Juventus’ dominance in Italy during the 2010s came as no surprise given the number of big money signings they completed during that time, including the most expensive transfer in Italian football history.
From 2011 to 2020, the Bianconeri won an unprecedented nine consecutive Scudetti. However, this streak was halted when reigning Serie A champions Inter Milan claimed the title in 2021, followed by AC Milan and Napoli winning the next two titles.
Soccernet.football takes a look at the ten most expensive transfer signings in Juventus’ history.
10. Federico Chiesa – €44.60m (2022)
Juventus initially signed Chiesa on a two-year loan from Fiorentina with an obligation to buy included in the deal. He impressed during his loan spell and was one of the standout players at the delayed Euro 2020, where Italy edged out England to claim the title. However, an ACL injury sidelined him for most of 2022. Since his return, he has struggled to regain the fitness and form that once made him one of Europe’s most exciting wingers. The Bianconeri are now actively looking to offload the 26-year-old.
9. Pavel Nedved – €45m (2001)
A worthy replacement for the iconic Zinedine Zidane, Nedved led Juventus to the 2003 Champions League final before going on to win the Ballon d’Or later that year. He spent eight years in Turin until his retirement, remaining loyal even when they were relegated to Serie B following the Calciopoli scandal, playing 327 games for the club at which he later became a director.
8. Gleison Bremer – €46.9m (2022)
Juventus signed Bremer from city rivals Torino in the summer of 2022 after the Brazilian had enjoyed an impressive personal campaign, starting 33 out of 38 league games and earning recognition as Serie A’s best defender for the 2021/2022 season. Bremer has gone on to establish himself as one of the Bianconeri’s most important players and he is primed to continue to play a huge role under new boss Thiago Motta.
7. Douglas Luiz – €51.5m (2024)
Juventus added the Brazilian to their ranks this summer, forking out just over €51m to secure his services from Premier League side Aston Villa. Luiz made 35 league appearances last season, scoring nine goals and registering five assists to help Villa secure Champions League football this coming season.
6. Gianluigi Buffon – 52.88m (2001)
Buffon became the world’s most expensive goalkeeper when he transferred from Parma to Juventus, a record that stood for nearly 20 years. The Italian spent 20 years at Juventus, with a one-year stint at PSG during the 2019/2020 season, before returning to his boyhood club Parma in 2021. He retired in 2023 at the age of 45, having made 1,151 senior career appearances for club and country.
5. Arthur Melo – €80.6m (2020)
Arthur arrived in Turin from Barcelona in a swap deal that involved Bosnia international Miralem Pjanic going the other way. The Brazilian’s impact during his first two seasons at Juventus was disappointing and he was loaned to Liverpool for the 2022/2023 season and then to Fiorentina for the 2023/2024 season.
4. Dusan Vlahovic – €83.5m (2022)
Juventus beat a couple of top Premier League clubs to the signing of the Serbian striker in the 2022 winter transfer window. Vlahovic played a key role in helping Juventus qualify for the Champions League in his first half-season at the club, scoring seven goals in 15 Serie A matches. However, he has struggled to replicate that ruthless goal-scoring form he displayed at Fiorentina for the Old Lady, although his performance did improve during the 2023/2024 season.
3. Matthijs de Ligt – €85.5 (2019)
Juventus beat massive competition to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax in 2019. Initially, the Dutchman struggled to establish himself in the heart of the Bianconeri’s defense and even after securing a regular spot in the starting XI, he often faced criticism. After three somewhat underwhelming years, Juve decided to cash in on De Ligt, selling him to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022 for €67 million.
2. Gonzalo Higuain – €90m (2016)
The Argentine forward joined from Napoli for a whooping €90m after netting an impressive 71 goals in three seasons for the Naples club. Despite scoring 24 goals in his first season in Turin, Higuain couldn’t maintain that level of success. He spent the 2018/2019 season on loan at Milan and Chelsea, before seeing his contract with Juventus terminated by mutual consent, allowing him to join MLS side Inter Miami.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – €117m (2018)
Despite joining Juventus at the age of 33, Ronaldo continued to perform at a world-class level. Although he did not lead the Old Lady to the coveted Champions League title, he became the fastest player in the club’s history to reach 100 goals. However, during the 2020/2021 season, questions arose about whether Ronaldo’s €31 million annual wage was justified with the Portuguese eventually leaving for Man United the following summer.