Russian Super League powerhouse Zenit St. Petersburg has always been a heavy reinforcement, and is one of the most willing to "spend money" teams in the second and third tier leagues in Europe. However, their heavy acquisitions are all in vain, and this class of players either makes the team earn enough or is a strong warrior who is alone.
Fifth place: Leondro Paredes
In 2017, Zenit signed Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes with Roma for a transfer fee of €23 million. In the two seasons of the Russian Premier League, The defender Leandro Paredes has shown great strength at both ends of the attack and defense, handing over 10 goals and 17 assists in 61 games, making him a midfielder of the Argentine national team. His performance also attracted the poaching of Paris Saint-Germain, taking him under the umbrella for a high price of 40 million euros, and his performance at PSG is a later story, but this transfer is indeed a lot of money for Zenit.
Fourth place: Danny
In the summer of 2008, Zenit signed Portuguese attacker Danny for 30 million euros, breaking the team's record for the highest transfer fee at the time. Danny, who was not well known at the time, became a legend in recent years for Zenitt, playing 256 games for the team over the years, scoring 68 goals and 73 assists; his transmission and breakthrough are still loved by fans. During Zenit's eight seasons, he led seven major tournaments, including the European Super Cup, which he won against Manchester United, when he was the best player in the tournament.
Third place: Exel Witsel
No one could have imagined that in 2012, Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel would choose Zenit as his base; the "explosive head" was well-known in the Portuguese Premier League and attracted the attention of major European teams, but Zenit eventually introduced the former Benfica midfielder for 40 million euros. In the Russian Premier League, Axel Witsel still delivered excellent performances, playing a total of 180 games for the team as a defender, handing over 22 goals and 14 assists; his outstanding performance allowed him to still occupy a place in the star-studded national team. In 2017, he finally resisted the temptation of money to transfer to the Chinese Super League, but still left a transfer fee of 20 million euros for the team.
Second place: Hulk
During his time at Porto, Hulk was the team's super goalscoring machine, and the combination of the front line with Falcao changed the smell of countless defenders. In the summer of 2012, unlike Falcao, who moved to Atletico Madrid, Hulk unexpectedly moved to Zenit in the Russian Premier League for 40 million euros, breaking the record for the highest transfer fee for the team at that time. At Zenit, Hulk's power football is still quite strong, scoring 76 goals and 60 assists in 148 games in his four years of playing for the team, leading the team to become the dark horse in Europe. In the summer of 2016, Hulk decided to move to the Chinese Super League, when his transfer fee reached 55.8 million euros, making Zenit a full profit.
1st place: Malcolm
Zenit's most expensive acquisition to date is still in the squad, and that's Brazil international attacker Malcom. The 24-year-old Brazilian made the mistake of falling prey to Barcelona's civil unrest, but Zenit saved him from a desperate situation. In the two seasons of the Russian Premier League, Malcolm has been the core of the team's attack, playing a total of 60 games for the team, handing over 10 goals and 14 assists; under Malcolm's leadership, Zenit has won five major championships in the country, including the Russian Premier League championship in the past two seasons.