#4 Pavel Nedved - €41.2m
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It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that Juventus splashed the cash in the summer of 2001, as they looked to bring in quality players to help them back to the top of the league following two seasons of trophy drought. Czech international Pavel Nedved became one of the costliest signings of the summer along the likes of Lilian Thuram and Gigi Buffon.
The departure of Zinedine Zidane had left a significant void in the Bianconeri squad and when the highly acclaimed midfielder’s future was under intense scrutiny following Lazio’s intention to sell, Juve made the most of the opportunity.
Nedved was among the players who formed the spine of the Juventus team that won successive league titles and he also fired the Italians into the Champions League final in 2003. He won the Ballon d’Or in December 2003, becoming only the second Czech player ever to secure the prestigious award.
Despite Juve’s relegation to Serie B in 2006, Nedved chose to stay on and achieved promotion with the club the next season. He retired from football in 2009, following a series of injuries.
