Most expensive Italian players in history: Who sits at the top of the list?

There have been some incredible Italian footballers throughout history, although it would be fair to say that the national team has struggled in recent years.

Indeed, Gli Azzurri have failed to qualify for the last two World Cups, with the team not present at the competition in either 2018 and 2022.

Italy were champions in 2006, but they failed to make it out of the group stage in 2010 and 2014.

The national side did, somewhat surprisingly, win Euro 2020, but they only reached the round of 16 in 2024, and the team are currently second in their qualification section for the 2026 World Cup, three points behind second-placed Norway, so a playoff spot could be on the cards.

There have been some major transfers involving Italian players, and Sandro Tonali recently moved to the head of the queue with his blockbuster move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Using data from Transfermarkt, Sports Mole looks at the highest-ever transfer fees paid for Italian players, and there are some real stars on the list.

10. Riccardo Calafiori (£37.2m | Bologna to Arsenal | 2024)

While Arsenal may end up shelling out around £42m for their shiny new toy Calafiori, the Gunners have paid an upfront fee of £37.9m for the defender, putting him fifth on this list for the time being.

Calafiori earned his marquee Premier League move on the back of playing a pivotal role in Bologna's shock Champions League qualification, form which made him a Luciano Spalletti favourite for Euro 2024.

In Germany, the defender provided the assist for Mattia Zaccagni's astonishing late equaliser against Croatia in the group phase, but he missed the last-16 clash with Switzerland through suspension, as the defending champions were sent crashing out.

A mixed bag would be the best way to describe Calafiori's debut Arsenal campaign, as the defender experienced a handful of injury problems and saw Myles Lewis-Skelly leapfrog him as Mikel Arteta's first-choice left-back, but he became a Premier League champion one year later.

9. Federico Chiesa (£37.6m | Fiorentina to Juventus | 2022)

Federico Chiesa had already spent two seasons on loan at Juventus from Fiorentina before the Old Lady made his move permanent in the summer of 2022, one year after he dazzled crowds with his delightful dribbling at Euro 2020.

Chiesa's numbers in the Bianconeri strip were solid without ever entering spectacular territory, but injuries did not help the Italy international, whose future was often the subject of much debate.

A Premier League move had been mooted for Chiesa for some time, and after entering the last year of his Turin deal in 2024, the winger was sold to Liverpool for a mere £10m and endured a nightmarish first two campaigns at Anfield.

8. Marco Verratti (£37.9m | Paris Saint-Germain to Al-Arabi | 2023)

One of the silkiest midfielders in Europe on his day - as well as being a perpetual yellow-card magnet - Marco Verratti was a cornerstone of the Paris Saint-Germain engine room for 11 years before bidding an emotional farewell to the Parc des Princes.

Even in the Italian's advancing years, Les Parisiens made a healthy profit by selling Verratti to Qatari outfit Al-Arabi for £37.9m in the summer of 2023, as the midfielder jetted off to the Middle East with nine Ligue 1 winners' medals in his suitcase.

Verratti left with 416 PSG appearances to his name - the third most in the history of the capital giants - and he quickly made his presence felt in Qatar, setting up seven goals in his first Qatar Stars League campaign.

7. Christian Vieri (£39.2m | Lazio to Inter Milan | 1999)

By the time Christian Vieri joined Inter Milan in a big-money switch from Lazio in 1999, the former Azzurri attacker was already a well-travelled striker, having represented the likes of Atalanta BC, Juventus and Atletico Madrid.

Vieri's San Siro switch was a world-record transfer fee at the time, and the prolific forward enjoyed six productive seasons in the Nerazzurri kit, where he struck an eye-catching 123 goals in 190 appearances.

However, Vieri only won one major honour with Inter, the 2004-05 Coppa Italia, which came just a matter of weeks before he mutually terminated his deal and joined rivals Milan on a free transfer.

6. Gianluigi Buffon (£44.6m | Parma to Juventus | 2001)

For a staggering 15 years, legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon held the honour of being Juventus' most expensive signing in history, arriving for just shy of £45m from Parma in the summer of 2021.

Little more needs to be said about Buffon's illustrious spell with the Old Lady, whom he remained loyal to during their scandal and demotion to Serie B in 2006, before tearfully departing after 17 seasons for Paris Saint-Germain in 2018.

Buffon's Juventus chapter was not fully closed, though - the World Cup winner returned for another two seasons in between the posts from 2019 to 2021 and also enjoyed a Parma swansong before retiring in 2023, at the age of 45.

5. Jorginho (£48m | Napoli to Chelsea | 2018)

Calafiori's former teammate in North London, Jorginho spent his prime years in a blue strip rather than the red he currently dons, swapping Napoli for Chelsea in a £48m transaction in the summer of 2018.

The lynchpin's style and suitability to the Premier League was often called into question, but within the space of a few months in 2021, he conquered Europe twice, once with Chelsea in the Champions League and again with Italy under the Wembley arch.

Following a respectable couple of years with Arsenal, Jorginho can now be seen plying his trade in Brazil with Flamengo.

4. Marco Palestra (£48.6m | Atalanta BC to Chelsea | 2026)

When Xabi Alonso was appointed Chelsea manager in the summer of 2026, many wondered whether he would side with a three or four-man defensive system, and an early hint was dropped with an early signing.

Indeed, the Blues acquired the services of wing-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta BC for a fee just shy of £50m, following a breakthrough campaign with Cagliari in which he claimed one goal and four assists from 37 Serie A matches.

3. Mateo Retegui (£52.7m | Atalanta BC to Al-Qadsiah | 2025)

Some Saudi Pro League transfers raise no eyebrows - usually the ones involving veteran players who have few other career prospects - but the deal to take Mateo Retegui to Al-Qadsiah certainly sparked confusion and debate in equal measure.

The Argentina-born striker took home the Capocannoniere prize as the top scorer in the 2024-25 Serie A season, netting 26 times in 32 matches for Atalanta BC, and a move to one of the continent's powerhouses was not out of the question.

However, after Al-Qadsiah offered Atalanta a record-breaking £59.6m, Retegui chose to follow the money, and it remains to be seen if he will try his hand at European football again one day.

2. Sandro Tonali (£57.3m | AC Milan to Newcastle United | 2023)

The standout arrival at St James' Park in the summer of 2023, Sandro Tonali became the first Italian player to command a transfer fee of £50m or more when Newcastle United forked out the big bucks to buy him out of his AC Milan contract.

Hailed as one of the brightest midfield prospects coming out of his country, Tonali quickly earned the trust of Eddie Howe, only for off-the-field indiscretions to devastate his debut season in the Premier League.

Owing to a 10-month suspension for illegal gambling activity, Tonali only played 12 times for the Magpies, but the midfielder soon made a name for himself - so much so that he is now one and two for all-time Italian transfer fees.

1. Sandro Tonali (£92.2m | Newcastle to Tottenham Hotspur | 2026)

Having established himself in the heart of the Newcastle midfield, Tonali inevitably attracted attention from some Premier League giants, even more so after the Magpies failed to qualify for Europe.

Arsenal were mooted as a possible destination, as were Manchester United, but it was cash-splashing Tottenham who appeased Newcastle with a mammoth cheque for £92.2m - which could end up reaching £100m.

In doing so, the Lilywhites made Tonali their most expensive player of all time, and smashed the transfer record for the highest fee ever paid for an Italian player.