AC Milan’s 10 biggest sales of all time

13 Feb 2022 12:25 GMT |
Updated: 22 Sept 2026 15:20 BST |
10 min read

Make us your Google favourite

AC Milan are one of the most recognisable names in the whole of European football.

The best team in the world in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Rossoneri have won countless honours including 19 Serie A titles and seven Champions League crowns.

In addition to signing some of the best players in the world over the years, Milan have also sold several top talents for eye-watering transfer fees.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 10 biggest sales in Milan’s history.

10. Krzysztof Piatek – €24m (to Hertha Berlin, 2020)

For a brief period of time, Krzysztof Piatek was one of European football’s most in-form strikers, striking fear into Serie A defences.

The Poland forward left his homeland for Genoa in 2018 where he scored 13 goals in just half a season, earning a quick move to Milan in the January transfer window.

Piatek scored a further nine league goals in the six months after making that move, but quickly lost his touch the following season, scoring only four times in 18 games.

That prompted another January move, with a loan switch to Hertha Berlin eventually becoming permanent for €24m in 2020.

9. Theo Hernandez – €25m (to Al-Hilal, 2025)

Theo Hernandez joined this list when he became the latest European superstar to join the riches of the Saudi Pro League in 2025.

The France international was linked with Premier League clubs during an eye-catching spell at San Siro, but he ended up joining Al-Hilal after a bust-up with the Milan hierarchy.

Hernandez made 262 appearances across a six-year spell at Milan, scoring 34 goals and winning two trophies, including the 2021-22 Serie A title.

8. Malick Thiaw – €35m (to Newcastle, 2025)

Malick Thiaw spent three years at Milan following his arrival from Schalke and the Italian giants turned a €23m profit on the defender via his subsequent sale to Newcastle.

Thiaw joined Milan after two impressive seasons with Schalke and despite never playing more than 2,000 Serie A minutes in a single campaign at Milan, Newcastle were convinced enough by his talent to pay €35m for his signature in 2025.

The Germany defender subsequently regained his place in the national team set-up following an excellent start to his career at St. James’ Park.

7. Leonardo Bonucci – €35m (to Juventus, 2018)

In one of the most bizarre transfer ordeals in recent memory, Leonardo Bonucci left Juventus for Milan in 2017 in a shock €42m move.

Having formed an incredible defensive partnership with Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli, Bonucci turned his back on the Old Lady and was immediately made Milan captain.

Bonucci played 35 Serie A games and scored against Juve, but his stint at Milan was brief and ill-fated. The centre-half handed in a transfer request the following summer and he returned to Juventus for €35m, leaving Milan red-faced and €7m worse off.

6. Rafael Leao – €38m (to Galatasaray, 2026)

After years of (loose) speculation linking him with the Premier League, Rafael Leao ended up joining Turkish giants Galatasaray after expressing his desire to leave Milan.

The Portugal international was regarded as one of the best wingers in Europe when firing Milan to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2022-23.

However, Leao suffered a gradual decline in form over the next three seasons, leading him to seek a move away from Milan in order to reboot his stalling career.

5. Thiago Silva – €42m (to PSG, 2012)

In the same window that Milan lost Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Paris Saint-Germain, Thiago Silva made the same move for twice the price, arriving at Parc des Princes for €42m.

The Brazilian wore the captain’s armband for the Rossoneri but left the club as he reached his prime, continuing his development to become one of the world’s best centre-backs at PSG.

Silva had signed a five-year contract extension at Milan just two weeks prior to the transfer being completed and had affirmed his desire to remain at the club.

However, Silva performed a u-turn after speaking with former Milan boss and then PSG manager Carlos Ancelotti, and he ended up spending eight years in Paris.

4. Andriy Shevchenko – €43.9m (to Chelsea, 2006)

Ukraine legend Andriy Shevchenko was still in top form for Milan when he joined back-to-back Premier League champions Chelsea for €43.9m in 2006.

Milan signed Shevchenko as a 23-year-old from his boyhood club Dynamo Kiev, with a €24m fee indicative of the promise he was showing in his career at that early stage.

Shevchenko became one of the world’s best No.9’s during his time at San Siro but never matched it at Chelsea, scoring just nine Premier League goals in 48 games.

The Ukrainian would return to Milan on a one-season loan deal in 2008-09 but he didn’t score in 18 games before finishing up his career back at Dynamo.

3. Tijjani Reijnders – €54.9m (to Man City, 2025)

Tijjani Reijnders became Milan’s third biggest sale of all time when he left the club to join Manchester City for a fee of €54.9m in June 2025.

The Netherlands midfielder spent just two years at San Siro but he established himself as one of the best players in Serie A during his short stint in Italy.

Reijnders scored 19 goals in 104 games for Milan, including 10 in his second and final season in Serie A, before linking up with Pep Guardiola at Man City.

However, after winning the domestic cup double in his first season in England, Reijnders was then sold to Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah in the summer of 2026.

2. Kaka – €67m (to Real Madrid, 2009)

Real Madrid went on an absurd spending spree in the summer of 2009, signing Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Karim Benzema and Kaka in a historic transfer window.

The latter arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu for €67m, a particularly large fee at the time, after six glory-filled years at Milan.

After leading Milan to several honours including the Serie A title in 2004 and the Champions League trophy in 2007, Kaka won the 2007 Ballon d’Or.

In the shadow of Ronaldo and Benzema at Real, however, Kaka eventually returned to Milan four years later, but he was not the same player and they were not the same team.

1. Sandro Tonali – €67.10m (to Newcastle, 2023)

This was a move that came out of the blue and blindsided the Rossoneri as boyhood fan Sandro Tonali surprisingly left the San Siro to join Newcastle United.

The midfielder was supposed to be the second coming of Andrea Pirlo, and was expected to spend the rest of his career with Milan, but the Magpies acted swiftly and brought Tonali to the Premier League in a deal worth €67.10m, a record for an Italian player.

However, just months into his time at Newcastle, Tonali was banned from football for 10 months after breaching betting rules.

He returned to playing in August 2024 having missed the Euros with Italy, and helped Newcastle win their first domestic trophy for 70 years via the Carabao Cup in 2025.

The 10 biggest Milan sales of all time

Related stories:

The underrated Chelsea transfer that will save Xabi Alonso millions

How have the most overpriced players of the summer fared so far?

Transfer Rumours: Noni Madueke decision made as Man Utd explore €40m deal