Top 10 most expensive football transfers of the 90s century

The 1990s was a decade of great change in the world of football, with many legendary players emerging and leaving their mark on the sport. It was also a decade when transfer fees started to skyrocket, with many of the world’s best players being transferred for enormous amounts of money. In this article, we take a look at the top 10 most expensive football transfers of the 90s century, including the players who broke the record for the largest transfer fee at the time.

These transfers not only demonstrated the increasing popularity of the sport but also the changing financial landscape of football. From superstars like Luis Figo and Hernán Crespo to legends like Roberto Baggio and Gianluca Vialli, these transfers have had a lasting impact on the sport and are still remembered today.

Luis Figo (Barcelona to Real Madrid) – £37 million in 2000

Luis Figo is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. In 2000, he made a shock transfer from Barcelona to Real Madrid for a then-world-record fee of £37 million. The transfer caused outrage among Barcelona fans and Figo was subjected to abuse and even had a pig’s head thrown at him during a return match at the Camp Nou.

Despite the criticism, Figo was instrumental in helping Real Madrid win two La Liga titles and the UEFA Champions League in his time at the club. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation and his transfer to Real Madrid remains one of the most controversial in football history.

Hernán Crespo (Parma to Lazio) – £35 million in 2000

Hernán Crespo is a former Argentine professional footballer who played as a striker. In 2000, he was transferred from Parma to Lazio for a fee of £35 million, making him one of the most expensive football transfers of the 90s century. At the time, Crespo was one of the most sought-after players in the world, with his goalscoring ability and sharp finishing skills attracting interest from some of Europe’s top clubs.

Despite his high transfer fee, Crespo lived up to the expectations, scoring an impressive number of goals for Lazio and helping the club win the Serie A title in the 2000-01 season. He went on to play for some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Inter Milan, Chelsea and AC Milan, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest South American strikers of all time.

Hernán Crespo with National Team Argentina

Ronaldo Nazário (Barcelona to Inter Milan) – £19.5 million in 1997

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, commonly known as Ronaldo, is a former Brazilian professional footballer who played as a striker. In 1997, he was transferred from Barcelona to Inter Milan for a fee of £19.5 million, making him one of the most expensive football transfers of the 90s.

At the time, Ronaldo was one of the best players in the world, having won the FIFA World Cup with Brazil and the Ballon d’Or award for the best player in the world.His move to Inter Milan was seen as a major coup for the Italian club, who were looking to build a team capable of challenging for the Serie A title.

In his time at Inter Milan, Ronaldo continued to demonstrate his goalscoring ability, scoring a number of important goals for the club and helping them win the UEFA Cup in the 1997-98 season. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time and his transfer to Inter Milan remains one of the most memorable of the 90s.

Denílson (São Paulo to Real Betis) – £21 million in 1998

Denílson de Oliveira Araújo, simply known as Denílson, is a former Brazilian professional footballer who played as a left winger. In 1998, he was transferred from São Paulo to Real Betis for a fee of £21 million, making him one of the most expensive football transfers of the 90s.

At the time, Denílson was considered one of the best young talents in Brazilian football, with his dribbling skills and pace attracting interest from clubs around the world. His move to Real Betis was seen as a major statement of intent by the Spanish club, who were looking to establish themselves as one of the top teams in La Liga.

In his time at Real Betis, Denílson made a significant impact, helping the club reach the final of the UEFA Cup in the 1998-99 season and establishing himself as one of the best players in the league. Despite his success, he faced criticism for his high transfer fee, but his impact on the club and the sport remains significant to this day.

Christian Vieri (Lazio to Inter Milan) – £32 million in 1999

Christian Vieri is a former Italian professional footballer who played as a striker. In 1999, he was transferred from Lazio to Inter Milan for a fee of £32 million, making him one of the most expensive football transfers of the 90s. At the time, Vieri was one of the most in-demand forwards in the world, with his goalscoring ability and physical presence attracting interest from several top clubs.

His move to Inter Milan was seen as a major statement of intent by the Italian club, who were looking to build a team capable of challenging for the Serie A title.In his time at Inter Milan, Vieri lived up to his billing, scoring a number of important goals for the club and helping them win the Coppa Italia in the 1999-2000 season. Despite his success, he faced criticism for his high transfer fee, but his impact on the club and the sport remains significant to this day.

