Since 1982, Italian clubs have broken the world transfer record nine times, but they weren’t quite Neymar figures.
The Brazilian is on the verge of joining Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona for a fee of €222m, more than doubling the current world transfer record.
It’s been 17 years since a Serie A side smashed the transfer record, but 1984 and 2000 and Italian side broke the record on nine occasions.
Since 1982, Italian clubs have broken the world transfer record nine times, but they weren’t quite Neymar figures.
The Brazilian is on the verge of joining Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona for a fee of €222m, more than doubling the current world transfer record.
It’s been 17 years since a Serie A side smashed the transfer record, but 1984 and 2000 and Italian side broke the record on nine occasions.
Here’s how those transfers compare to Neymar’s switch, and how many of those players you could get for his fee [rounded down to the nearest whole player]…
1984: Diego Maradona – Napoli to Barcelona [€6.9m, €16.2m adjusted for inflation]
Diego Armando Maradona broke the world transfer record twice in a row, first in leaving Boca Juniors for Barcelona and then when he joined Napoli.
El Pibe d’Oro became the Partenopei’s greatest legend, winning two Scudetti and the UEFA Cup.
Neymar costs 13 Maradonas: 
1987: Ruud Gullit – PSV to Milan [€7.3m, €17m adjusted for inflation]
Gullit was signed shortly after Silvio Berlusconi’s takeover of Milan, and breaking the world transfer record proved the new owner’s ambition.
After a difficult start, Gullit became a Rossoneri legend, winning three Scudetti and two European Cups.
Neymar costs 13 Gullits: 
1990: Roberto Baggio – Fiorentina to Juventus [€8.3m, €18.3m adjusted for inflation]
Baggio’s departure from Florence caused such outrage that there were riots on the streets, despite the Viola receiving a record fee.
Il Divin Codino went on to score 115 goals in 200 games for Juve, winning the UEFA Cup in 1993 and Serie A in 1995.
Neymar costs 12 Baggios: 
1992: Jean-Pierre Papin – Marseille to Milan [€12.5m, €20.8m adjusted for inflation]
Milan broke the world transfer record to sign Marseille’s Jean-Pierre Papin, but he spent just two seasons with the Rossoneri.
Despite a respectable return of 31 goals in 63 games, injury problems and a struggle to adapt to life in Italy saw Papin leave for Bayern Munich in 1994.
Neymar costs 10 Papins: 
1992: Gianluca Vialla – Sampdoria to Juventus [€13.4m, €25m adjusted for inflation]
Papin’s record didn’t stand for long, as Juventus splashed out €13.4m to sign Gianluca Vialli that summer.
In his four seasons in Turin Vialli won everything, including the Champions League in 1996. He remains the last Bianconeri captain to lift that trophy.
Neymar costs eight Viallis: 
1992: Gianluigi Lentini – Torino to Milan [€14.1m, €27m adjusted for inflation]
There’s always controversy when the world transfer record is broken, but in this case even the Almighty appeared to be irritated.
Pope John Paul II called the fee for Lentini’s move to Milan “an offence to the dignity of work”, though admittedly be probably wasn’t speaking Ex Cathedra at the time.
Lentini’s time at San Siro was unsuccessful however, as a serious car crash caused problems with his vision and balance and he became mainly a rotation option.
Neymar costs eight Lentinis: 
1997: Ronaldo – Barcelona to Inter [€24.7m, €35.7m adjusted for inflation]
After Ronaldo scored scored 47 goals in 49 games for Barcelona, Inter made him the world’s most expensive player, signing him for a fee of 48 billion lire.
The Brazilian became regarded as the best player in the world, before two serious knee injuries saw him miss the best part of three seasons.
After going close to the Scudetto in 2002, he was top-scorer at the World Cup and Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid.
Neymar costs six Ronaldos: 
1999: Christian Vieri – Lazio to Inter [€49m, €56m adjusted for inflation]
Having already signed Ronaldo, Inter then broke the record to sign him a strike partner.
Vieri spent six seasons with the Nerazzurri, winning the Coppa Italia in 2005.
Neymar costs four Vieris:
2000: Hernan Crespo – Parma to Lazio [€55m, €60.2m adjusted for inflation]
Lazio broke the bank to sign Crespo in 2000, as they sought to defend the Scudetto they had won in the previous season.
The Argentine was top-scorer in the subsequent campaign, and after an injury hit season he was sold to Inter.
Neymar costs three Crespos: 