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Roberto Baggio became the world’s most expensive player in 1990 when he moved from Fiorentina to Juventus for a record €12.9 million.
But by the end of the 1990s, the transfer record had almost quadrupled to €46.48m and in the summer of 1999, the fee paid by Juve for Baggio would not have featured in the top 20 outlays by Europe’s elite clubs.
Serie A still dominated throughout the decade, however, with most of the biggest money spent by Italy’s clubs between 1990 and 1999.
Here, a look at the most expensive transfers from the 1990s…
33. Dani Garcia
Louis van Gaal was criticised by media and fans at Barcelona for constantly signing Dutch players – especially as he had said he wanted a team of Catalans.
In 1999, he did sign a Catalan player as Dani Garcia arrived from Mallorca in a €15 million transfer, but the striker did not make a big impact and was rarely a starter in his four seasons at Camp Nou.
32. Chris Sutton
After five seasons at Blackburn Rovers where he formed a prolific partnership with Alan Shearer and helped the club win a Premier League title, Chris Sutton signed for Chelsea in 1999.
But Sutton struggled at Stamford Bridge following his £10 million (€15m) transfer; he scored just three goals in 39 appearances and moved to Celtic at the end of the season.
31. Ivan de la Peña
Ivan de la Peña saw his opportunities at Barcelona limited following the arrival of Louis van Gaal as coach and moved to Lazio for a fee of around €15 million in 1998.
But the midfielder struggled to adapt at the Rome-based club and after spells at Marseille and back at Barcelona, he returned to La Liga to spend the rest of his career with Espanyol.
30. Ronaldo
Ronaldo became the world’s most expensive footballer when he moved from PSV Eindhoven to Barcelona for €15 million in the summer of 1996.
Alan Shearer’s transfer to Newcastle United broke the record later in the same summer, but the brilliant Brazilian would become the world’s priciest player again the following year after a spectacular season at Camp Nou.
29. Ousmane Dabo
Ousmane Dabo started his career at Rennes, but went on to spend the majority of his playing days in Italy, where he represented Inter, Vicenza, Atalanta, Parma and Lazio.
After joining Parma from Inter in a €15.5m move in 1999, the midfielder struggled to live up to his price tag and returned to France with Monaco the following summer in a swap deal which saw Sabri Lamouchi move the other way.
28. Thierry Henry
After a difficult spell at Juventus, Thierry Henry moved to Arsenal in August 1999 for £11 million (around €16.1m) and went on to become a Gunners legend.
Linking up with his former Monaco coach Arsene Wenger, Henry was used as a striker at Arsenal and hit 226 goals in 370 games in an impressive eight-year stint before joining Barcelona. The French forward added two more goals in a short spell on loan from New York Red Bulls in 2012.
27. Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli became the world’s most expensive player when he left Sampdoria to join Juventus for a fee of around €16.5 million in 1992.
The former Italy striker was a hit at Juve, winning several trophies in a fruitful four-season spell – including a Scudetto, a UEFA Cup and a Champions League. Vialli moved to Chelsea in 1996, later becoming a successful manager with the Blues. He sadly passed away at the age of 58 from pancreatic cancer in January 2023.
26. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink joined Atletico Madrid from Leeds United in a £10 million deal (around €16.7m) in 1999.
Hasselbaink did well in Spain, scoring 33 goals in 44 appearances, but Atletico’s season was disastrous as the Rojiblancos were relegated to Segunda. The Dutch striker returned to the Premier League with Chelsea in 2000.
25. Darko Kovacevic
After impressing in a three-season spell at Real Sociedad in the late 1990s, Darko Kovacevic swapped Spain for Italy in the summer of 1999.
The Serbian striker joined Juventus in a deal worth around €17 million, but spent just two seasons in Turin before spending half a year at Lazio and returning to Real Sociedad in 2001.
24. Sinisa Mihajlovic
Sinisa Mihajlovic was known for his powerful left foot and is considered one of the best free-kick takers in history.
The former Yugoslavia international, who could play in defence or midfield, joined Lazio from Sampdoria for €17 million in 1998 and spent six seasons in Rome. He won a Serie A title with Lazio and another with Inter, before becoming a coach. He sadly passed away from leukaemia in 2022 at the age of just 53.
23. Jaap Stam
Jaap Stam became the most expensive defender in history when he signed for Manchester United from PSV Eindhoven for £10.6 million (around €17m) in 1998.
A key part of United’s treble-winning side in 1998/99, Stam was surprisingly sold to Lazio in 2001 and went on to spend several successful seasons in Italy with the Rome club and later AC Milan.
