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#3 Zinedine Zidane (Juventus to Real Madrid - €77.5 million)
Zinedine Zidane, one of the greatest midfielders of all time, played in Serie A with Juventus before his move to Real Madrid. The Frenchman chose to move to Juventus from Bordeaux in 1996, as they were the European Champions at the time. Zidane helped Juventus win Serie A in his debut season, while also leading them to the Champions League final.
The 1997-98 season was also fruitful for Zidane as he won the Scudetto again. Juventus once again lost out in the Champions League, this time to Real Madrid in the final. However, despite the loss in the final, Zidane was awarded the Ballon d'Or, firmly establishing him as one of the best players of the era.
Ahead of the 2001-02 season, Real Madrid acquired Zidane for a then world-record transfer fee of €77.5 million. To this date, he remains one of the most expensive midfielders of all time without even taking inflation into consideration.
The move was worth it, however. In his first season at the club, he scored an extraordinary goal from distance in the Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen. Over the course of the season, he scored 12 times and picked up 15 assists. The 2002-03 season saw Real Madrid claim the Spanish league title too, which was another feather in Zidane's decorated cap.
Despite Zidane being sent off in the 2006 World Cup final, his career will be looked back upon as an incredible one. Since retirement, Zidane has enjoyed success as manager at Real Madrid.
#2 Paul Pogba (Juventus to Manchester United - €105 million)
Paul Pogba was a product of the Manchester United academy. However, he moved to Serie A with Juventus in 2012 in search of regular first-team action. The 28-year-old midfielder made an instant impact in Serie A; making 37 appearances in all competitions in his debut season.
Pogba's fine form continued as he made 51 appearances in the 2013-14 season, quickly establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in Serie A. In his four years at Juventus, Pogba won the Serie A title on every occasion. He also won Juventus' player of the year in 2015-16.
When his former club Manchester United came calling in the summer of 2016, he could not refuse the chance to return to Old Trafford. The Red Devils had to fork out €115 million to acquire Pogba's services, which made the deal the most expensive in history at the time. Ever since, the Frenchman has continued to dazzle supporters in England. The 28-year-old has also impressed on the international stage as he won the World Cup with France in 2018.
#1 Romelu Lukaku (Inter to Chelsea - €115 million)
Romelu Lukaku is another player who left the Premier League to join Serie A before making a sensational return. The Belgian striker joined Inter from Manchester United in 2019 as a replacement for the outgoing Mauro Icardi. Antonio Conte moulded Lukaku into a world-class striker as the 28-year-old led Inter to the Serie A title in 2020-21.
24 goals and 11 assists meant Lukaku was the player with the most contributions in Serie A in 2020-21. While everything seemed rosy at Inter following their first Scudetto win in a decade, financial issues saw Achraf Hakimi sold to PSG. Conte's exit followed, which tempted Lukaku to quit Serie A and head back to the Premier League with Chelsea.
Consider a player with the attributes of Romelu Lukaku, and there is no surprise over the massive €115 million fee. The exorbitant fee makes Lukaku the most expensive export in Serie A history, with Tuchel hoping he lives up to the price-tag.
