Carlo Ancelotti’s 11 Most Expensive Signings (Ranked)

In the pantheon of great football legends, Carlo Ancelotti already occupies one of the top spots. So much so that a few lines would not be enough to pay tribute to 50 years of an exceptional career, both as a player and, in the case of this article, as a coach.

AC Milan, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Bayern Munich: the former AS Roma midfielder has known it all, won it all, coached the biggest clubs on the planet, and with them some of the best players ever to set foot on a football pitch. The adventure began in 1992, when he became assistant to the equally legendary Arrigo Sacchi on the Italy bench.

Under his mentor’s tutelage, Ancelotti benefited from an unparalleled education to shape his tactical vision. It was a method that he subsequently applied with great success, winning countless trophies, including five Champions League titles.

It was an unprecedented achievement for a leader of men without equal, and now, this article compiles a list of the 11 most expensive signings he has ever made to achieve such feats.

11 Kostas Manolas

Transfer fee: £30.3m (From AS Roma to SSC Napoli)

In the collective memory, Konstantinos Manolas will certainly remain the hero of the ‘Romantada’ against Barcelona. But for the Romans, the Greek represented much more than that. Named in AS Roma’s Team of the Decade after five seasons in the Italian capital, the centre-back was preparing to take his career to the next level when he joined Ancelotti’s Napoli in 2019.

However, his spell in southern Italy did not prove to be the success he had hoped for, and the Naxos native eventually left the Gli Azzurri after just two and a half seasons (60 games) and a starting berth that was gradually relinquished in the face of competition from Amir Rrahmani.

10

Lucas Moura

Transfer fee: £33.7m (From Sao Paulo FC to Paris Saint-Germain)

Providing a goal and an assist in the final of the Copa Sudamericana (the South American equivalent of the Europa League) and being named Best Player at just 20 years of age was a significant achievement for Lucas Moura in 2012.

It is a performance that will no doubt convince Paris Saint-Germain to conclude negotiations with Sao Paulo to secure the services of the young Brazilian gem, who in the process becomes the most expensive Brazilian-based player in history. It was a welcome addition for Ancelotti, who only had six months to make the most of it before the Italian coach left the French capital in June 2013.

9

Corentin Tolisso

Transfer fee: £35m (From Olympique Lyonnais to Bayern Munich)

It may be hard to believe that Corentin Tolisso could ever have been the most expensive recruit in the history of a club of Bayern Munich’s stature. And yet, fours years after making his debut for Olympique Lyonnais, his formative club, and at a time when he was being coveted by numerous teams, the French midfielder left the Rhone for Bavaria – becoming the best-selling player in his club’s history.

His decision was partly motivated by the confidence Ancelotti had shown in him, seeing him as the successor to Xabi Alonso. And that’s all there is to it. Unfortunately for the budding duo, however, Ancelotti’s sacking three months later threw a spanner in the works for a player whose career took a difficult turn after that – despite winning the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

8

Thiago Silva

Transfer fee: £35.4m (From AC Milan to Paris Saint-Germain)

To be presented as ‘the best defender in the world’ by your new president is bound to raise the stakes. Yet that is how Paris Saint-Germain boss Nasser al-Khelaifi introduced Thiago Silva when he signed him in 2012. It was a long-awaited transfer, often called into question, but one that nonetheless made the Brazilian the most expensive defender in history.

Ancelotti singled out the former Milan man as a potential future Ballon d’Or winner, and he made an instant impact in Paris, becoming the team’s official captain barely a year later. It was a role he held for eight years at a club where he would become a living legend.

7

Hirving Lozano

Transfer fee: £37.9m (From PSV to SSC Napoli)

Hirving Lozano is also one of the players recruited by Ancelotti, although his time with the Italian was short-lived. The Mexican made 17 appearances for Napoli, during which time he was instrumental on four occasions (three goals, one assist), before seeing his coach sacked for lack of results in December 2019.

The 29-year-old remained in southern Italy until 2023, before making his return to PSV official at the end of the season. He is now preparing to leave Europe for the United States, where San Diego FC have already made his arrival official from the 1st of January next year.

