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Real Madrid are known to sign world-class players more often than not. Being cash-rich and strong financially has allowed them to spend big in the transfer market.
With their history and success, they can attract top talent consistently. This is why it comes as no surprise that most young players dream of playing for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid are one of the richest clubs in the world
Owing to their strong finances, Real Madrid do not sell their players at a low price. They are hard negotiators, and often earn good money for outgoing players
In the last decade specifically, the Spanish club made good profits by selling players. Without further ado, here is a look at the five transfers that have yielded the best income for Los Blancos.
Note: All values are as per Transfermarkt
#5 Gonzalo Higuain - £24.3 million
The Argentine striker was signed by Real Madrid from River Plate in the winter transfer window of 2007. The deal cost the Spanish club £10.8 million to bring Gonzalo Higuain to the Santiago Bernabeu.
With his calm and composed finishing abilities combined with his terrific positioning, he was an asset for Los Blancos. In his seven seasons with the club, Higuain scored 107 goals in 190 La Liga appearances. He was impressive, which made it surprising when he expressed his desire to leave in 2013.
His availability encouraged Napoli to go for his signature. The Italian club signed him for £35.1 million, helping Madrid make a profit of £24.30 million from Higuain's transfer.
#4 Mesut Ozil - £26.1 million
Not many playmakers can be as effortless and classy as Mesut Ozil was in his prime. The German midfielder was a delight to watch, especially during his time at Real Madrid.
He was signed from Werder Bremen for a fee of £16.2 million when Jose Mourinho was in charge of Madrid. With his silky touches, amazing footwork and brilliant creativity, Ozil was one of the club's most productive players. During his time at Madrid, he was thrice named the German Player of the Year.
He led the assists charts for three consecutive seasons in La Liga. Ozil decided to leave in 2013, and was signed by Arsenal for a fee of £42.3 million, helping Madrid make a profit of £26.1 million. To date, Ozil remains the most expensive German player of all time.
#3 Raphael Varane - £26.1 million
Real Madrid have always had the best of defenders in their team, and in the past decade they were blessed to have Raphael Varane play for them. The Frenchman was signed from Lens for a fee of £9.9 million in 2011.
Varane became an integral part of the team that went on to win four UEFA Champions League titles. His fine reading of the game combined with his smart tackling and aerial abilities brought a lot of calmness in the Los Blancos backline. His partnership with Sergio Ramos was one of the key reasons for Madrid's success.
In the summer of 2021, Varane expressed his desire to want a new challenge, and joined Manchester United. The transfer fee involved was £36 million, which helped Madrid make a profit of £26.1 million on the Frenchman.
#2 Alvaro Morata - £32.4 million
Alvaro Morata has had the opportunity to play for some of the top European clubs. After doing decently with Juventus, the Spaniard was signed by Real Madrid for a fee of £27 million to bring him back to Spain for a second spell at the club.
The Spanish striker had an impressive 2016-17 season with Los Blancos, bagging 15 goals and six assists in La Liga. It was a memorable season for Morata as he won both the Spanish league and the UEFA Champions League.
That attracted interest from Chelsea, and in the very next season, he was signed up by the Blues. Morata's transfer cost £59.4 million, helping Madrid make a profit of £32.4 million in just a year.
#1 Angel Di Maria - £37.8 million
In a team filled with Galacticos under Jose Mourinho, Angel Di Maria was arguably one of the team's best players. He was signed by the Spanish club from Benfica for £29.7 million in 2010.
His mind-boggling dribbling combined with sensational passing and creative abilities made him a very important player for Madrid. Di Maria won both the La Liga and the Champions League with the club. So it was surprising when he decided to leave Madrid in 2014.
Many of his teammates were left disappointed by that decision, as he decided to join Manchester United. Di Maria's transfer to United was worth £67.5 million, helping Los Blancos make a profit of £37.8 million on the Argentine winger.
