Top 10 Italy players by cumulative transfer fees: Tonali and Retegui lead the way
Quick summary
A ranking of Italy's top 10 most expensive players in terms of cumulative transfer fees, with Sandro Tonali (Newcastle) and Mateo Retegui (Al-Qadsiyah) at the top.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceSandro Tonali has recently joined Tottenham Hotspur in a deal that has made him the most expensive Italy international of all time, and the former Milan man also sits comfortably at the top of the list of Italian players with the highest cumulative transfer fees, leading Al-Qadsiah’s Mateo Retegui in second place.
Tonali has recently joined Tottenham in a deal believed to be worth around €115m (just shy of £100m) including bonuses and add-ons, making him the most expensive Italy international of all-time.
Tonali had already cost Newcastle a package worth a potential €70m when he moved to St James’s Park from Milan in the summer of 2023, and had cost the Rossoneri a double-figure fee when he joined them from Brescia. That means he has raked in just shy of €200m in total transfer fees across his career already.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 28: Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Everton at St James’ Park on February 28, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Tonali is one of three Italy internationals past and present whose combined transfer fees exceed the €100m mark.
Second on the list is Al-Qadsiah’s Retegui, who held the Italian transfer record when he joined the Saudi Pro League outfit from Atalanta last summer. La Dea earned in excess of €65m from that particular transfer.
Leonardo Bonucci completes the top three for most expensive Italy players by cumulative transfer fees. His most expensive move came when he joined Milan for €42m in 2017, but was signed back by the Bianconeri the following season in a deal reported to be worth €35m.
Leonardo Bonucci of AC Milan celebrates the victory at the end of the TIM Cup match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on December 27, 2017 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images) Below is the full list of the top 10 Italy players by their cumulative transfer fees.
Top 10 Italy players by cumulative transfer fees Sandro Tonali – €194.4m Mateo Retegui – €109.9m Leonardo Bonucci – €107m Christian Vieri – €99m Moise Kean – €79m Riccardo Calafiori – €78.1m Jorginho – €77.8m Giacomo Raspadori – €77m Mario Balotelli – €72.5m Gianluca Scamacca – €71m * Fees according to Sky Sport Italia .
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What happened
Football Italia has compiled a list of the Italy national team's most expensive players based on the total transfer fees paid across their careers. Sandro Tonali tops the list following his high-profile move to Newcastle United, while Mateo Retegui ranks highly after his recent transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiyah for around €65m. The list provides context on the commercial value of Italy's current player pool and highlights the Saudi Pro League's growing influence on Italian football talent.
Chance analysis
This listicle is more of a statistical curiosity than actionable intelligence, but it underscores two notable trends: the Premier League's continued ability to command top fees for Italian talent (Tonali), and the Saudi Pro League's emergence as a viable exit route for Serie A strikers (Retegui). Neither piece of information is new, but the cumulative framing offers a useful benchmark for evaluating the market value of Azzurri players heading into future transfer windows and squad selection discussions.
No immediate sporting impact — purely informational ranking of historical transfer fees for Italy internationals.
No direct impact on upcoming match predictions; use only as background context on Italy national team player valuations.