Top 5 signings by Serie A clubs in history
Italian football has given some of the greatest players of all times to the world football. From the likes of Alessandro Del Piero to Paolo Maldini, some of the best players in the history of football have come from Italy.
Known for its defensive brand of football, the land of 4-times World Champions have some of the most historic clubs in club football. Be it 7-times European champions AC Milan or 34 times Italian Champions Juventus, the Italian Serie A has always been a treat for the football fans all around the world.
So it shouldn't come as a surprise that it has been able to attract some of the biggest names in world football even after not having the financial power like the other leagues.
We take a walk down the memory lane to take a look at 5 of such big signings in the history of the league based on the stir it created in the footballing world and the transfer amount involved to acquire foreign players.
#5 Samuel Eto'o, Inter Milan
Known for his eye for goal and clinical finishing, Samuel Eto'o joined Inter Milan from Barcelona after winning the treble last season in a swap deal comprising Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Samuel Eto'o had scored 36 goals for Barcelona in the previous campaign, which included the opening goal in UCL final against Manchester United.
A lot was expected from the Cameroonian striker when he first joined Inter and he didn't disappoint as he went on to win another treble with Inter Milan in his first season at the club becoming the first player ever to win back-to-back European trebles.
He scored 16 goals in the campaign and provided the crucial assist for Diego Milito's second goal in the final vs Bayern Munich. Samuel Eto'o will go on to better his individual records next season at the club as he scored the most goals for Inter Milan in the league with 21 goals and scored 37 goals in total. He scored 2 goals in the SuperCoppa Italiana final and helped them win the title and also gave a legendary performance in Munich against Bayern Munich to eliminate them from the Champions League.
The signing of Samuel Eto'o turned out to be a huge success for Inter Milan as he had two very successful seasons in Italy in which he scored a total of 53 goals. Regarded as the greatest African player of all time, Samuel Eto'o left a mark in only 2 seasons at Inter as he helped them to become the first and only Italian team to win the treble and 5 titles in a single year.