Real Madrid Football Club are one of the most valuable sports teams in the world, and they are certainly not hesitant to splash the cash. Currently valued at $3.65 billion, they are second only to the NFL team Dallas Cowboys, valued at $4 billion. Los Blancos president Florentino Perez and his famous ‘galacticos’ policy have played a huge part in shaping the club into the giant superpower that it is today.
In his first tenure as President from 2000 - 2007, Perez made it a point to bring at least one world class football superstar to his team during the summer transfer window of every season. As a result of this policy, Real Madrid have broken the world record transfer fee multiple times. Let’s take a look at their ten most expensive signings so far.
#10 Xabi Alonso – €35.4m
Xabier Alonso joined Real Madrid from Liverpool in 2009. He was one of the most influential players at Anfield and he loved it there, but due to differences with then manager Rafael Benitez, he decided to take the opportunity to move to the Santiago Bernabeu. He established himself as a regular starter for the club and remained so until his departure to Bayern Munich in 2014.
The Spaniard made 158 La Liga appearances for Los Blancos in which he scored 4 times. Despite his meagre goal tally, he was vital to the build-up and style of play for the team. Alonso won the first domestic league title of his career with Madrid in the 2011/12 season. The Spaniard played an important role in bringing ‘La Decima’ to the Bernabeu, guiding the team to the Champions League final, but missing the game due to suspension.
#9 Arjen Robben – €36m
Robben completed his move from Chelsea to Real Madrid in August 2007. The Dutchman quickly made a place for himself in the starting eleven with his signature runs down the left flank. In his debut season with the club Robben made 28 appearances and scored 5 goals and helped the Los Blancos win the La Liga title with a few games to spare. In the 2008/09 season, Robben again played a key role for Los Blancos, having made 35 appearances and finding the back of the net on 8 occasions.
In the pre-season run-up to the 2009/10 season, the winger was in a rich vein of form, scoring 3 goals and creating another 4. However, the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Kaka posed a threat to his place in the squad. Madrid then accepted a bid from Bayern Munich for around €25m, following which the Dutchman claimed that he was forced to leave the club, while also revealing that he said he didn’t want to go, but the club were intent on selling him.
#8 David Beckham – €37.5m
In the summer of 2003, it seemed certain that David Beckham would join Barcelona from Manchester United, with both teams announcing that an agreement over the player’s transfer had been reached. To the surprise of many, he instead ended up signing a four-year contract with Real Madrid. Playing alongside some of the very best in the sport like Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Raul and Casillas, it didn’t take long for Beckham to find his goalscoring touch for the Spanish giants.
He scored a goal less than three minutes into his La Liga debut. At the end of his fourth and final season with Madrid, Beckham went home with a La Liga winner’s medal - only his second piece of silverware with the club. During his time at the club, their merchandise sales exceeded $600m primarily thanks to the Englishman’s marketability.
#7 Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima – €45m
Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário is one of the most iconic footballers of all time, and as such, Florentino Perez had to have him for his galacticos project. In July 2002, Real Madrid signed ‘the phenomenon’ from Inter Milan. He was not only a phenomenon on the field but off it as well, with his jersey sales smashing all previous records on the very first day.
In the eyes of many Barcelona fans, Ronaldo had become a traitor. Having played for them in the 1996/97 season and scoring 47 goals in 49 games, fans felt betrayed when he signed a contract with their biggest historical rivals. In his five years with Real Madrid, he scored 83 goals in 127 appearances, winning the domestic league twice, and also lifting the Spanish Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup with them. After suffering multiple serious injuries and weight issues in his career, he retired from professional football in 2011, having spent his last two years playing for Corinthians.
#6 Luis Figo – €60m
In the summer of 2000, Real Madrid signed Luis Figo from their bitter rivals Barcelona for what was then a world record fee. Having spent five years as one of the most beloved and talented players for the Blaugrana, this move came as quite a shock. With his controversial transfer, the Portuguese became the focal point of the intense rivalry between the two teams.
When he returned to Barcelona for the first time in a Real Madrid jersey, he was met with deafening jeers and insults from the crowd, with banners saying "Traitor", "Judas", "Scum", and "Mercenary" hanging around the stadium. Figo refused to take any corners in that match because of projectiles being thrown at him by the crowd.
