Serie A giants, Juventus have had the privilege of fielding some of the finest players in history.
From the mercurial Zinedine Zidane to the menacing Cristiano Ronaldo — these players have done more than their fair share to help the Bianconeri on their way.
For many of the said superstars, the allure of Juventus was enough reason to force their way through to Turin.
However, for others, the Italians have had to put a shift in, burn a hole in their deep pockets.
In the wake of Arthur Melo’s mega-money move to Juventus from Barcelona, let’s take a look at the ten most expensive signings in the Serie A champions’ illustrious history.
# 10 Paulo Dybala – €40m from US Palermo in 2015
Paulo Dybala, the second-striker of Juventus, is rated as one of the finest attackers in the world, and for good reason.
He may not be a Golden Boot contender as of now, but he surely has the quality to give even the best defences a run for the money.
The Argentine has managed 10 goals and as many assists in 27 Serie A matches in the present campaign and is on course to finish the season strongly.
#9 Federico Bernardeschi – €40m from Fiorentina in 2017
Federico Bernardeschi may not be one of the most highly-rated names world football, but the Italian international is most certainly one of the most versatile of the lot. The right-winger has produced many impressive performances since joining from Serie A rivals, Fiorentina in 2017, and is currently a mainstay in Maurizio Sarri’s side.
#8 Douglas Costa – €40m from Bayern Munich in 2018
Brazilian dynamite Douglas Costa made his loan move to Juventus from Bayern Munich permanent in the summer transfer window of 2018, having temporarily joined the Turin-based outfit the previous season. He is currently vying with Bernardeschi for a place in the starting XI but probably deserves a little more for his dedication. His electrifying pace and relentless work ethic is second to none, which makes him an asset to his team and coach.
#7 Joao Cancelo – €40.4m from Valencia in 2018
Following an impressive loan spell at Inter Milan, Joao Cancelo was initially tipped to return to La Liga club, Valencia. Juventus, who were thoroughly impressed with the right-back, chose to intervene and swoop him up for a sizable amount. He performed commendably at Juve in the 2018-19 campaign but was surprisingly sold to Manchester City at the end of the season.
#6 Pavel Nedved – €45m from Lazio in 2001
Widely regarded as the best player to come out of the Czech Republic, Pavel Nedved made the switch from Lazio to Juventus in 2001. In the next eight years, he helped the club to two Serie A titles and two Italian Supercups. The player, who netted 65 goals in 327 appearances for Juventus, is currently serving as the club’s vice-chairman.
#5 Gianluigi Buffon – €52.88m from Parma in 2001
Juventus’ longest-serving goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon doesn’t an introduction. The Italian legend has won every single trophy there is to win at club level, except the Champions League, and has turned out for the Serie A champions a whopping 656 times to date. The 42-year-old, who joined Paris Saint-Germain in the 2018-19 season before returning to Juventus the following summer, still has the reflexes of a 30-year-old and continues to produce impressive saves.
#4 Arthur Melo – €72m + 10m in variables from Barcelona in 2020
Brazilian central midfielder, Arthur Melo has become the latest player to move to the Bianconeri. The 23-year-old is part of a swap deal, which will see Miralem Pjanic heading to the Camp Nou. Arthur has the potential to be one of the standout performers in this Juventus side and would do his best to match the expectations next season.
#3 Matthijs de Ligt – €85.5m from Ajax in 2019
The youngest player to captain a side in the knockout stages of the Champions League, Matthijs de Ligt is currently rated as one of the most promising young defenders. He did go through a readjustment period after joining from Ajax last summer, but the player didn’t stand on ceremony to exuberate his grace in the heart of Juventus defence.
#2 Gonzalo Higuain – €90m from Napoli in 2016
As a reward for his record-breaking campaign at Napoli, Juventus went all out to secure Gonzalo Higuain’s services in the summer of 2016. After two satisfactory seasons, Higuain was loaned out to AC Milan and then Chelsea, primarily to make room for Cristiano Ronaldo. Back at Juventus, the Argentine has racked up six goals and four assists in 25 Serie A matches this season.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo – €117m from Real Madrid in 2018
When Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid decided to part ways in the summer of 2018, the Portuguese had only one destination in mind. He hadn’t forgotten about Juventus fans’ generosity after his bicycle kick against the Bianconeri in the Champions League quarter-finals and wanted to surround himself with such positivity for the next chapter of his career. As expected, the forward has maintained his exploits in front of goal, racking up 56 goals and 16 assists since making his switch to Serie A.