5 strangest signings by Real Madrid

They might not have signed a marquee player for two years now, but there's hardly a statement denying the fact that Real Madrid and money are a match made in heaven. Since the beginning of the sport, Los Blancos have given their supporters the very right to strut around with their heads held high, thanks to their glittering trophy cabinet at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Forking out huge sums of money to buy galacticos like Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale is the major reason behind their longevity in winning accolades. They have hardly missed out on a player they have set their eyes upon; the irresistible charm of donning the famous white shirt has helped them in signing some of the greatest names in the history of the beautiful game.

But alongside the cluster of the legendary names occupying their history books, in a few corners are also a bunch of names people hardly remember. To this date, people have been left flabbergasted as to why the club brought these players to the Bernabeu.

On that note, let's have a look at some of the queerest acquisitions ever made by Real Madrid.

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#5 Javi Garcia

Back in 2008, Real Madrid had Mahamadou Diarra, Guti, Fernando Gago and Wesley Sneijder in their midfield ranks. In an attempt to add more steel, they signed Javi Garcia, a relatively unknown midfielder from Osasuna.

However, what Los Blancos had brought in was far from even being in the same line as the aforementioned midfielders. Javi Garcia made 21 appearances in his only season with Real Madrid, although most of them were as a substitute.

In order to rectify their mistake, Madrid signed Lassana Diarra, while Garcia was shipped off to Benfica in Portugal.

#4 Julien Faubert

Julien Faubert was a misfit at Real Madrid

Just stretch your footballing knowledge and let me know of a player who finds himself playing for a Champions League side after being a mediocre player for a team in the lower half of the league table.

That's what Julien Faubert was, an inspiring and one-in-a-million footballer who made a switch to Real Madrid from West Ham United, albeit on a six-month loan.

Doesn't take hours to predict what might have happened, does it? With mere 2 appearances in that period, his Real Madrid came to an end and he found himself back at Upton Park. As for the Real supporters, they were left wondering as to why the club signed him in the first place.

#3 Jonathan Woodgate

Jonathan Woodgate had a forgettable debut for Los Blancos

Real Madrid's record with British players hasn't been exactly impressive, has it? Apart from David Beckham and Gareth Bale, there's hardly an Englishman who can boast of being a success with the Spanish champions.

Joining the list of such players is Jonathan Woodgate.

The Englishman plied his trade for Newcastle, becoming an instant fan favourite, although his name had been tarnished due to the fact that he was very much prone to injuries. Interestingly, he was also dealing with an injury at the time of his transfer.

After he signed for Real Madrid, Woodgate had a horrible debut, scoring an own goal and being sent off against Athletic Bilbao. Yet, he showed a brilliant fighting spirit by establishing himself as a starter in the center-back role for a limited period of time until injuries forced him to the fringes.

He left Los Blancos for Middlesborough, after 2 seasons with 14 appearances and a goal in the UEFA Champions League under his belt. A highly forgettable spell...

#2 Hamit Altintop

Hamit Altintop left as an unknown entity at Real Madrid

Hamit Altintop was a decent player, but far from making the cut at the Santiago Bernabeu when it came to his abilities. After 109 games in 4 years with Bayern Munich, the Turkish international was snapped up by Los Blancos on a free transfer.

However, the dream move as Altintop might have imagined, turned out to be nothing short of a nightmarish year at the Spanish capital.

He was usually used as a makeshift player as a winger, midfielder or a full-back, depending on whichever player needed a break. Simply put, he never had a defined role at the club.

Hamit Altintop took to the pitch for Real Madrid only 12 times and finding the net only once in his 1-year stay at the club. He was offloaded to Galatasaray in the following season, departing in the same manner as he came - an unknown equity.

#1 Antonio Cassano

Antonio Cassano was surplus to requirements at Real Madrid

Antonio Cassano was just 20 at the time when he had a series of fallouts with AS Roma and fell out of favour with coach Fabio Capello. Searching for a window of opportunity to pounce on and exit the club, the Italian couldn't have been more delighted to find out about Real Madrid's interest in him.

Los Merengues were quick to come to his rescue, as they shelled out €5 million in January 2006 to make him only the second Italian footballer ever to set foot onto the hallowed Bernabeu pitch.

Now, there are two facts that make this transfer deal as enigmatic as it appears to the supporters. The first is, Real Madrid had a fearsome trio of Raul, Ronaldo and summer signing Robinho in the attacking department, with the ever graceful Zinedine Zidane watching their backs as the creative lynchpin. Reading those names is bound to set you thinking whether Cassano was really needed to make an impact.

Secondly, you would expect any Real Madrid striker to have 30+ goals in a season, right? The Italian, during his seven years at Bari and Roma, hadn't crossed the 20-goal mark even once, with 18 being his highest tally until he joined Real Madrid. Why did they sign him then? The mind boggles!

As expected, the move turned out to be a horrible mistake, with Cassano netting only 4 goals in two seasons at the club, before joining Sampdoria in 2007.

Quite a tough task to find a positive that resulted out of this strange deal.

Have your say. Any additions to our list you'd suggest? Omissions? Which strange Real Madrid signings would make your list? Comment below.