The reigning Serie A champions have been one of the best teams in Italy for decades with an impressive 20 Scudetto to their name, including an incredible run of five consecutive triumphs between 2005/2006 and 2009/2010.
The Nerazzurri are not the most lavish spenders when it comes to making transfer signings but they certainly know how to get value for their money with the majority of the names on this list, going on to make significant contributions to the club.
Soccernet.football takes a look at the most expensive signings in Inter Milan’s history.
10. Alessandro Bastoni – €31.1m (2017)
Inter parted with €31.1m to sign the then 18-year-old from Atalanta before sending him on a couple of loan spells, first at Atalanta and then at Parma where he came to the fore. Bastoni returned to Inter following a successful stint at Parma and was an integral part of Antonio Conte’s 2020/2021 Scudetto winning side.
9. Nicolò Barella – €32m (2020)
After three consistent years at Cagliari, Inter signed Barella on loan in 2019ne year later, making the deal permanent for €32.5m one year later and the Italian has gone from strength-to-strength ever since. His first season as a permanent player at San Siro saw the Nerazzurri triumph in the Serie A title race, while he also helped the side reach the 2023 Champions League final.
8. Milan Skriniar – €34m (2017)
Skriniar immediately became a crucial player upon joining Inter from Sampdoria, playing every minute of the league in his debut season. He then solidified his reputation as one of Europe’s top center-backs as he helped Inter secure their first Scudetto since 2010, during the 2020/2021 season. The Slovakia international left Milan for Paris at the end of his contract in 2023.
7. Geoffrey Kondogbia – €36m (2015)
Kondogbia arrived at Inter during a period when the Nerazzurri were experiencing difficulties on the pitch. They finished eighth in the season before he joined, and whilst he helped them climb back to fourth during his first year, Inter fell back down to seventh the following season. The Frenchman was sent on loan and subsequently sold to Valencia for €22m in the summer of 2018.
6. Radja Nainggolan – €38m (2018)
Nainggolan was 30 years old when the Nerazzurri decided to spend €38m on him, a move that raised eyebrows. After scoring five goals and registering five assists in his debut campaign for Inter, Nainggolan spent the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 seasons on loan at Cagliari before permanently returning to Belgium in the summer of 2021.
5. Hernan Crespo – €40m (2002)
After selling Ronaldo to Real Madrid, Inter found a more than capable replacement in Hernan Crespo. Crespo scored 16 goals in 30 appearances for Inter, although the second half of his debut season was hindered by injury. Despite Crespo’s formation of a formidable partnership with Christian Vieri upfront, Inter sold the Argentine to Chelsea after just one season, a decision which drew criticism from Vieri.
4. Achraf Hakimi – €43m (2020
Inter identified Hakimi as the perfect right wing-back for Conte’s style of play, following his performances for Borussia Dortmund and they went all out to secure his services in the summer of 2020. The Moroccan was perfectly suited to Conte’s system, registering 7 goals and 9 assists as Inter lifted the Scudetto in his first and only season at the club. Inter had to part ways with the Morocco international due to financial struggles and PSG arrived on cue to snap him up for €68 million.
3. Joao Mario – €44.78 (2016)
Mario joined Inter from Sporting CP in 2016 and he made 30 Serie A appearances in his first season, contributing three goals and five assists. However, his role diminished in the following season, leading to a West Ham loan spell for the second half of the season. In the 2018/2019 campaign, the Portuguse was used as a rotation player at Inter before being loaned to Lokomotiv Moscow and later back to Sporting CP, where he played a part in their title-winning 2020/2021 season before being released in the summer of 2021.
2. Christian Vieri – €46.48m (1999)
Vieri joined Inter from Lazio for a world record fee of €46.48 million, making him the most expensive player in football history at the time. The Italian striker went on to score an insane 123 goals in 190 appearances for the Nerazzurri and he enjoyed excellent partnerships with the likes of Ronaldo, Crespo and Adriano at the San Siro.
1. Romelu Lukaku – €74m (2019)
Lukaku remains Inter’s most expensive signing till date. The Belgian giant swapped a troubled stint in Manchester for a very successful one in Milan where his goals fired the Nerazzurri to Serie A triumph in his second season at the club. Inter had to sell Lukaku back to his former club Chelsea for €113m in 2021 due to financial difficulties. However, the move turned out to be a masterstroke, as the Belgian returned to Inter on loan just a year later after a disappointing spell at Stamford Bridge. Lukaku, who spent last season on loan at Roma, has been linked with a move to Napoli all summer.