AS Roma is one of the most traditional and historic clubs in the world. Roma stand out from other European clubs with the dedication and sincerity of their fans and players. There is no football fan who does not know Roma legends Francisco Totti and Daniele De Rossi. Roma have produced many world-class players, including past stars Cafu and Bruno Conti. Not only have they produced great players, Roma have also made a good financial profit by selling many of their players. According to reports, Italian club Roma have earned €1 billion by selling players to other clubs in the last few years.
Superstars like Salah, Alisson Becker, Marquinhos and Rudiger have brought huge financial benefits to Roma. Many clubs in Europe are making money by developing talented players through their academies and selling them to many other clubs. Dutch club Ajax and German club Borussia Dortmund are examples of this. This is where Roma make huge financial gains by selling their non-academy players to other clubs. Let’s check out Roma’s ten biggest transfers.
Roma’s biggest transfers of all time
10. Medhi Benatia (£25.20m)
Moroccan football legend Medhi Benatia started his professional football career in 2005.
Benatia joined Roma from Udinese for €13.50 million in 2010 before joining Bayern Munich for €28 million following playing just one season at the Italian club. Medhi, who played 29 games for Bayern, joined Juventus on loan and signed a permanent contract for €16 million.
9. Hidetoshi Nakata (£25m)
Japanese legend Hidetoshi Nakata arrives at AS Roma for 2,000 euros and 21 million euros. Nakata helped Roma win the Italian league title and quickly became the best player in the Italian league. Nakata’s best performance for Roma will most likely be remembered for the May 6, 2006 match once morest Juventus. Nakata replaces Totti in the second half when Roma trailed by two goals. Nakata scored a goal for Roma with a brilliant shot from 30 yards away and became the focus of European clubs through that single match. In 2001, Nakata joined Parma for €28 million.
8. Erik Lamela (£27m)
Erik Lamela, who has come through the academy of Argentinian club River Plate, will join Roma for €17 million. The Argentine, who scored 19 goals in 62 appearances for Roma, was snapped up by English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur for €30 million. Lamela, who spent eight years with Tottenham, joined Spanish club Sevilla as a free agent in 2021.
7. Markinho (£28m)
One of the best center backs in the world, Brazilian star Marcinhos is coming to Roma on loan from the famous Brazilian club Corinthians. After arriving at Roma, the club offered the player a permanent contract for five million euros and sold him to French club PSG for £28 million the following season. Roma made a huge profit with Marcinius who played only 26 matches.
6. Miralem Janich (£28.80m)
Italian player Miralem Janich joined AS Roma in 2011 from French club Lyon for €11 million. Janic, who made 159 appearances for Roma, joined Roma’s arch-rivals Juventus for €32 million. A prolific attacking midfielder, Janich has won four Italian league titles, two Italian Cups and one Super Cup in 122 appearances for Juventus. Janic, who joined Barca on loan from Juventus, did not have a good experience at the Camp Nou.
5. Antonio Rudiger (£31m)
The current best defensive player in the world, German player Antonio Rudiger, came to Roma on loan from the German club Stuttgart in 2015. Although the loan period was only for one season, the player’s outstanding performances forced Roma to offer him a permanent contract. Roma bought Rudiger for just 9 million euros and sold the player to Chelsea for 35 million pounds. Rüdiger played just one season for Roma following signing the contract. Rudiger, who won the Europa League, Champions League and UEFA Super Cup with Chelsea, joined the Spanish giants Real Madrid in the last summer transfer.
4. Constantino Manolas (£32.40m)
Greek footballer Constantino Manolas was one of Roma’s best center backs in recent times. Manolas’ goal in the 2017-18 Champions League quarter-final once morest Barcelona is enough to make Manolas forever remembered by Roma fans. Roma reached the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 1984 with a Manolas goal to beat Barcelona. The player’s impressive performance caught the radar of other clubs and Napoli signed Manolas for €36 million. Manolas has played 156 matches over five seasons for Roma and currently plays for Sharjah FC.
3. Radja Nainggolan (£34.20m)
Belgian star Radja Nainggolan joined Roma from Italian club Caglieri in 2014. Radja Nainggolan is regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, making 100 appearances for Roma over four seasons. The fit Nainggolan was snapped up by Roma’s arch-rivals Inter for €38m in 2018. After failing to live up to his potential at Inter, Nainggolan joined his old club Cagliari on loan.
2. Mohamed Salah (£37.80m)
Mohamed Salah, one of the best strikers in the world, came to Roma from Chelsea on loan in 2015. In his first season at Roma, Salah scored 14 goals in 34 matches and announced his arrival in Italy. Happy with the player’s performance, Roma made Salah a permanent player in the team for 15 million euros. Salah scored 15 goals in 31 matches and Liverpool came to acquire the player. So in 2027, Liverpool brought the Egyptian player from Roma to Anfield for 42 million euros. It was the second biggest transfer in Roma’s history. After arriving at Liverpool, Salah became one of the world class strikers and played a major role in helping Liverpool win the Champions League title and the club’s first Premier League title following ten years.
1. Alison Becker (£56.25m)
Arriving at Roma in 2016, Alisson became the focus of Europe’s top clubs in just one season. Alisson was a relentless warrior in front of goal as Roma reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in the 2017-18 season. Roma lost to the English giants Liverpool in the semi-finals, but the English club kept an eye on the opponents’ goalkeeper. In July 2018, right following the end of the Champions League season, Liverpool signed Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker for the then-biggest fee for a goalkeeper. Roma received 56.25 million euros from the sale of Alisson. That means it was the highest amount paid for a goalkeeper in the history of club football. But a few days later, English club Chelsea surpassed this transfer record. Alisson was Liverpool’s best signing. The player managed to win the Champions League title in his first season at the club. The following year, in 2019, the Brazilian goalkeeper was also instrumental in Liverpool’s English Premier League title win. Apart from the Champions League title, the star managed to win the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup and FA Cup with Liverpool. Alisson is currently the biggest transfer in Roma’s history.