In his first season at Madrid, Figo won the La Liga title with them, and also won the FIFA World Player of the Year award. The winger went on to play five seasons for the men in white, before moving to Italy to join Inter Milan.
#5 Kaka – €65m
Ricardo Kaka had made a name for himself at the San Siro stadium, and Florentino Perez had taken note. In June 2009, Real Madrid announced that a deal had been reached with AC Milan and that the Brazilian would join the Spaniards on a six-year deal. Unfortunately, Kaka failed to live up to his price tag due to various reasons, injuries being one of the main factors.
Having spent almost an entire season on the sidelines, Madrid brought in Mesut Ozil as back-up for the Brazilian. Owing to his superb performances, the German eventually replaced Kaka as the first choice midfielder. After spending four seasons at the club, Kaka chose to leave the Santiago Bernabeu in order to make a return to the San Siro.
In 120 appearances the midfield maestro scored 29 goals and provided 32 assists for his teammates. In his time with Los Blancos, they won three titles - La Liga, the Copa Del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
#4 Zinedine Zidane – €73.5m
In 2001 Zinedine Zidane joined Los Blancos, eclipsing the previous world record fee signing of Luis Figo. In his first season with the club, he led them to victory in the Champions League. In the final, the Frenchman scored the match-winning goal, which is now widely regarded as the best goal in the history of the competition.
In the following season, Zizou helped guide Madrid to the La Liga title and was also named FIFA World Player of the Year. The attacking midfielder also won an Intercontinental Cup and a UEFA Super Cup while at the Santiago Bernabeu.
After retiring as a player, Zidane was appointed as assistant coach to Carlo Ancelotti in 2013. The following year he acted as head coach of the Real Madrid B-team – Real Madrid Castilla. In January of 2016 Zidane was announced as manager of the senior team, following the departure of Rafael Benitez.
#3 James Rodriguez – €75m
James Rodriguez finished the 2014 FIFA World Cup as the golden boot winner, with six goals to his name in five matches. Thanks to his brilliant performances, he was also named in the World Cup All-Star XI squad. Having made a name for himself on the biggest stage in world football, there were rumours linking him with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
In a post-match interview during the World Cup, James stated his "love", "admiration" and "passion" for Real Madrid, saying that it would be his "life's dream" to play for the team. On 22nd July 2014, the Colombian signed a six-year contract with Real Madrid, and he was given the number 10 jersey. Since his arrival at the club, Rodriguez has scored 20 goals in 55 La Liga appearances and won a European Super Cup, a FIFA Club World Cup and a Champions League trophy.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo – €94m
Ronaldo joined Real Madrid from Manchester United in 2009 for what was then the world record transfer fee of €94m with a €1 billion buy-out clause in his contract. He scored in each of his first four league matches, making him the first Real Madrid player to achieve this feat. Ronaldo holds the record for most goals scored in a single UEFA Champions League season, with 17 goals in the 2013–14 season.
In 2014, the Portuguese became the fastest player to score 200 goals in La Liga, having done so in 178 games. He is the only player in the history of football to score 50 or more goals in a season on six consecutive occasions. Ronaldo became the all-time top goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League and also Real Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer in 2015.
The iconic forward played an instrumental role in bringing La Decima and La Undecima to the Santiago Bernabeu. Despite repeated speculation about the possibility of a move, the 31-year-old insists he wants to finish his career at Madrid, and that he feels fit enough to play for many years to come.
#1 Gareth Bale – €101m
On September 1st 2013, Gareth Bale transferred from Tottenham Hotspurs to Real Madrid in a deal that made him the world’s most expensive footballer. In his inaugural season with Los Blancos, he played a key part in bringing two trophies to the Bernabeu, having scored in the final of both the Copa Del Rey and the UEFA Champions League.
In the following season, he scored in another major final to help the team win the FIFA Club World Cup. When given the responsibility of being the main attacking threat for the team, he has embraced the opportunity and flourished. As Ronaldo adapts his game to suit his ageing body, he is becoming more of a clinical forward than the pacy winger he used to be. This means that Bale is set to become the main attacking midfielder for the team in the very near future.