22. Rade Bogdanovic
Signed by Radomir Antic for €17.4 million in the summer of 1997, former Yugoslavia striker Rade Bogdanovic cost almost as much as Christian Vieri and had minimal impact at Atletico Madrid.
After scoring twice on his debut against Real Valladolid, Bogdanovic found playing time hard to come by behind Vieri and Kiko. After a loan spell at NAC Breda in the Netherlands, he joined Werder Bremen in 1998.
21. Marcelo Salas
After impressive spells at Universidad de Chile and River Plate, Marcelo Salas signed for Lazio in February 1998 in a €17.5 million deal which made him the fourth-most expensive player in the world at the time – behind only Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Denilson.
The Chilean striker went on to win a number of trophies with Lazio, including the Serie A title in 1999/2000, and netted 49 goals in 107 games before moving to Juventus in 2001. After a difficult spell in Turin, he returned to River in 2003.
20. Juan Sebastian Veron
Juan Sebastian Veron had short spells at Sampdoria, Parma and Lazio before moving to Manchester United in the summer of 2001.
The former Argentina midfielder joined Parma for around €17.5m million in 1998 and spent just one season with the Gialloblu. It was a memorable one, though, as Alberto Malesani’s side won both the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup.
19. Christian Vieri
Christian Vieri features frequently among the biggest transfers of the 1990s and one of those moves saw the Italy striker sign for Atletico Madrid in 1997.
Vieri was surprisingly sold to Atletico for €17.56 million and joined Juninho at the Spanish side in an exciting summer spree, but after 24 goals in 24 La Liga games, he returned to Serie A with Lazio a year later.
18. Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer became the world’s most expensive player when he left Blackburn Rovers for hometown club Newcastle United in the summer of 1996.
The England striker was signed by the Magpies for a fee of £15 million (around €18m) and went on to become a legend at St. James’ Park, despite not winning any silverware. Shearer scored 206 goals in 405 games for Newcastle in 10 seasons at the club before retiring in 2006.
17. Angelo Peruzzi
He may have been in Gianluigi Buffon’s sizeable shadow for virtually his entire career at international level, but Angelo Peruzzi was a great goalkeeper in the 1990s and early 2000s.
After eight years at Juventus, Peruzzi signed for Inter in a deal worth around €19 million in 1999. He impressed in Milan, but was sold to Lazio for an even bigger fee the following summer and was part of Italy’s World Cup-winning squad in 2006.
16. Sonny Anderson
Sonny Anderson spent just two seasons at Barcelona in the late 1990s, opting to return to France after falling out with coach Louis van Gaal.
Previously at Monaco, the Brazilian striker signed for Lyon in a deal worth around €19 million and went on to score 94 goals in 161 appearances for OL. He also won two Ligue 1 titles in a successful spell back in France.
15. Dwight Yorke
Dwight Yorke was offered a trial at Aston Villa by Graham Taylor after the club’s former manager spotted him in action on a tour of the West Indies.
After nine years at Villa Park, Yorke moved to Manchester United for a fee of £12.6 million (around €19.5m) in 1998 and formed an exciting partnership with Andy Cole as the Red Devils won the treble in his first season. After 65 goals in 152 games, Yorke joined Blackburn Rovers in 2002.
14. Elvir Baljic
Eyebrows were raised when Real Madrid paid around €21 million for Bosnian winger Elvir Baljic in 1999 and the move turned out to be disastrous.
Having impressed in Turkey with Bursaspor and Fenerbahce, Baljic made only a handful of appearances for Los Blancos before spells on loan at Rayo Vallecano and back in Istanbul with Fener. His contract was terminated in 2002.
13. Nicola Ventola
Nicola Ventola moved to Inter for €21 million after impressing in his early years with Bari, but the forward made just 21 Serie A appearances in 1997/98 before being shipped off to Bologna the following summer.
Despite returning for a second spell with the Nerazzurri, Ventola was restricted by injuries and had spells out on loan at Atalanta, Siena and Crystal Palace.
12. Rivaldo
Rivaldo joined Deportivo La Coruña from Palmeiras in the summer of 1996 and the Brazil winger impressed with 21 goals in 41 appearances for the Galician club in 1996/97.
That alerted the attention of Europe’s biggest clubs and Barcelona paid €23.5 million to sign him in the summer of 1997. Rivaldo spent his best years at Camp Nou and went on to score 130 goals in 235 games for the Catalan club.
11. Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Shevchenko was one of the most coveted strikers in Europe in the 1990s and the Ukrainian eventually left Dynamo Kyiv for AC Milan in 1999 for a fee of €23.91 million.
Shevchenko quickly became a fan favourite at San Siro and went on to score 173 goals in 296 appearances for the Rossoneri before moving to Chelsea in 2006.
10. Clarence Seedorf
Clarence Seedorf is better known for his time at AC Milan than at Inter, but the Dutch midfielder spent two and a half years on the blue and black side of the derby divide before moving to their city rivals in 2002.
Seedorf joined Inter from Real Madrid late in 1999 for a fee of just over €24 million and went on to make 93 appearances for the Nerazzurri, scoring 14 goals. He went on to spend the next decade at AC MIlan after moving in exchange for Francesco Coco in 2002.
9. Vincenzo Montella
Much of Vincenzo Montella’s time at Roma was spent on the bench, particularly under Fabio Capello, but the former Italy striker is a folk hero with the capital club.
Montella joined Roma from Sampdoria for €25.82m in 1999 and would go on to score 101 goals for the Giallorossi in 258 appearances. He netted important goals as Roma won the Scudetto in 2000/01 and famously hit four in a 5-1 over Lazio in March 2002.
8. Sonny Anderson
When Ronaldo left Barcelona to sign for Inter in the summer of 1997, the Blaugrana bought another Brazilian: Sonny Anderson.
Anderson arrived from Monaco for €26.25 million, which was almost as much as the fee Barça had received for Ronaldo. Anderson was not nearly as good, but still scored a respectable 21 goals in 66 games before leaving for Lyon in 1999.
7. Ronaldo
Either side of Alan Shearer’s move from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle United in 1996, Ronaldo was twice the world’s most expensive player.
The Brazilian striker moved from PSV Eindhoven to Barcelona for a record €15 million in 1996 and after an unbelievable season at Camp Nou in which he hit 47 goals in 49 appearances, “O Fenomeno” joined Inter for €26.5m a year later. He scored 59 goals in 99 games for the Nerazzurri, but was severely restricted by injuries.
6. Marcio Amoroso
After scoring 24 goals in 41 appearances for Udinese in the 1998/99 season, Marcio Santos was a player in demand.
The Brazilian forward was signed by Parma for €28 million, but his time with the Gialloblu was less successful and he scored just 18 times in 51 appearances across two seasons in an injury-interrupted spell at the Stadio Ennio Tardini.
5. Christian Vieri
Christian Vieri was on the move a lot in the 1990s and the Italy striker returned to his homeland with Lazio in 1998 following a successful season at Atletico Madrid.
Vieri joined Lazio for a fee of around €28.4 million and scored 14 goals in 28 appearances, including one in the 2-1 win over Mallorca in the 1999 Cup Winners’ Cup final. It turned out to be his final game for the club…
4. Juan Sebastian Veron
Juan Sebastian Veron’s best years were spent in Italy and the Argentine midfielder was one of Serie A’s most sought-after stars in the late 1990s.
After successful spells at Sampdoria and Parma, Veron signed for Lazio in the summer of 1999 for €30 million (£18.1m) and helped the Rome-based club win Serie A the following season. After two years in the Italian capital, Veron moved to Manchester United in 2001.
3. Denilson
Denilson became the most expensive footballer in the world in 1998 after moving from Sao Paulo to Real Betis for a fee of €31.5 million.
The winger spent seven years at Betis in total, making over 200 appearances either side of a brief spell on loan back in Brazil with Flamengo, but he largely failed to live up to the hype and was a fringe player in the club’s Copa del Rey win in 2005.
2. Nicolas Anelka
After an impressive season at Arsenal in 1998/99, Nicolas Anelka moved to Real Madrid for £22.3 million (€35m) – a huge fee at the time.
Anelka did not score in La Liga until February and was later suspended by the club after refusing to train, but the French forward is remembered for scoring in both legs in the Champions League semi-final win over Bayern Munich. Overall, he netted just seven times in 31 appearances and left for Paris Saint-Germain a year later for a slightly lower fee (€34.5m).
1. Christian Vieri
Him again. Christian Vieri accumulated €87.5 million in transfer fees in four big-money moves and over half of that came as the Italian striker joined Inter from Lazio in 1999.
Inter paid a world record fee of €46.48m for Vieri and Lazio made a profit of over €20m in the space of a year. It was money well spent, too, as Vieri went on to score 123 goals in 190 games for the Nerazzurri.
*All figures via Transfermarkt
