Just like other top soccer leagues, Italyโs Serie A has recorded some of the most shocking and expensive transfers. Letโs bring you a highlight of some of the most expensive ones, as well as their reported transfer fees and circumstances. Stay tuned.
Leonardo Bonucci, โฌ42 Million
Juventus Ace defender, Leonardo Bonucci pulled off a shock move to club rival, AC Milan in 2017. According to several Italian sports outlets, the move came as a result of his many disagreements with Juventus Manager, Max Allegri. Bonucci who later regretted his actions said in an interview that it was a โpoor decisionโ, saying โ It was a difficult season for me, both personally and professionallyโ.
The veteran defender who is also one of the best Italian players of all time returned to Juventus a year later after signing for AC Milan for โฌ42 million. Nevertheless, Bonucciโs move would still go down as one of the most expensive transfers in the history of Italian soccer as he was already one of the greatest Italian soccer players.
Federico Chiesa, ยฃ43 Million
Following an impressive run with Italy at the 2020 Euro finals, Federico Chiesa was linked with many clubs at the time, including Chelsea. However, the Italian International preferred a move to the Old Lady Club, as backed by several reports. And following a two two-year loan spell with the Turin Giants, Chiesa completed a move to Juventus by July 2022,ย
The deal, according to many reputed sources like Goal, was worth an initial fee of ยฃ43 million, which could go up in performance-related add-ons. In all, Chiesa may not be listed as one of the best Italian football players currently, but his move remains one of the most expensive.ย
Matthijs De Ligt, โฌ85 Million
Dutch International, Matthijs De Ligt completed an expected move to Juventus, in 2019, after becoming one of the biggest breakout stars of 2018. De Ligt was 19 years old at the time and was already captain of Ajax in Amsterdam. Having attracted interest from other top teams like Manchester United, De Ligt chose to join the Old Lady Club. According to Italian sports journalist, Fabrizio Romano, De Ligt was reportedly left out of Ajaxโs 2019 pre-season, in a bid to force a move.ย
Overall, the circumstances surrounding De Ligtโs move caused a wave in soccer, with Juventus winning the race for the Dutch Star.
Gonzalo Higuain, โฌ90 Million
Gonzalo Higuain, the Argentine veteran striker, became one of the most notable players to break the Italian soccer transfer record. The record transfer, as documented by Bleacher Report, on June 28, 2016, was a total of โฌ90 million, paid to his former club, Napoli. Higuain instantly became the most expensive player in the history of the Serie A, and eventually one of the best to play in the league.ย
Paul Pogba โฌ105 Million
Following Higuainโs groundbreaking move in June 2016, French midfield Maestro Paul Pogba wasted no time in getting his name on the list of most expensive transfers in Italian soccer. The former Manchester United midfielder would make a not-so-surprising move back to his boyhood club.ย
The deal came at almost no surprise since it was heavily surveilled by football and transfer predicting sources all over. A notable mention is https://www.mightytips.com/bookmakers/bangladesh-betting-sites/, a betting and book maker site that publishes the latest information and betting odds that sports enthusiasts find helpful.ย
In total, Pogbaโs deal was worth โฌ105 million, which became a record for both Italian football, as well as that of the English Premier League.
Romelu Lukaku โฌ113 Million
Paul Pogba wasnโt the only player who would make a big money move back to his boyhood club from Italy. Romelu Lukaku would later join the list, in one of the most expensive transfers in the history of Italian Soccer. The Belgian International, couldnโt say no when Chelsea came knocking, with a deal that Inter Milan couldnโt refuse either.ย
The final figure on Lukakuโs move, according to Transfer Markt was well over โฌ112 million, booking Lukakuโs place in Italian record transfers. Also, in light of things, here are a few other players, who completed moves back to their boyhood clubs;ย
- Wayne Rooney (Everton)
- Robin Van Persie (Feyenoord)
- Gianluigi Buffon (Parma)
- Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid)ย
Cristiano Ronaldo $117 Million
Unsurprisingly, Cristiano Ronaldo still holds the record for the most expensive transfer in the history of Italian football. The Portuguese International broke the record after signing for Juventus in 2018. And according to several Sports outlets, the transfer fee was reportedly up to โฌ100 million in net payment. A record that is still yet to be eclipsed.ย
Final Words
Thatโs it. From several official records and sources, we have garnered some of the most expensive transfer deals to happen in and out of Italian football. Stay connected for more useful resources.