Nicola Berti (Inter Milan to Parma) – £13 million in 1992

Nicola Berti is a former Italian professional footballer who played as a midfielder. In 1992, he was transferred from Inter Milan to Parma for a fee of £13 million, making him one of the most expensive football transfers of the 90s. At the time, Berti was one of the best midfielders in Italy, known for his work rate, vision and passing ability.

His move to Parma was seen as a major signing for the club, who were looking to establish themselves as one of the top teams in Serie A. In his time at Parma, Berti helped the club win the UEFA Cup in the 1992-93 season and established himself as one of the key players in the team. Despite his success, he faced criticism for his high transfer fee, but his impact on the club and the sport remains significant to this day.

Jean-Pierre Papin (Marseille to AC Milan) – £10 million in 1992

Jean-Pierre Papin is a former French professional footballer who played as a striker. In 1992, he was transferred from Marseille to AC Milan for a fee of £10 million, making him one of the most expensive football transfers of the 90s. At the time, Papin was considered one of the best forwards in the world, with his goalscoring ability and powerful shots attracting interest from several top clubs.

His move to AC Milan was seen as a major statement of intent by the Italian club, who were looking to build a team capable of winning the Serie A title. In his time at AC Milan, Papin scored several important goals for the club and helped them win the Serie A title in the 1992-93 season. Despite his success, he faced criticism for his high transfer fee, but his impact on the club and the sport remains significant to this day.

Roberto Baggio (Juventus to AC Milan) – £8 million in 1995

Roberto Baggio is a former Italian professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. In 1995, he was transferred from Juventus to AC Milan for a fee of £8 million, making him one of the most expensive football transfers of the 90s. At the time, Baggio was considered one of the best playmakers in the world, with his creativity, dribbling skills, and ability to score goals attracting interest from several top clubs.

His move to AC Milan was seen as a major signing for the club, who were looking to build a team capable of winning the Serie A title. In his time at AC Milan, Baggio scored several important goals for the club and helped them win the Serie A title in the 1995-96 season. Despite his success, he faced criticism for his high transfer fee, but his impact on the club and the sport remains significant to this day.

Andrei Kanchelskis (Shakhtar Donetsk to Manchester United) – £6 million in 1991

Andrei Kanchelskis is a former Ukrainian professional footballer who played as a winger. In 1991, he was transferred from Shakhtar Donetsk to Manchester United for a fee of £6 million, making him one of the most expensive football transfers of the 90s. At the time, Kanchelskis was considered one of the best attacking players in Europe, with his pace, dribbling skills, and crossing ability attracting interest from several top clubs.

His move to Manchester United was seen as a major signing for the club, who were looking to build a team capable of winning the Premier League title. In his time at Manchester United, Kanchelskis established himself as one of the key players in the team and helped the club win several major trophies, including the Premier League title and the FA Cup. Despite his success, he faced criticism for his high transfer fee, but his impact on the club and the sport remains significant to this day.

Gianluca Vialli (Sampdoria to Juventus) – £12 million in 1992

Gianluca Vialli is a former Italian professional footballer who played as a striker. In 1992, he was transferred from Sampdoria to Juventus for a fee of £12 million, making him one of the most expensive football transfers of the 90s. At the time, Vialli was considered one of the best forwards in Europe, with his goalscoring ability, aerial presence, and impressive movement attracting interest from several top clubs.

His move to Juventus was seen as a major signing for the club, who were looking to build a team capable of winning the Serie A title. In his time at Juventus, Vialli established himself as one of the key players in the team and helped the club win several major trophies, including the Serie A title and the UEFA Champions League. Despite his success, he faced criticism for his high transfer fee, but his impact on the club and the sport remains significant to this day.

In conclusion, the 90s was a decade of big-money football transfers, with several top players making high-profile moves to some of the biggest clubs in Europe. The transfers of Luis Figo, Hernán Crespo, Ronaldo, Denílson, Christian Vieri, Nicola Berti, Jean-Pierre Papin, Roberto Baggio, Andrei Kanchelskis, and Gianluca Vialli were some of the most expensive and impactful of the decade.

These players brought with them a wealth of talent and experience, and helped to shape the landscape of the sport in their respective clubs. Despite facing criticism for their high transfer fees, these players went on to prove their worth, scoring important goals, creating assists, and helping their clubs win major trophies. Their impact on the sport will be remembered for many years to come.