Inter’s 10 biggest sales of all time

Inter’s 10 biggest sales of all time Make us your Google favourite Inter Milan are one of the most successful clubs in Italian football and their famous blue and black stripes make them one of the most popular and recognisable teams on the planet. As such, it's no surprise that a number of the sport’s finest stars have walked through the club’s doors and plied their trade at the San Siro. However, like every club, Inter have had to bid farewell to a number of their biggest stars over the past few years. Below, sources runs through Inter's 10 biggest sales of all time. 10. Hernan Crespo - €26m (to Chelsea, 2003) When Roman Abramovich took ownership of Chelsea in 2003, the club quickly went on a spending spree to bring the Blues up to the level of the other elite Premier League sides and Hernan Crespo was first on their agenda. A €26m transfer was soon agreed, with Crespo leaving Inter after just one year at the club, and the Italian giants were heavily criticised by the Argentine's former strike partner Christian Vieri, who was upset by the club's decision to finalise a transfer. Crespo had scored 16 goals during his only season at Inter and after a disappointing spell with Chelsea, he eventually returned to the club, via a loan spell at arch-rivals AC Milan. 🌟 De volta à @ChampionsLeague ! ⚫️🔵 E essa cabeçada do Hernan @Crespo contra o Ajax, hein? UM TIRO! ⚽🇦🇷 Lembra em que ano foi? 🤔 #InterForever #ForzaInter pic.twitter.com/1HHsXWWYAK — Inter (@Inter_br) September 13, 2018 9. Samuel Eto'o - €27m (to Anzhi, 2011) Backed by billionaire owner Suleyman Kerimov, Anzhi Makhachkala invested hundreds of millions in player transfers and wages in the early 2010s as they bid to conquer Russia and make an impact in Europe. When Samuel Eto'o joined Anzhi, he became the world's highest paid player, earning €20m a year after tax, although he left in 2013 after Kerimov pulled the plug on his investment. Eto'o spent two years at Inter before his move to Russia, scoring 53 goals in 102 games and helping the club to a famous treble in 2009-10, including their first Champions League title since 1965. 8. Mario Balotelli - €29.5m (to Man City, 2010) Forever an enigma, Mario Balotelli fell out with Inter head coach Jose Mourinho, the Inter fans, and even some of his team-mates before he eventually left the club in 2010. All of the drama eventually led to Balotelli leaving Italy altogether after Roberto Mancini's Man City came calling. The Italian would return to the city with AC Milan a few years later, though. Balotelli scored 28 goals in 86 games for Inter and he won the Premier League during his time at Man City. 7. Mateo Kovacic - €38m (to Real Madrid, 2015) Mateo Kovacic joined Inter from Dinamo Zagreb in 2013 and he spent two years at the club before earning a lucrative move to Real Madrid for €38m. The Croatia midfielder played 97 times for Inter before his move to Los Blancos, but he was unable to establish himself as a pivotal player at the Bernabeu, despite winning three Champions League trophies in a row. He subsequently left Real Madrid to join Chelsea on loan, before moving to Stamford Bridge permanently. 6. Ronaldo - €45m (to Real Madrid, 2002) Though not at the peak of his powers, Ronaldo was still one of the very best players in the world when Real Madrid decided to make him their next Galactico. Coming off a starring display at the 2002 World Cup, in which he scored two goals in the final versus Germany, Los Blancos made him their primary target to link up with the likes of Luis Figo, Raul, and Zinedine Zidane. Even though Ronaldo was a phenomenon, his major injury issues while at Inter meant that receiving a fee of €46m represented a good piece of business. He left having scored a whopping 59 goals in just 99 games for the Nerazzurri. Dive into the past 🔙 32" of the Ronaldo show pic.twitter.com/6gY2v7SmQe — Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter_en) October 15, 2025 5. Mauro Icardi - €50m (to PSG, 2020) PSG will probably lament the fact they already had an agreement in place to sign Mauro Icardi for a huge fee of €50m after initially taking him on loan from Inter. Icardi had cemented himself as one of Serie A's best strikers during his time at Inter, netting 124 goals in 219 games, but he fell out with the club's supporters and the writing was soon on the wall. The Argentine subsequently struggled at PSG and he was sold to Galatasaray in 2023. 4. Andre Onana - €50.2m (to Man Utd, 2023)