurrence in the football world now.

Defensive midfielders Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo have already moved for more than £100m in this window and there may well be more to follow.

Given that £100m only seems to get you a 21-year-old midfielder with little over one year of Premier League experience, just imagine how much it will cost to sign the best players on the planet.

Study ranks the 10 most expensive footballers

Well, fear not, because a new study has ranked the 10 most expensive footballers in the world at present and their values are truly staggering.

Indeed, without meaning to over-exaggerate too much, we're not even sure Boehly or any Saudi Arabian club owners could afford some of the names on this list.

The report, conducted by the CIES Football Observatory, looks at the highest transfer values for players around the world using a statistical model exclusively developed by themselves.

It took into account over 2,000 transactions of players transferred for money from clubs in the five major European leagues during the period July 2012 to November 2021.

The algorithm also acknowledged players' current length of contract and their performances for their respective national sides.

Take a look at the top 10 below:

10 Kylian Mbappe

Remarkably, Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe is just 10th on the list.

Despite scoring a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final and finishing as Ligue 1's top scorer for the past five seasons, Mbappe ranks only 10th.

Granted, he's still valued at a whopping €163 million but given he's arguably the best player in the world right now, you'd think he'd probably be worth more.

The reason he's not is chiefly because there's a lot of speculation over the Frenchman's future at present. Mbappe is unwilling to sign a new contract with the French club and looks destined to leave on a free for Real Madrid next summer.

It's left the Parisian club wondering what to do with their prized asset - cash in now, or keep hold of him for one more year.

While Mbappe did have an offer from Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, he turned down the offer, unlike his former PSG teammate Neymar.

9 Phil Foden

Manchester City's Phil Foden comes in at ninth on the list and is valued at €167m.

The 23-year-old has already played more than 200 games for Manchester City and has won 12 trophies so far in his career.

Considered one of the most technically gifted English players of this generation, Foden is one of the best dribblers in the game and still has time to develop further.

At international level, however, he is still to find his best form – scoring just three times in 25 appearances.

While there will be plenty of clubs desperate to sing Foden, it's unlikely the Englishman will leave his boyhood club anytime soon – especially with Pep Guardiola still in charge.

"Phil Foden is an extraordinary talent. He has the ability to become one of the best players in the world," Guardiola is quoted as saying.

8 Jamal Musiala

Believe it or not, Musiala was once a part of the Chelsea youth academy.

The German went to school at Whitgift in Croydon, before signing for Bayern Munich in 2019.

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano explained why Musiala explained that the reason the youngster left England is for more first-team opportunities.

“It’s not just Musiala, also players like Sancho, Bellingham decided to move to the Bundesliga as they are immediately playing top talents when they are almost ready," he said.

“This makes the difference and that’s why Musiala decided to leave Chelsea for Bayern in 2019. He’s now doing brilliantly for them, so it looks like he made the right choice.”

Since moving, the 20-year-old has developed into one of football's most admired youngsters and is now an integral part of Bayern's side and the German national team.

And if Boehly wants to re-sign the former Blues player, he'll have to fork out at least €170m, judging by his current value.

7 Gavi

Barcelona are renowned for producing extraordinarily gifted midfielders – Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets to name just a few.

Gavi is the latest to add to this list. Aged just 19, Gavi has already made almost 100 Barcelona appearances and helped them win La Liga last season.

He's also made 21 international appearances for Spain – scoring three goals.

The Spaniard is valued at €174m, though Barcelona have inserted a $1 billion release clause into his contract.

6 Pedri

From one talented Barcelona youngster to another.

Pedri burst onto the scene before Gavi and he's also worth slightly more as of now.

His slight frame, qualities, position, and playing style have led him to be compared to the likes of Xavi and even Michael Laudrup.

It'll take at least €178m to be in worth a chance of signing the 20-year-old, however, and for now, he seems pretty content at Barcelona.

Speaking on Pedri, Xavi said: "Pedri is a remarkable talent with a maturity beyond his years. His vision, composure, and technical skills are truly special."

Meanwhile, Iniesta is quoted as saying: "Pedri is a diamond of a player. His intelligence and understanding of the game are rare for someone of his age."

5 Rodrygo

Real Madrid winger Rodrygo is fifth, with a value of €185m.

The Brazilian has often been overshadowed by his Madrid and international teammate Vinicius Junior, but there's no denying that Rodrygo is a huge talent.

Having also been compared with Neymar, the winger has plenty of pressure on his shoulders but insists that he is not bothered by such comparisons.

"There's only one Neymar... I want to be the Rodrygo of Real Madrid. There is no need to compare [with Vinicius]. We both play at the best club in the world," he stressed.

4 Jude Bellingham

Rodrygo's new teammate Jude Bellingham comes in at fourth, with a value of €190m.

The Englishman cost the Spanish club a base transfer fee of €103 million, though given the price of Rice and Caicedo – this looks to be pretty good value for money.

Bellingham has been given the number five jersey at Madrid – a shirt previously won by none other than Zinedine Zidane.

If that doesn't tell you how highly he's regarded, we're not sure what will.

3 Bukayo Saka

Third place goes to Arsenal's Bukayo Saka (€195m), with the Englishman recently signing a new four-year deal that will keep him at the club until 2027.

Joe Cole recently stressed that the winger had the best left foot of any player in the world after Lionel Messi and it's hard to argue with him.

"Saka is a ‘big moment’ player and he produces at crucial times in big football matches," Paul Merson once stressed.

"He’s not the player that gets a hat-trick against a side bottom of the league or he’s not grabbing the seventh goal in a 7-0 win. At Arsenal, he’s getting the first goal, the equaliser or the winner. He’s getting assists at crucial moments.

"He’s a ‘big occasion’ player and there are not a lot of them around."

2 Vinicius Junior

Vinicius was tipped to be the next Neymar when he first joined Madrid and he's more than lived up to the hype.

While he struggled for goals in his first couple of seasons at the club, he's developed into one of the most prolific wingers in world football.

He's valued at a crazy €196m, right now, though this isn't quite enough for him to secure top spot.

1 Haaland claims top spot

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is the world's most expensive player according to the study, with his value almost €50m more than that of Vinicius.

Having scored 52 goals in his debut season at City, the 22-year-old Norwegian is worth a staggering €245m.

City paid a reported €60m to acquire the services of Haaland last summer and it has proved to be an absolute bargain.

Indeed, judging by CIES' data, the forward is worth four times that amount now.

Haaland's talent is so evident that plenty of former players and managers have raved about the Norwegian.

"Haaland's mental toughness is what sets him apart. He's fearless and thrives under pressure," Arsene Wenger once said.

"It's astonishing how Erling Haaland manages to maintain his consistency in front of goal. He's a rare talent," stressed Jurgen Klopp.

Similarly, Vincent Kompany is quoted as saying: "Erling Haaland is a nightmare for defenders. His movement, speed, and strength make him a complete nightmare."