The 10 most expensive Serie A transfers of all time

Cameron Smith

• 19 Sept 2024 13:00 BST
• 6 min read

Serie A was the best league in world football during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and it remains a fiercely competitive division, despite losing some of its pedigree.

Juventus’ dominance in the 2010s is now over and the Italian top flight is a hotly contested affair every single season.

While Serie A clubs don’t have the financial power of those in the Premier League, Italian teams have still spent huge sums of money on new signings over the years.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 10 most expensive Serie A transfers of all time.

READ MORE: The 10 most expensive Premier League transfers of all time

10. Douglas Luiz - €51.5m (Aston Villa to Juventus, 2024)

Douglas Luiz’s move to Juventus in 2024 was a surprising one, with the Brazilian leaving Aston Villa despite helping the club qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1982.

However, he left Unai Emery’s side after making 204 appearances for the Villains, and joined Juventus in a major coup for the Old Lady.

READ MORE: The 10 most expensive La Liga transfers of all time

9. Gianluigi Buffon - €52.9m (Parma to Juventus, 2001)

Gianluigi Buffon became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper when he left Parma to join Juventus for a whopping €52.9m in 2001.

However, he more than paid that transfer fee back during a total of 19 years at the club - including a two-year stint after returning from PSG in 2019.

Buffon racked up 685 appearances for Juventus, keeping over 300 clean sheets and establishing himself as one of the best goalkeepers in football history.

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

Hernan Crespo’s incredible form at Parma convinced Lazio to part ways with €56.8m to sign him in the summer of 2000.

The Argentine forward went on to notch 48 goals in 73 Lazio games, before leaving to join Inter for €40m in 2002.

7. Romelu Lukaku - €74m (Man Utd to Inter, 2019)

Romelu Lukaku was widely mocked during his time at Manchester United, but he found a home under Antonio Conte at Inter.

The Belgian forward instantly hit the ground running in Italy and he netted 34 times during his debut campaign at San Siro. The following season, Lukaku helped Inter win the Scudetto for the first time since 2010.

He subsequently left to re-join Chelsea for €113m in 2021, before returning to Inter on loan the following season.

6. Victor Osimhen - €77.5m (Lille to Napoli, 2020)

Napoli smashed their transfer record to sign Lille’s Victor Osimhen in 2020, with the Nigerian arriving in Naples for just under €80m.

Injuries impacted his first two campaigns at Napoli, but Osimhen was back to full fitness in 2022-23 and he scored 26 league goals as the club won the Serie A title for the first time in 33 years.

After constant links with Chelsea and PSG, Osimhen joined Galatasaray on loan in 2024.

5. Arthur Melo - €80.6m (Barcelona to Juventus, 2020)

Arthur Melo was involved in a lucrative swap deal with Miralem Pjanic as Juventus and Barcelona looked to balance the books from a financial perspective.

However, issues with form and fitness ensured Arthur was unable to become a regular in Turin during his first two years at the club, and he was subsequently loaned to both Liverpool and Fiorentina with little success.

4. Dusan Vlahovic - €83.5m (Fiorentina to Juventus, 2022)

Dusan Vlahovic was one of the most wanted strikers in world football in January 2022, and Juventus beat the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea to his signature after agreeing a €83.5m fee with Fiorentina.

He immediately hit the ground running, scoring a goal every 182 minutes in all competitions during his first six months at the club.

Vlahovic remains a star at Juventus, although he struggled during Massimiliano Allegri’s spell back at the club.

3. Matthijs de Ligt - €85.5m (Ajax to Juventus, 2019)

Juventus fought off competition from a host of top European clubs to sign highly-rated Ajax youngster Matthijs de Ligt in 2019.

The Dutchman had played a key role as Ajax reached the Champions League semi-final that season and he subsequently sealed an €85.5m move to Juventus.

De Ligt didn’t quite live up to expectations in Turin and he was sold to Bayern Munich for a loss in 2022.

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

Gonzalo Higuain is the second-most expensive player in Serie A history. After scoring 36 goals in 35 league games during his final season at Napoli, Higuain earned a €90m move to Juventus.

Higuain was a reliable goalscorer during his time at Juve, but he never hit the heights of his last campaign at Napoli and he was loaned out to AC Milan and Chelsea before joining Inter Miami on a free transfer in 2020.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo - €117m (Real Madrid to Juventus, 2018)

Juventus pulled off a major coup when they signed Real Madrid and Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo after the 2018 World Cup.

He had broken all kinds of records with Los Blancos and Juve splashed the cash on Ronaldo in order to end their Champions League drought.

However, despite scoring 101 goals for the club, the Portuguese legend was unable to bring European glory to Turin and he left to return to Manchester United in 2021.

The 10 most expensive Serie A signings of all time