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Real Madrid were ranked the most valuable football club in the world for a third consecutive year in the recently released Brand Finance Football 50 report. Los Merengues are the only club to win the FIFA Club of the Century accolade, thanks to a trophy cabinet boasting 13 Champions League and a jaw-dropping 34 La Liga titles.
According to transfermarkt.com, Real Madrid have a combined squad valuation of over £670 million, making them Europe’s ninth-most valuable club. It's no surprise that the Santiago Bernabeu has been home to some of the finest and most valuable players in the game.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the five most valuable active Real Madrid players.
#5 Toni Kroos | £45 million
Toni Kroos, the 2014 FIFA World Cup winner, is one of the best operators in the middle of the park in modern football. He was the backbone of Real Madrid’s three consecutive Champions League-winning teams.
Currently valued at £45 million, Toni Kroos moved to the Spanish capital for a reported £22.5 million fee after a stellar four-year spell at Bayern Munich. Kroos etched his name in German footballing folklore, scoring two goals and providing four assists in seven appearances in Die Mannschaft’s triumphant World Cup campaign.
With the world at his feet, Kroos moved to Madrid in 2014. He was expected to fill the huge boots of Los Blancos legend Xabi Alonso, who departed for Bayern in the same transfer window. The German has since established himself as one of the first names in Real Madrid’s starting lineup and enjoys a leadership role in the squad.
Kroos has notched up 320 appearances for the club, registering 102 goal contributions (22 goals, 80 assists) to his name. The 31-year old’s trophy haul at Madrid includes three Champions League, two La Liga and four FIFA Club World Cup trophies, to name just a few.
#4 Federico Valverde | £63 million
Federico Valverde, the Real Madrid youth academy graduate, is fast becoming a regular fixture in Real Madrid’s star-studded lineup after a breakthrough 2019-20 campaign.
Despite making 25 appearances in all competitions in 2018-19, Valverde only earned a sustained run in the first team the next season, playing a key role in Real Madrid’s 2019-20 La Liga campaign.
The Uruguayan scored two goals and provided five assists in 33 league appearances. He also earned praise for his 'Man of the Match' performance against Atletico Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final that season.
Valverde’s goal earlier in the season against Barcelona made him only the second Uruguayan to score in an El Clasico fixture, Luis Suarez being the other.
The 22-year old has enjoyed a flying start to his 2020-21 campaign, registering four goal involvements (three goals and an assist) from his first seven La Liga appearances of the season. However, recurring injuries and a bout of COVID-19 have meant that the Uruguayan has had a stop-start campaign for Real Madrid.
#3 Raphael Varane | £63 million
Real Madrid's Raphael Varane has been one of the most consistent defenders in European football over the past few years. He has established a lethal partnership with Sergio Ramos in the heart of the Los Blancos defence.
After making his Real Madrid debut under Jose Mourinho in the 2011-12 season, Varane burst onto the scene with a sensational performance in his debut El Clasico appearance.
The Frenchman proved to be an immovable force at the heart of Real Madrid's defence and scored an equaliser late on to endear himself to the club faithful. Varane would go on to replace one of Real Madrid’s best defenders in the modern era, Pepe. The Frenchman has notched up a mammoth tally of 359 appearances and 18 titles in almost a decade at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Varane is known to be assured with the ball at his feet and has one of the highest tackle success rates (60.55%) in Europe’s top-five leagues. The 28-year old was also instrumental in France’s victorious 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign and will look to add the upcoming Euros to his burgeoning trophy cabinet.
#2 Casemiro | £63 million
While the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo spurred Real Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles, the midfield trio of Casemiro, Kroos and Modric was as key to Los Blacos’ glory, if not more.
Casemiro joined Real Madrid’s B team in 2013 following a stint with his local club, Sao Paulo. After an impressive loan spell with Porto in the 2014-15 season, Casemiro got his first real break in the 2015-16 season under Zinedine Zidane. The 29-year-old has developed into one of the finest defensive midfielders in world football under Zidane’s tutelage.
The Brazilian has racked up 285 appearances for Los Merengues, notching up an impressive tally of 30 goals and 24 assists while operating in a deeper-lying playmaker role.
#1 Thibaut Courtois | £67.5 million
Thibaut Courtois is Real Madrid’s most valuable player. With a market value of £67.5 million, the Belgian is the world's second-most valuable goalkeeper in world football.
Courtois has been excellent between the sticks for Los Blancos this season, sitting second in the La Liga Golden Glove race with 17 clean sheets under his belt. The 29-year old has had a save success rate of 81.7%, the highest in the 2020-21 La Liga season.
Real Madrid have exhibited defensive frailties in the latter half of the season, owing to a lengthy injury list. But Courtois has been key as the Los Blancos’ last line of defence, conceding only 27 goals off 109 shots on target against him.
Courtois is also one of the few players to win a La Liga title at both Madrid clubs; he won the 2013-14 La Liga title with Atletico and won the competition in 2019-20 with Real Madrid.
The Belgian custodian made his move to Real Madrid on a €35 million transfer fee in the 2018 summer transfer window from Stamford Bridge after a successful three-season loan spell at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
