With the market set for another reset after the coronavirus pandemic, theScore takes a look at the most significant transfers in football history and explains the meaning behind the moves.
10. Gianluigi Buffon ➡️ Juventus
When Juventus signed Gianluigi Buffon from Parma in 2001 for €52 million, they invested in his ability to keep the ball out of the net, and not his distribution skills.
He wasn’t the kind of modern goalkeeper that scouts lionize today. But he was on the verge of becoming one of the greatest shot-stoppers the game has ever seen. Juventus made the move for Buffon using the money they collected from Zinedine Zidane’s transfer to Real Madrid, and it’s fair to say the cash was well spent.
Though Buffon has never won the Champions League with Juventus, he’s won almost everything else in world football. He stuck with the Bianconeri when they were relegated for match-fixing, and continued to make high-flying saves well into his late 30s.
Now in his early 40s, Buffon has become a symbol of longevity. He set the record for the most Serie A titles won by a single player (nine), and in 2015-16, he went a record 974 minutes …read more