The 10 most expensive Argentine players of all time

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 7 Nov 2024 15:33 GMT
• 6 min read

Argentina are one of the most successful countries in football history and they have produced several world-class players over the years.

Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona are the two most famous players in Argentina’s history, but they have also been blessed with stars such as Sergio Aguero, Hernan Crespo and Angel Di Maria.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 10 most expensive Argentine players of all time.

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10. Nicolas Otamendi - €44.5m (Valencia to Man City, 2015)

Nicolas Otamendi spent just one season at Valencia, but his form in La Liga convinced free-spending Manchester City to pay a whopping €44.5 million to acquire his services in 2015.

Otamendi was unconvincing during his first few months at Man City, however he grew into a key player for Pep Guardiola and he eventually racked up over 200 appearances for the club before joining Benfica in 2020.

The Argentina defender won nine trophies at the Etihad Stadium, including two Premier League titles.

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9. Mauro Icardi - €50m (Inter to PSG, 2020)

Mauro Icardi developed into one of the best strikers in world football during his time at Inter Milan, notching 124 goals in 219 games for the club.

However, off-pitch issues eventually led to a loan spell at Paris Saint-Germain, and the Ligue 1 giants made the deal permanent for €50m in 2020.

Icardi was unable to establish himself as an indispensable player at the Parc des Princes, though, and he was subsequently sold to Galatasaray in 2023.

8. Cristian Romero - €50m (Atalanta to Tottenham, 2022)

Cristian Romero was expected to become a key defender for Juventus, but the Turin outfit opted to sell him following loan spells at Genoa and Atalanta.

He joined the latter on a permanent deal in 2021 and was loaned to Tottenham Hotspur the very next day. Spurs then paid €50m to sign him the following summer and he became vice-captain of the club after the appointment of Ange Postecoglou.

In total, Romero made 42 first-team appearances for Atalanta, scoring three goals.

7. Hernan Crespo - €56.8m (Parma to Lazio, 2000)

Hernan Crespo was one of the most feared forwards on the planet during the late 1990s and early 2000s, with the Argentine leading the line for some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Crespo spent four years at Parma, registering 94 goals in just over 200 games, before Lazio opted to make him the most expensive player in football history.

Crespo was Serie A’s top scorer with 26 strikes during his debut campaign at Lazio, however he left the club to join Inter Milan in 2002, before enjoying spells at Chelsea, AC Milan and Genoa, in addition to second stints at both Inter and Parma.

6. Lisandro Martinez - €57.4m (Ajax to Man Utd, 2022)

Lisandro Martinez is the sixth-most expensive Argentine player of all time, courtesy of his €57.4m switch from Ajax to Manchester United in 2022.

Martinez followed Erik ten Hag to Old Trafford, with the Dutchman eager to be reunited with his former Ajax pupil after being appointed as Man Utd’s new permanent boss.

Martinez spent three years at Ajax, racking up 120 appearances and four trophies, before his move to the Premier League.

5. Angel Di Maria - €62m (Man Utd to PSG, 2015)

Angel Di Maria registered three goals and 10 assists in just 27 Premier League matches for Man Utd, but his time at Old Trafford went fairly disastrously.

The Argentine superstar never settled in Manchester and after several off-field issues, including an attempted burglary, he left the club after just one season.

Di Maria joined PSG for €62m in 2015 and he spent seven years in Paris, tallying almost 300 appearances for the club.

4. Angel Di Maria - €75m (Real Madrid to Man Utd, 2014)

Di Maria is also the fourth-most expensive Argentina player in history thanks to his original move to Man Utd in 2014.

He left Real Madrid for €75m following the arrival of World Cup hero James Rodriguez, despite winning the Man of the Match award in the Champions League final during his last appearance for Los Blancos.

3. Julian Alvarez - €75m (Man City to Atletico Madrid, 2024)

Julian Alvarez joined this list when he left Man City to join Atletico Madrid for €75m in 2024.

Alvarez failed to displace Erling Haaland as Pep Guardiola’s first-choice striker at the Etihad Stadium, but he was a useful squad player at Man City, while he proved his worth during Argentina’s triumph at the 2022 World Cup.

As a result, Atleti decided to make Alvarez their second-most expensive signing of all time. He left Man City having scored 36 goals in 103 games for the club.

2. Gonzalo Higuain - €90m (Napoli to Juventus, 2016)

Gonzalo Higuain was a consistent goalscorer at Real Madrid, but he was frequently competing with Karim Benzema for minutes and he left Los Blancos to join Napoli in 2013.

He quickly established himself as an elite forward in Naples and he scored 36 goals in 35 Serie A games during his final season at the club, before a €90m switch to Juventus.

Higuain was never able to replicate his best form in Turin, however, and he left the club to join Inter Miami in 2020, before retiring in 2023.

1. Enzo Fernandez - €121m (Benfica to Chelsea, 2023)

Enzo Fernandez became the most expensive Argentine football player when he left Benfica to join Chelsea for €121m in January 2023.

The midfielder had spent just six months at Benfica, but his immense form at the 2022 World Cup convinced Chelsea to make him the most expensive player in Premier League history.

The 10 most expensive Argentine soccer players of all time