The amount of money in football really is staggering.

When you're so familiar with the 'beautiful game', you become somewhat numb to the fact huge lumps of cash are being thrown around to sign players, build stadiums and even sack managers.

Sitting back and actually digesting the sums of money in question is enough to give yourself a head ache and makes you realise the sheer economic power of Europe's top clubs.

Perhaps the most startling fact is the acceleration of transfer fees over time with Neymar holding the current record, moving from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for a remarkable £196 million.

If we rewind less than thirty years, Roberto Baggio becomes the most expensive player in history but he signed for Juventus with what now looks a paltry fee of £8 million.

Transfer world records

Besides, that's just 4% of the money it required to sign Neymar and yet that was enough to start riots in Florence back in 1990.

Players like Ronaldo Nazario, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo have gone on to hold the world record ever since but only in recent years have the fees moved into nine figures.

As a result, there are now clubs who have spent over £1 billion on transfer fees in the course of their history - more than the gross domestic product of at least 10 countries.

Graphic shows transfer expenditure

However, the transfer spending in football has never been better demonstrated than by a new video - originally produced by 'FDOR' - that shows the spending of European clubs since 1991.

It keeps a running total of their transfer spendings in Euros, changing with each season and updating the overall tally accordingly.

The live graphic makes for fascinating viewing and has already been shared by thousands of football fans. Check out the full clip down below: 

So, City finish at the top with a ridiculous expenditure of €1,346,760,000.

Chelsea and Manchester United are the other clubs to have spent in excess of one billion, while Real Madrid are hot on their tails and could easily surpass that figure in the summer.

However, it's perhaps the evolution of the chart that makes it so interesting and Barcelona are actually the biggest spenders when the video begins in 1991.

There's even a point where Everton and Rangers make a cameo in the top 10, while clubs like Lazio and Blackburn Rovers even have their time in the sun.

Above everything else, though, it's difficult to get your head around the total amount of money being spent and it really makes you wonder how drastically transfer fees will continue to rise.

If a similar graphic is produced in ten years' time, it could be astronomical.

What do you think is the greatest transfer in history? Have your say in the comments section below.