6

Endrick

Transfer fee: £40m (From SE Palmeiras to Real Madrid)

The latest addition to Real Madrid’s Brazilian diaspora, Endrick is keen to follow in the footsteps of his illustrious compatriots who once wore the colours of the Spanish club. It is a mission that Ancelotti is determined to help him achieve, and the centre-forward, who has just celebrated his 18th birthday, was recently introduced to his new fans at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The teenage sensation and youngest goalscorer in the history of the Brazilian league (at 16 years, three months and five days), the former Palmeiras man will also be able to call on team-mate Vinicius Jr, whose debut at Madrid was not the easiest, but whose hard work and perseverance have now made him forget.

5

Fernando Torres

Transfer fee: £49.3m (From Liverpool to Chelsea)

€33.5m. That’s the difference in price between the two most expensive signings – David Luiz and Fernando Torres – of the Ancelotti era at Chelsea. A huge gap between two players who arrived in 2011 and whose West London fates have not necessarily been the same.

As far as the Spaniard is concerned, it seems difficult to really judge his four-year adventure at Stamford Bridge. While the striker has scored several important goals for the Blues, his overall performances have fallen somewhat short of the expectations inherent in his transfer price and the performances he was able to deliver for Liverpool. In 172 games for Chelsea, the 2010 FIFA World Cup winner scored 45 goals and provided 31 assists.

4

James Rodriguez

Transfer fee: £63.2m (From AS Monaco to Real Madrid)

Anyone who was watching television in the summer of 2014 will still remember James Rodriguez’s exploits at the World Cup in Brazil. It was the high point of a particularly successful season, during which he shone for AS Monaco, notching up 13 assists in Ligue 1. An exceptional playmaker that Real Madrid could not afford to pass up.

That’s why Florentino Perez didn’t hesitate to write a cheque for €75m to secure his services. It was an investment that the Colombian’s first season at Madrid seemed to justify. Decisive on 35 occasions (17 goals, 18 assists) in 46 games, Rodriguez seemed to have all the makings of the next Galactico. In the end, his destiny was turned upside down by inconsistent performances and an unfortunately fragile physique.

3

Aurelien Tchouameni

Transfer fee: £67.4m (From AS Monaco to Real Madrid)

It must be a pleasure for the Monaco management to work with their Madrid counterparts. Eight years after Rodriguez, Aurelien Tchouameni also left the Rocher to join the Casa Blanca. It was a massive €80m deal that saw the former Girondins de Bordeaux player overtake Zinedine Zidane as the most expensive French player in Real Madrid’s history.

A symbolic mark that speaks volumes about the hopes placed by the Merengue management on the young midfielder. Now, two years on from his arrival, Tchouameni has established himself as a real force in Ancelotti’s team, playing an active part in the club’s many title wins in recent months.

2

Gareth Bale

Transfer fee: £85m (From Tottenham to Real Madrid)

Gareth Bale became the most expensive player in history when he joined Real Madrid in 2013, but his arrival in Spain also marked the start of the rivalry between the BBC (Bale, Benzema, Cristiano) and Barça’s MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar).

Over the course of seven seasons, the Welshman may have won numerous trophies, scored some memorable goals (in the Champions League final and in the Copa Del Rey final against Barcelona) and racked up some more than respectable statistics (106 goals and 67 assists in 258 games), but he has never won unanimous praise, especially in the media, where his performances were regularly the source of more or less virulent criticism.

1

Jude Bellingham

Transfer fee: £86.8m (From Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid)

Rarely has a player as young and as expensive as Jude Bellingham had such a good season on his debut for a club of Real Madrid’s stature. Brought over from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2023, the Englishman quickly won over Madrid fans.

Third top scorer in La Liga last season (19 goals), winner of three domestic (league and Spanish Supercup) and international (Champions League) titles and decisive in key matches, the 21-year-old attacking midfielder has established himself as the figurehead of the Iberian outfit. His performances are such that, come October, a Ballon d’Or could well be the crowning glory of his extraordinary achievements.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 30th of July 2024.