He later made his breakthrough with Perugia during the 1995–96 Serie B season, scoring 18 goals and helping the club achieve promotion to the Italian top flight. He made his Serie A debut the following season, also scoring his first goal in the top flight, in a 1–0 home win over Sampdoria. Despite his impressive tally of 15 goals in the league for the club during the 1996–97 season, he could not prevent the side from facing relegation, however, although his performances caught the attention of other clubs.