Retegui joins Saudi club for €69m, priciest Italian ever – top 10 | OneFootball

The Italian national team is going through difficult years, always on the edge and now chronically out of the World Cup. This has nothing to do with the excellent star of many Italian footballers, literally covered in gold by their respective clubs. Once upon a time, there were Chinese super salaries, with the likes of Pellè and El Shaarawi paving a now ordinary path, being enticed by experiences in less competitive but certainly very lucrative leagues.

Retegui in Arabia for 69 million: he is the most expensive Italian footballer ever - The complete top 10

Today, the eldorado are the Arab countries, and in fact the two top salaries are those of 32-year-old Marco Verratti, 30 million a year for the next two seasons from the Qataris of Al Duhail, and Mateo Retegui, who recently moved for the monstrous sum of 70 million euros from Atalanta to the Saudis of Al Quadsiah, from whom he will receive a good 20 million a year including bonuses until 2029

A historic transfer, not only for Atalanta but for all of Italian football. With the transfer of Mateo Retegui to Al Quasia for a total sum of 69 million euros, the national team's striker officially becomes the highest paid Italian footballer ever. A record that rewrites the ranking of the most expensive transfers and testifies to the economic power of Middle Eastern clubs, increasingly present on the European market.

From Atalanta to Arabia: record deal for Retegui After an extraordinary season culminating in the title of top scorer of Serie A, Retegui attracted the interest of several international clubs. But it was Al Quasia who went further, putting 68 million euros plus 1 bonus on the table, for an operation that tripled the value of the Italo-Argentinian's card in just twelve months: Atalanta had bought him in the summer of 2024 for just over 22 million.

The deal allows the Bergamo team to record an exceptional capital gain, confirming the validity of the technical and economic project carried forward by the Percassi family.

The Top 10 most expensive Italian footballers ever Here is the updated ranking after Retegui's transfer:

Mateo Retegui – 69 million (from Atalanta to Al Quasia, 2025)

Sandro Tonali – 59 million (from Milan to Newcastle, 2023)

Jorginho – 57 million (from Napoli to Chelsea, 2018)

Gianluigi Buffon – 52 million (from Parma to Juventus, 2001)

Christian Vieri – 49 million (from Lazio to Inter, 1999)

Riccardo Calafiori – 45 million (from Bologna to Arsenal, 2025)

Marco Verratti – 44 million (from PSG to Al-Arabi, 2023)

Federico Chiesa – 42 million (from Fiorentina to Juventus, 2020)

Leonardo Bonucci – 42 million (from Juventus to Milan, 2017)

Federico Bernardeschi – 40 million (from Fiorentina to Juventus, 2017)

What Retegui's record represents Retegui's record is not just symbolic. It testifies to the recent evolution of the football market, where emerging economies, particularly those of the Gulf, are setting new rules in terms of purchasing power. It is also a sign of an Italian football that, despite systemic difficulties, can still produce (or enhance) talents with strong international appeal.

For Atalanta, it is yet another demonstration of a winning model, capable of identifying high potential players, enhancing them in a short time and obtaining significant economic returns. For Retegui, a new challenge outside Europe now opens up, with all the uncertainties and opportunities it entails. But on an economic and historical level, the mark is already indelible.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.