5 players Real Madrid should have never sold

#3 Claude Makelele to Chelsea

Makelele as the assistant coach of Swansea City

Another casualty of Real Madrid's 'Galactico' policy, Claude Makelele was sold to Chelsea in 2003 to make room for English superstar David Beckham. Florentino Perez's bizarre decision to offload the French work-machine was perfectly summed up by Zinedine Zidane when he said:

“Why do you need to add a gold layer on a Bentley, when you have already lost the engine?"

A dogged defensive midfielder, Makelele revolutionized the said role with his unusual work ethic and superior technical capabilities. The 72-time capped France international was especially known for his ability to break down play and his positional sense.

Nevertheless, since the name 'Makelele' wasn't as marketable as 'Beckham', Perez deemed him surplus to requirements. Subsequently, he was spat out on the door of Chelsea for €20 million. With Makelele in his team, Jose Mourinho went on to transform the Blues into an impenetrable defensive unit. Real Madrid, on the other hand, had to wait another 11 years for their next Champions League title.

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#2 Arjen Robben to Bayern Munich

Robben played for two seasons at Real Madrid

Following a career path opposite to that of the aforementioned Makelele, Arjen Robben joined Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2007 for a sizeable fee of €35 million. Having struggled with injuries during his time with the Blues, Robben made a switch to Spain in order to breathe new life into his career.

The 'Flying Dutchman' was essential to Real Madrid's title win in the 2007-08 season, producing 10 goal contributions along the way. However, with the re-election of Florentino Perez in 2009, Real Madrid witnessed their most famous spending spree, signing Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema in the same window.

Conforming to their usual transfer rituals, Real Madrid sanctioned the sale of several established stars. Along with Wesley Sneijder and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Robben was also shown the door to assimilate the new signings.

The Dutch playmaker went on to forge a legendary career with Bayern Munich, winning eight Bundesliga titles and a Champions League trophy with the Bavarians. An ideal example of what could've been for Real Madrid.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus

Ronaldo led Real Madrid to multiple titles

The sale of their all-time top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo will undoubtedly go down as one of the worst decisions in Real Madrid's 119-year history. Following their record 13th Champions League victory in 2018, Real Madrid announced that their Portuguese talisman would be leaving the club after nine years of relentless service.

In the span of nine seasons, Ronaldo hoisted the Spanish giants to a whole new level, propelling them to two La Liga titles and four European Cup wins. He inexplicably racked up a gargantuan tally of 450 goals in just 438 games for Real Madrid, breaking numerous long-term records at the club.

Neglecting his unmatchable contribution, Los Blancos decided not to stand in his way and happily shipped him off to Juventus in exchange for €117 million. Fast forward three years and the 36-year-old superstar is currently dominating the Premier League after returning to Manchester United, while Real Madrid have still not replaced him.

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