The 10 most expensive Italian players of all time

30 Jun 2026 13:24 BST |
5 min read

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Italy remain one of the biggest footballing nations in the world, despite their torrid recent run in World Cup qualifying, and while Serie A is no longer the best league in Europe, it still remains fiercely competitive.

Italy boast some of the most well-known footballers in history and several have moved clubs for huge transfer fees.

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

10. Alessandro Bastoni – €40.7m (Atalanta to Inter, 2017)

18-year-old Alessandro Bastoni had only made four senior appearances for Atalanta when Inter Milan paid €40.7m to sign him in 2017.

He subsequently returned to Bergamo on loan, before another temporary stint at Parma. He moved back to Inter for the 2019-20 season and he has established himself as one of the best defenders in Europe during his time at San Siro.

9. Leonardo Bonucci – €42m (Juventus to AC Milan, 2017)

Leonardo Bonucci stunned the European football world when he left all-conquering Juventus to join AC Milan in 2017.

He had won six consecutive Serie A titles in Turin, but he flirted with the idea of leaving and Milan pounced by offering Bonucci the allure of becoming club captain at San Siro.

The Italian was widely considered to be one of the best centre-backs in the world at the time and his arrival was seen as a major coup for Milan. However, he spent just one year with the Rossoneri before returning to Juventus in 2018.

8. Riccardo Calafiori – €43.7m (Bologna to Arsenal, 2024)

Riccardo Calafiori returned to Italy in 2023, following a successful stint at Basel, with Bologna signing the defender for €24.5m.

The Serie A club nearly doubled their money one year later following Calafiori’s sublime 2023-24 season and his performances at the 2024 European Championship.

He notched two goals and five assists as Bologna qualified for their Champions League, while he was Italy’s best player at Euro 2024. Arsenal beat Chelsea and Juventus to his signature, with the Gunners spending €43.7m to sign him.

7. Federico Chiesa – €44.6m (Fiorentina to Juventus, 2022)

Federico Chiesa progressed through the Fiorentina academy before making 153 first-team appearances for La Viola.

His form during the 2019-20 season convinced Juventus to sign him on a two-year loan deal and the move was made permanent for close to €45m in 2022.

Chiesa spent a further two years at Juventus, racking up a total of 32 goals in 131 games for the club, before joining Liverpool for €12m in August 2024.

6. Marco Verratti – €45m (PSG to Al Arabi, 2023)

Marco Verratti joined PSG from Italian side Pescara at the age of 20 and he spent 11 years in the French capital, becoming a club legend in the process.

Verratti racked up 416 appearances and 30 trophies at the Parc des Princes and while he suffered several key injury issues, he was one of Europe’s top midfielders for the majority of his time in France.

He finally left the club in 2023, joining Al Arabi for a whopping €45m.

5. Christian Vieri – €46.5m (Lazio to Inter, 1999)

After netting 29 goals in 31 games for Atletico Madrid, Christian Vieri sealed a big-money return to Serie A in 1998, joining Lazio for €28.4m.

However, he only spent one season at Lazio, scoring 14 times in 28 matches, before he signed for Inter Milan in 1999.

The San Siro giants paid €46.5m for the Italian and he spent six years at the club, notching 123 goals, before joining arch-rivals AC Milan on a free transfer.

4. Gianluigi Buffon – €52.9m (Parma to Juventus, 2001)

Gianluigi Buffon became the most expensive goalkeeper in history when Juventus paid an eye-watering €52.9m to sign him from Parma in 2001.

The previous record was held by Angelo Peruzzi, who joined Inter for €19m in 1999, but Buffon smashed that figure out of the park after establishing himself as arguably the best young shot-stopper in Europe.

He spent the next 17 years at Juventus, before returning to the club in 2019 after a one-year spell at PSG. In total, Buffon made 685 appearances, kept 322 clean sheets and won 22 trophies at Juventus.

3. Jorginho – €57m (Napoli to Chelsea, 2018)

Jorginho eclipsed Buffon’s record as the most expensive Italian player when he left Napoli to join Chelsea for €57m in 2018.

The midfielder followed Maurizio Sarri from Naples to Stamford Bridge after a four-year spell with the Serie A club.

Jorginho helped Chelsea win the Champions League in 2021 and he racked up 213 appearances for the club before departing to join Arsenal in January 2023.

2. Sandro Tonali – €60.8m (AC Milan to Newcastle, 2023)

Sandro Tonali is the second-most expensive Italian footballer of all time, courtesy of his €64m move from AC Milan to Newcastle in 2023.

He was reportedly happy to remain at San Siro, but Milan accepted Newcastle’s offer and Tonali was forced to leave his dream club, having 130 appearances for the Rossoneri.

However, Tonali’s debut campaign at Newcastle went disastrously as he was banned from all football activity due to betting charges. Tonali returned to Newcastle’s first team in September 2024 and has been one of the best midfielders in the Premier League ever since.

1. Mateo Retegui – €61.8m (Atalanta to Al-Qadsiah, 2025)

Tonali’s record as the most expensive Italian player in history was broken by Mateo Retegui when he left Atalanta to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah for €61.8m in 2025.

The striker had topped the Serie A goalscorer charts in his final season at Atalanta, with 25 league strikes, and he opted to snub significant transfer interest from top European clubs in favour of moving to the Middle East.

Retegui netted 16 goals in 28 Saudi Pro League games during his first season at Al-Qadsiah.

The 10 most expensive Italian players of all time

Carlo Garganese is a highly-respected football writer, broadcaster and editor with more than 15 years of experience working at the highest level for major global brands. Garganese spent 12 years at Goal.com, where he played a significant role in building and developing the website into one of the largest football media organisations in the world.

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