Real Madrid's 5 best signings over the last decade 

#3 Casemiro

Real Madrid v Chelsea - UEFA Champions League Semi Final: Leg One

Some signings have immediate effect while others take time to set in. When Real Madrid announced a loan deal for young Brazilian Casemiro back in January 2013, he was just 21. Initially slotted into their B team, he had to wait until April of that year to earn his La Liga debut. They eventually made the move permanent in June.

There was no easy route into the Real Madrid first team though, and he was loaned out to Porto the following year.

However, following a successful spell in Portugal, Casemiro went on to establish himself as a first-team regular at the Bernabeau. He's since featured in almost 300 games for the Spanish giants, scoring 30 goals and setting up 24 more for his teammates.

Despite the many signings Real Madrid have made since the midfielder's arrival, he's still managed to retain his spot. Which goes a long way towards proving the quality offered by the 29-year-old.

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#2 Raphael Varane

Real Madrid v Atalanta - UEFA Champions League Round Of 16 Leg Two

French international Raphael Varane joined Real Madrid from French outfit Lens, becoming one of their five signings that summer.

Varane was also the youngest of the lot, and while the others have since faded away, he's flourished. He had good chemistry with skipper Sergio Ramos at the back until they decided to part ways this summer. Ramos joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer while Varane went to Manchester United for £41m.

Over the course of his 10-year stay in Spain, Varane's made 360 appearances, adding three La Liga and four Champions League honors to his repertoire.

Varane became the second of Manchester United's two high-profile signings this summer, with Jadon Sancho being the other. The English giants know quite well the quality the French international will bring to Old Trafford next season.

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#1 Luka Modric

Real Madrid v Chelsea - UEFA Champions League Semi Final: Leg One

Any discussion of Real Madrid's top signings over the last decade is incomplete without the mention of Croatian legend Luka Modric.

The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner was one of the major signings of the 2012-13 summer transfer window, arriving for a fee of £30m from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

His creative play has since changed the way Real Madrid approach their game. Modric helped them clinch as many as four Champions League, two La Liga, three Club World Cup and three UEFA Super Cup trophies.

Age has never been an issue for him and the Player of the Season award he earned at the end of last term, at the age of 35, is proof of that.

Modric is just nine short of notching up 400 appearances for Real Madrid and has contributed toward 89 goals, which includes 61 assists.

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Honourable mentions: Keylor Navas and Dani Carvajal

While the players listed so far are undoubtedly five of the best signings Real Madrid have made this decade, there are two more that deserve special mention.

Keylor Navas is one of them. The 34-year-old deserves more acknowledgement than he's gotten at Real Madrid. Despite the uncertainty regarding his future at the club, the Costa Rican has gone about his job silently ever since his arrival in 2014. With 52 clean sheets in 162 appearances, he was an integral part of their European success.

Spaniard Daniel Carvajal, on the other hand, has continued to play a key role in the right-back position for Los Blancos ever since 2013.

While some high-profile signings such as James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard have failed to live up to their price tags, those two relatively low-profile signings have flourished.

There will almost certainly be plenty more high-profile signings arriving through the Barnabeau doors in the near future but it will be key for the Madrid giants to recruit the right profile. Their challenge will be to match the levels of those that have already etched their names in the history books.