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Italy is home to some of the biggest transfers in football history. ..
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Back in the eighties and early nineties Italian clubs dominated the transfer market. With huge spending power, the best players in the world flocked to Serie A during this time - Napoli were even able to break the world record fee for Diego Maradona. That has since changed due to the rise of the Premier League. And with Italians often preferring to stay in Serie A, they don't command the huge fees associated with Brazilian or English players. However, there are still some big money deals making this list, let's check out the top ten. Sandro Tonali is the most expensive Italian player in history, courtesy of his £55million pound move from AC Milan to Newcastle United in 2023. Due to his suspension for most of the 2023-24 campaign, the Toon Army are still waiting for Tonali to recoup most of his fee, although the signs since his return to action are promising. Another Premier League midfielder narrowly has to settle for second spot in the list, with Jorginho just behind thanks to his £50m move from Napoli to Chelsea. The longstanding holder of this record was Gianluigi Buffon from way back in 2001. That year the legendary Italian goalkeeper moved from Parma to Juventus for just over £45milllion. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Buffon's transfer nudged out Christian Vieri from top spot, who was also the holder of the world record transfer fee for a while, having joined Inter Milan from Lazio in an all-Serie A deal for £32million. And make no mistake kids of today - this was major, major, money for a footballer back in 1999. Jack has worked as a sports reporter full-time since 2021. He previously worked as the Chief Women’s Football Writer at the Mirror, covering the England Women’s national team and the Women’s Super League. Jack has reported on a number of major sporting events in recent years including the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on the ground in Australia. When not writing on football, he can often be spotted playing the game somewhere in west London. Who is the most expensive German player of all time? Vote for the Disasterclass of the Year! The Four Four Two Alternative Awards of the Year 2024 ‘Eddie Howe wished me all the best, but when you’re at a rival club you don’t text too often – I still hear about his Bournemouth achievements every day’: Andoni Iraola reveals messages with Newcastle United manager Four Four Two is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. ©
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