10 most expensive transfers in Juventus history

Juventus are one of the biggest football clubs in Europe and are definitely the most successful one in Italy.

The Bianconeri have won a record 36 Serie A titles, winning the last nine on the trot, among a bevy of domestic and continental honours.

Considering their rich pedigree, many world-class players have worn the famous Juventus jersey over the years. The likes of Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane, Pavel Nedved, Gianluigi Buffon, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo are some of the big-name players who have played for Juventus.

Ten most expensive transfers made by Juventus:

Juventus have the highest wage bill of any Italian club, as they feature some of the best players in the game.

On that note, let's have a look at the ten most expensive transfers made by Juventus in their history.

#10 Paulo Dybala - €40 million (2015)

Paulo Dybala has been a standout player for Juventus since arriving from Palermo in the summer of 2015.

The Argentine, who prefers to play as a second striker, is on the cusp of 100 goals for Juventus, having scored 98 times in 244 games in all competitions for the club.

Dybala has been a key player for Juventus in their last five Serie A-winning campaigns and has performed well in Europe too.

Dybala may be having an underwhelming 2020-21 campaign, owing to injury and poor form, but there's no denying the quality of the diminutive Argentine when he's on song.

#9 Federico Bernardeschi - €40 million (2017)

Federico Bernardeschi joined Juventus from Fiorentina in 2017. The right winger arrived in Turin with a lot of hype, but he has been unable to live up to his potential so far.

A return of ten goals and 18 assists in over 140 games is a grossly underwhelming return for a player of Bernardeschi's calibre.

Under Andrea Pirlo, the player has shown his versatility while operating in a wing-back role, but the jury is still out on Bernardeschi.

#8 Douglas Costa - €40 million (2017)

Douglas Costa, like Bernardeschi, arrived at Juventus with a lot of fanfare but has largely failed to live up to his potential.

In his debut campaign in 2017-18, albeit on loan, Costa scored six goals and provided 13 assists, prompting Juventus to shell out €40 million to Bayern Munich to make the transfer permanent.

However, in his subsequent two campaigns, Costa made news for all the wrong reasons - spitting and headbutting opponents - before Juventus sent the Brazilian back to Bayern Munich on loan for the rest of the 2020-21 season.

With the left winger scoring just once in 20 games for Bayern Munich, the Bavarian giants are unlikely to buy him permanently, while an uncertain future awaits him at Juventus.

#7 Joao Cancelo - €40.4 million (2018)

Joao Cancelo arrived at Juventus in the summer of 2018 and had a decent debut campaign for the Bianconeri.

The Portuguese right-back scored once and produced five assists as he helped Juventus win an eighth consecutive Scudetto and reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

However, he was bizarrely deemed surplus to requirements for the very next campaign, as Manchester City shelled out about €65 million to make him the most expensive right-back in history at that time.

The 24-year-old has become a key player for Pep Guardiola, leaving Juventus wondering what might have been.

#6 Pavel Nedved - €45 million (2001)

Pavel Nedved is one of the finest midfielders to have played for Juventus.

During a glorious eight-season stint at Juventus, the blonde bombshell scored 65 times and assisted on 57 occasions, helping the Bianconeri to consecutive league titles in the early 2000s and a Champions League final against AC Milan.

Nedved, a two-footed player, was versatile enough to be deployed across a plethora of positions in the middle third. He was also renowned for his shooting ability from distance and set-piece prowess.

#5 Gianluigi Buffon - €52.9 million (2001)

Gianluigi Buffon is one of the finest goalkeepers to have graced the beautiful game.

Arriving from Parma two decades ago, Buffon has been a colossus between the sticks for the Bianconeri, helping them win a plethora of titles and eking out several records along the way.

With 681 appearances, Buffon is Juventus' second-most capped player. The 2006 FIFA World Cup winner has kept an astounding 322 clean sheets for the club.

Although he has largely played second fiddle to Wojciech Szczesny for the last two seasons, a 42-year-old Buffon is still not showing signs of stopping any time soon.

#4 Arthur Melo - €72 million (2020)

Arthur Melo arrived at Juventus last year on a swap deal that saw Miralem Pjanic join Barcelona.

He is taking his time to get going in his new surroundings, making only 25 appearances in all competitions this season.

The Brazilian central midfielder, who recently scored his first goal for Juventus, has work to do to become a regular in Andrea Pirlo's team.

#3 Matthijs de Ligt - €85.5 million (2019)

Touted as one of the best young centre-backs in the game, Matthijs de Ligt arrived at Juventus in the summer of 2019 in a big-money move from Ajax.

After leading the Dutch club on a fairytale run to the Champions League semi-final, De Ligt was expected to hit the ground running at Juventus. However, that hasn't been the case.

Nevertheless, the young Dutchman has provided glimpses of his potential but is not yet a regular in Andrea Pirlo's side.

In 62 games for Juventus, De Ligt has scored four goals and racked up one assist, but he is clearly capable of much more.

#2 Gonzalo Higuain - €90 million (2016)

Gonzalo Higuain arrived at Juventus on a gargantuan €90 million transfer in 2016 after he became the first player to score 36 goals in a Serie A season.

Higuain's stint at the Bianconeri was a mixed bag of sorts. The 2014 FIFA World Cup finalist scored 66 goals in 149 appearances, with his goal contribution dwindling with every passing season.

After scoring only 11 times in 44 games in the 2019-20 campaign, the 33-year-old joined MLS team Inter Miami at the end of the season.

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - €117 million (2018)

After a glorious nine-season stint at Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Juventus in the summer of 2018 on a world-record transfer for a player above the age of 30.

Suffice to say, the Portuguese maestro has hardly disappointed in his new surroundings. With a staggering 95 goals in 122 games, he has often single-handedly shouldered Juventus' attacking burden.

Despite failing to win the Champions League in three attempts with the Bianconeri, Ronaldo looks determined to help Juventus win an unprecedented tenth consecutive Scudetto.

The Bianconeri have work to do, though, as they trail leaders Inter Milan by ten points but have a game in hand. However, with Ronaldo (23 goals) eyeing his first Capocannoniere award, it may not be an insurmountable deficit to overcome as the season approaches a thrilling finale.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh