Over the last couple of decades, football clubs in Europe have spent a tremendous amount of money to seek the signature of players to top their rivals to trophies.
In search of La Decima, which was eventually won in 2014, Real Madrid splashed an astonishing €1.3 billion since 2002 in transfer fees including €257.4m in 2009 alone. La Liga, which houses two of the richest clubs in the world in Barcelona and Real Madrid have completed seven of the top ten most expensive transfers of all time with Real Madrid breaking the world-record transfer fees a record five times in the new millennium.
In spite of being in the age of Financial Fair Play, transfer fees have consistently gone up. Christian Vieri, who was the most expensive player in the last millennium had cost Inter €49 million. Fast forward 15 years and the record transfer went up by more than €50 million with Real Madrid buying Gareth Bale in 2014 for €101 million.
Barcelona and Real Madrid dominate the list of the most expensive La Liga transfers of all time. Seven out of the top ten transfers feature players from Serie A and Premier League coming to ply their trade in Spain, while only a single player in the list is a Spaniard.
In this list, we take a look at the ten most expensive La Liga transfers of all time:
#10 Cesc Fabregas ; Arsenal to FC Barcelona; €48m
Cesc Fabregas returned to his boyhood club Barcelona in 2011, ending one of the longest transfer sagas of all time. Cesc in his five-year stay at Arsenal had made 466 goal-scoring chances, assisted 86 and scored 8 goals himself topping both his Spanish comrades Xavi and Iniesta who played for Barcelona. Fabregas was named the captain of the Gunners in 2008. However, the lack of trophies at the Emirates was one of the main reasons the Spanish player decided to leave for his boyhood club where he trained alongside Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique at La Masia.
Fabregas, who had won only one major trophy with Arsenal- the 2005 FA Cup- said after joining the Blaugrana: "I was just a servant and spent eight years there when I gave absolutely everything,"
"It didn't show in the cabinet, I only won one FA Cup really, and this is the biggest regret I will have in my career, probably, not to be able to lift a trophy as Arsenal captain.”
Barcelona bought him for €48 million, adding a world-class player in their attack and in the hope that he would one day be Xavi’s successor in midfield. However, things didn’t go exactly as it was planned. Cesc failed to cement a place in the starting line-up in a midfield where passing masters Xavi and Iniesta plied their trade. He often came on from the bench and even had spells playing as a false-9 in the attack.
After three seasons at the club, Fabregas returned to London in 2014 to play for Arsenal’ s arch-rivals Chelsea.
#9. Luis Figo ; FC Barcelona to Real Madrid; €60m
In the summer of 2000, newly elected President of Real Madrid Fiorentino Perez launched the famed Galacticos era at the Santiago Bernabeu by signing Portuguese sensation Luis Figo from sworn enemies Barcelona for a fee reported to be €60 million in a six-year deal.
The deal not only broke the record in terms of the highest transfer fees ever for a player but also shattered Catalan hearts and was seen as a betrayal of the highest order. The signing was one of the most controversial ever in Barcelona’s history. The deal had taken place without any player at Camp Nou really knowing about it and was met with surprise and anger from Barcelona fans.
On the other hand, it was one of the greatest achievements for Real Madrid in a transfer window ever. Not only had Perez managed to sign one of the best players in the world, but he did so from their bitter enemies, Barcelona. Figo had been the best player at Camp Nou and a potential Ballon d'Or winner which would take place in November that year. Therefore, when he returned to Barcelona in October in the white of Real Madrid, the atmosphere inside Camp Nou was toxic. He was jeered and taunted throughout the match with Barca fans even screaming “Die Figo!”
The deal, which then, was the costliest ever was seen as establishing Real’s monetary superiority over their rivals and also marked the beginning of the famed Galacticos era. Figo went on to win the La Liga in his debut season with Los Blancos winning the Ballon d'Or and FIFA Player of the Year that season. The Portuguese also won the Champions League a year later and added another Primera Division crown in 2003 before joining Inter Milan in 2005.
#8. Kaka; AC Milan to Real Madrid; €65m
Fiorentino Perez was prompt in embarking the beginning of the second Galacticos era at the Bernabeu after returning as Real Madrid president in 2009. Midfielder Kaka was signed for a world-record fee of €65 million from AC Milan on a six-year deal. The Brazilian, who had spent six scintillating seasons in Italy playing for AC Milan was pivotal in their Champions League triumph in 2007. One of the best players of his generation, Kaka was the last player to win the FIFA Player of the year in 2007 before the Messi and Ronaldo duopoly began.
It was a move which was seen as a means to overcome the Italian side’s financial crisis. After completing his move to Madrid, Kaka said: "I wanted to stay but the world crisis affected my decision,"
"I knew I'd only leave Milan to play for Real,” he added.
Kaka scored 29 goals for Real Madrid in his four-year stay at Bernabeu where he was plagued with injuries. He never lived up to the expectations for the Whites despite winning the La Liga in 2012. He returned to Milan in the summer of 2013 and now plies his trade in the MLS for Orlando City. However, the World Cup winner’s time at Real Madrid is viewed as a major step in the process of Real Madrid’s campaign for La Decima which they eventually won in 2014.
#7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic; Inter Milan to FC Barcelona; €69.5m
In 2009, the flamboyant Swedish striker was signed by Barcelona from Inter Milan for a massive €69.5 million deal which saw Samuel Eto’o, who was valued at €20m, moving the other way. The Champions League had long eluded the charismatic Swede and in his bid for European greatness, Zlatan chose Pep Guardiola’s Barca who was starting a footballing revolution at Camp Nou and had won the Champions League the previous season. A union with Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi in the attack was an offer too good to refuse and he left his beloved Mourinho to join Guardiola in Catalonia.
Things would not go exactly as planned for Ibrahimovic. He was not a tactical fit at Camp Nou in a team which centred around Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi and was cold-shouldered by manager Pep Guardiola.
Though he scored 22 goals in all competitions in his first season, he was soon loaned out to Milan the next with signing a permanent deal with them a year later. Since then, Zlatan has played for Paris Saint-Germain and recently joined Mourinho at Manchester United hoping to win his long-awaited Champions League.
#6. Zinedine Zidane; Juventus to Real Madrid; €73.5
Real Madrid signed Zidane from Juventus for a world-record transfer fee of €73. million in 2001 as a part of Fiorentino Perez’ Galacticos campaign. The fee dwarfed the €60 million Los Blancos had paid Barcelona for Luis Figo only a year earlier. Zidane, who had won the FIFA World Player of the Year twice while playing for Juventus, was one of the most quintessential No.10s of the game. He had driven France to their maiden World Cup win in 1998, and the deal for the then 29-year-old would go on to become one of Real’s most iconic ever.
Zidane went on to win the Champions League that very season scoring a memorable volleyed goal against Bayer Leverkusen in the Final. He starred alongside Luis Figo in midfield, helping Los Blancos to clinch the La Liga title in 2003, also winning his third FIFA World Player of the Year title.
The French magician assisted Carlo Ancelotti in 2013-14 season and after a year managing Real Madrid Castilla, he was appointed the manager of the Real Madrid senior team in January 2016 after the sacking of Rafa Benitez.
#5. James Rodriguez; AS Monaco to Real Madrid; €75m
Real Madrid, in the summer of 2014, completed the signing of Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez from Monaco for €75 million in what was described by the French club as ‘one of the most significant transfers in football history.’ The Colombian was a star performer for his national side in the World Cup that summer helping them to reach the quarter-finals and top scoring with six goals in the competition. His 25-yard volley against Uruguay was chosen as the Goal of the Tournament by FIFA.
James Rodríguez didn’t hide his joy upon signing for Los Blancos. He said, “I am very happy, this is a dream come true. I hope to make people very happy and win a lot of titles here. Hala Madrid!”
James was given the No.10 shirt at Santiago Bernabeu previously adorned by legends Luis Figo and Ferenc Puskas. The Colombian scored 17 goals in all appearances in his debut season in Madrid. An injury in September 2015 at international duty saw him miss game-time for almost two months before he played a bit-part role in Real Madrid’s La Undecima triumph.
#4. Luis Suarez; Liverpool to FC Barcelona; €81.7m
Few players in the modern game attracts as much controversy as Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez does. In spite of receiving a four-month ban from any football activity for clawing his teeth through Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
He had lighted up the Premier League the previous season in a Liverpool shirt, scoring 31 goals in the league and winning the PFA Footballer of the Year. He scored when he wanted to and helped the Reds to almost win their first Premier League title.
However, his disciplinary record was not the Barcelona way. Fully knowing he could be a liability, they signed him anyway for €81.7 million from Liverpool. And what a signing it was. He managed to keep his teeth off people and notched up 25 goals and 20 assists in his debut season where Barcelona won a historic treble. Next season, he guided the Blaugrana to a La Liga title scoring 40 goals and winning the Pichichi. Luis Suarez has become the leader of the MSN, and the risky business Barcelona did with Liverpool to sign this controversial striker was worth every penny.
#3. Neymar; Santos to FC Barcelona; €88.2m
Barcelona signed Brazilian forward Neymar from Santos in 2013 for what they said was €57 million. It was a smart signing for the Catalan club. Neymar was ripping up the Brazilian League and would fit seamlessly into the Barcelona style of play. However, almost a year after the summer of 2013, Neymar’s true transfer value was revealed to be around €88.2 million, almost €30m greater than the official fee. This value made Neymar’s transfer from Santos to Catalonia one of the most expensive as well as one of the most controversial ever.
It was reported that Santos received only a fraction of the deal, while third-parties got most of the lucrative fee. After the scandal got on the forefront, Spain’s tax authorities were quick to jump on the case and Barcelona were made to pay an incremental €13.5m. Added to that, Barcelona paid in legal fees several million more which would actually make Neymar’s transfer the most expensive ever.
However, Neymar has not disappointed since coming in at Camp Nou in spite of the controversies surrounding him. He has scored 85 goals in his three seasons with Barcelona and was instrumental in Barcelona’s treble success in the 2014-15 season. Neymar is just 24 and could become one of the greatest of the game if he continues his meteoric rise in the Barca shirt.
#2. Cristiano Ronaldo; Manchester United to Real Madrid; €94m
Cristiano Ronaldo had been a star performer for Manchester United in the Premier League for six years. In his time at Old Trafford, he had guided the Red Devils in winning three league titles and a Champions League in 2008. Therefore, it was only expected that Fiorentino Perez would come calling to build his second Galacticos era at Bernabeu after already signing Brazilian Kaka in the same window. Ronaldo was offered a contract too good to refuse and joined Los Blancos for a record transfer fee of €94 million. The rest, as they say, is history.
Since arriving at Madrid, the Portuguese’s goalscoring record has been second to none. With a goal-per-match ratio of over 1, he has scored a massive 364 goals for the Spanish giants in only 348 appearances. He has gone on to win the FIFA Ballon d’Or twice in his time at Madrid and is presently one of the two best players in the world, alongside Lionel Messi. He has broken numerous records for Real Madrid, including becoming Madrid’s highest ever goal-scorer.
The Portuguese talisman helped Los Blancos win their much desired La Decima in 2014 and added another Champions League to his name in 2016. Madrid’s investment of 94m for Ronaldo will go down in history as one of the best ever buys in world football.
#1. Gareth Bale; Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid; €101m
Gareth Bale had joined Tottenham Hotspurs from Southampton as a left-back for a paltry sum of €12 million in 2007. Little did he know that six years later, his price would go up almost 10 times becoming the most expensive player of all time in the process.Once again, it was Real Madrid who were showing off their monetary power to the world. They notched him up for €101 million from Spurs- the first ever transfer fee which crossed the €100m mark.
Bale expressed his joy after signing for the Spanish giants: "I know many players talk of their desire to join the club of their boyhood dreams, but I can honestly say, this is my dream come true.”
The Welshman had scored 26 goals for Spurs the previous season and was named the PFA Player of the Year. He ravaged through Premier League defences, terrorising opponents and enchanting fans all over with his speed and skill.
Bale’s Madrid odyssey would not be any different in his first season with the club. His most memorable moment in a Real shirt came in the Copa Del Rey Final in 2014 when Bale outsprinted Barcelona defender Marc Bartra from the halfway line and finished neatly past goalkeeper Jose Pinto. He also scored in the 110th minute of the Champions League Final against local rivals Atletico Madrid which helped Los Blancos win La Decima crown.
