Napoli’s 10 biggest sales of all time

15 Jul 2022 16:00 BST |
Updated: 23 Sept 2026 14:34 BST |
10 min read

Make us your Google favourite

Napoli, founded in 1926, are one of Italy’s most historic clubs, with a trophy cabinet full to the brim with major honours.

The Partenopei play their home matches at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona – a tribute to their greatest ever player, who led them to two Serie A titles and one UEFA Cup.

However, the Argentina legend is not among the club’s 10 most expensive sales.

Here, FootballTransfers lists the players that do make the list for Napoli.

10. Allan – €24.6m (to Everton, 2020)

Napoli saw off interest from a number of clubs for Udinese midfielder Allan, who made an impressive start by setting up a goal for Gonzalo Higuain on his debut for the club.

The Brazilian went on to make 211 appearances in Naples, winning the Coppa Italia in 2019-20, playing under several managers including Maurizio Sarri and Gennaro Gattuso.

However, Allan was convinced to swap Napoli for Everton by Carlo Ancelotti in the summer of 2020 – a move he probably regrets making, if he is honest.

After battling relegation with Everton, Allan left to join Al-Wahda in the United Arab Emirates in 2022.

9. Miguel Gutierrez – €26m (to Bayer Leverkusen, 2026)

After just one season with Napoli, Miguel Gutierrez was packing his bags once again after completing a move to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2026.

The left-back made 36 appearances in Naples, helping the club qualify for the Champions League in 2025-26, before switching to Bundesliga side Leverkusen.

Signed from Girona for €20m in the summer of 2025, Napoli made a quick €6m profit on Gutierrez, who began his career with La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid.

8. Ezequiel Lavezzi – €30m (to PSG, 2012)

Ezequiel Lavezzi’s five years at Napoli were successful, both individually and collectively.

Napoli won the Coppa Italia in 2011-12, his final season at the club, while they also competed in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2012, the Argentina international was part of a mouth-watering Napoli front three including Marek Hamsik and Edinson Cavani.

Lavezzi scored 48 goals in 188 glittering appearances for Napoli.

7. Kalidou Koulibaly – €41.9m (Chelsea, 2022)

Kalidou Koulibaly was rated as one of Europe’s leading centre-backs for a number of years before he finally left Napoli in 2022.

Indeed, he was linked with several Champions League clubs during his time at Napoli, but only managed to get a big move away at the age of 31.

Chelsea landed the Senegal international to partner Thiago Silva and replace Madrid-bound Antonio Rudiger, but the move didn’t work out.

Koulibaly, who had already fell out of favour under then-manager Graham Potter, was truly on the periphery when Chelsea signed Benoit Badiashile in January 2023.

The former Napoli man was then sold to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal, with Chelsea recording a €15m loss on their investment after only a year’s service.

6. Kim Min-jae – €50m (Bayern, 2023)

Kim Min-jae was a bargain buy when Napoli purchased him for just €18.1m from Fenerbahce in 2022.

One year later, after helping Napoli win the Scudetto for the first time since 1990, he was sold to Bayern Munich for €50m – earning them a mega profit.

Manchester United were also interested but Kim – who was voted Serie A Defender of the Year in his only season at Napoli – opted to join Thomas Tuchel at Bayern instead.

5. Jorginho – €57m (Chelsea, 2018)

Another of Chelsea’s biggest signings in recent seasons was Jorginho, who swapped Naples for London alongside the aforementioned Sarri.

Jorginho was pivotal to Sarri’s side in Italy, in a deep-lying playmaker role, so the coach decided to bring the player with him to Stamford Bridge.

It is safe to say Chelsea fans didn’t take to Jorginho in the same manner as Napoli fans, though, who were highly disappointed to see him leave.

Many Blues supporters were even thankful to see the Italy international depart when he joined their London rivals Arsenal in January 2023.

4. Edinson Cavani – €64.5m (PSG, 2013)

Napoli and PSG conducted more business when the previously-mentioned Cavani joined the Ligue 1 giants in the summer of 2013.

Cavani’s goal record at Napoli was superb, scoring 52 times in 69 Serie A appearances, and he continued in a similar vein in Paris.

The Uruguay hitman scored 200 goals in 301 appearances for PSG – an impressive feat considering he was often deployed on the left due to the presence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

3. Victor Osimhen – €75m (to Galatasaray, 2025)

Victor Osimhen became one of Europe’s most devastating strikers at Napoli having joined in a controversial €78.9m deal in 2020 – a time when Serie A transfer fees spiralled out of control.

By 2023, he was a household name, having led Napoli to their first Scudetto in 33 years. This earned him links with Chelsea and other Premier League giants, but the club refused to sell, fracturing their relationship with the Nigeria star.

It became clear that Osimhen would leave in the summer of 2024, but Napoli continued to play hardball. When PSG offered €200m for him and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the Serie A side refused because they did not want to lose both.

Despite advanced talks with clubs in Saudi Arabia and Chelsea, Osimhen failed to secure a move before the 2024 summer transfer window closed in Europe’s top five leagues.

As a last resort, he joined Galatasaray on loan and was such a spectacular signing that the Turkish side completely obliterated their club record to sign him for €75m in 2025.

2. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – €80m (to PSG, 2025)

Another huge transfer to PSG came over a decade after Cavani as Napoli sold star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to the French giants in January 2025.

Georgia’s greatest ever player, who was crucial to Napoli winning their first Scudetto in 33 years in 2023, handed in a transfer request after the club rejected PSG’s joint offer for him and Osimhen.

Six months later, Kvaratskhelia did get his move to PSG, with the Parisians shelling out €80m on the tricky attacker. He has since won successive Champions League titles in 2025 and 2026.

1. Gonzalo Higuain – €90m (Juventus, 2016)

Higuain’s Real Madrid goal record (107 in 190 La Liga games) is better than people realise, and so it shouldn’t have come as a shock to see what he achieved in Serie A.

The Argentina international plundered a remarkable 71 goals in 104 Serie A appearances – a similar rate to Cavani’s, but over an extra season.

However, Higuain later joined domestic rivals Juventus in an astonishing €90m deal, reuniting with his former Real team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo in Turin.

A decade later, Napoli remained so scarred by Higuain’s move to Juventus that they inserted an “anti-Serie A” clause in Victor Osimhen’s deal when he joined Galatasaray, prohibiting him from returning to Italy for two seasons.

The 10 biggest Napoli sales of all time