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Real Madrid are one of the biggest clubs in the world. It is almost every single footballer's dream to play for Real Madrid. Los Blancos have been a dominant force in the world of football throughout history and have been home to some of the greatest footballers of all time.
In fact, they've even built their reputation and legacy around this fact. Real Madrid is, to this day, viewed as the ultimate destination for a football player thanks to the sheer amount of success they've enjoyed. The reigning champions of Europe continue to exercise an unprecedented level of clout and pull in the transfer market.
They have a reputation for splashing the cash and signing the most high-profile players in the world. Over the past 13 years or so, Real Madrid have enjoyed unprecedented levels of success, especially in the Champions League. This has a lot to do with the signings they've made during this time.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best Real Madrid signings since 2009.
#5 Gareth Bale - Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid (€101 million in 2013)
Gareth Bale will leave Real Madrid at the end of this month as a free agent. The Welshman joined Real Madrid as their most expensive player at the time, costing €101 million in the summer of 2013. Bale had already established himself as one of the most lethal attackers in all of Europe during his time with Tottenham Hotspur.
As expected, Bale hit the ground running at the Santiago Bernabeu, scoring 22 goals and providing 19 assists in 44 appearances across all competitions in his debut campaign. He came up clutch for Real Madrid multiple times too, scoring in the finals of 'their triumphant Copa del Rey and Champions League tournaments.
Consistent injury issues limited his involvement over the next few campaigns and the Welshman played a hand in almost all of Real Madrid's successes in those seasons. The highlight of Bale's Real Madrid career has to be the brace he bagged against Liverpool in the 2017-18 final, the first of which was a stunning overhead kick.
Bale won three La Liga titles, five Champions League titles, three Club World Cups and one Copa del Rey during his nine-year stint with Real Madrid.
#4 Toni Kroos - Bayern Munich to Real Madrid (€25 million in 2014)
Real Madrid hijacked Manchester United's move for Toni Kroos and signed him in the summer of 2014 for just €25 million. It will go down in history as one of the best bargain deals of the 21st century as Kroos has simply been phenomenal for Real Madrid ever since.
The German midfield maestro played a critical role in Real Madrid winning three successive Champions League titles between 2016 and 2018. He is one of the most elegant central midfielders of all time and his precise passing, vision and technical ability make him a cut above the rest.
Kroos is 32 now and is still going strong. The famed midfield trio of Casemiro, Luka Modric and Kroos played a vital role in Real Madrid's La Liga and Champions League triumphs this past season as well.
Kroos has won three La Liga titles, four Champions League titles, four FIFA Club World Cups and two UEFA Super Cups with Real Madrid.
#3 Luka Modric - Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid (€35 million in 2012)
Luka Modric joined Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur on a deal worth €35 million in the summer of 2012. It's worth noting that at the end of the year, Modric was voted the worst signing of the season in a poll run by Spanish newspaper Marca.
Jose Mourinho, then Real Madrid manager, defended Modric publicly and the Croatia international started delivering the goods on a regular basis. The Santiago Bernabeu faithful warmed up to him in no time and Modric was a standout performer in Real Madrid's 'La Decima' (2013-14) Champions League triumph.
Modric won the La Liga award for Best Midfielder award at the end of the 2013-14 season. He won it for a second time in the 2015-16 season. Modric also played a starring role in all three of their consecutive Champions League title winning campaigns between 2016 and 2018.
Despite turning 36, Modric continues to be one of Real Madrid's most important players. He was in sensational form as Real Madrid won the La Liga title and the Champions League title this past season.
He has already won three La Liga titles, five Champions League titles, four FIFA Club World Cups, three UEFA Super Cups and one Copa del Rey with Real Madrid.
#2 Karim Benzema - Olympique Lyon to Real Madrid (€35 million in 2009)
Over the course of 12 seasons at Real Madrid since joining them in the summer of 2009, Karim Benzema has cemented his status as a club legend. Benzema is 34 years old now but played some of the best football of his career in the 2021-22 season, propelling his side to both La Liga and Champions League glory.
The French striker has had to play a supporting role to the multiple superstars who've come and gone from the Santiago Bernabeu. But thanks to his versatility and sheer technical proficiency, Benzema has been able to navigate the rocky parts of his Real Madrid stint with plenty of grace.
Benzema has been Real Madrid's main man for a few seasons now and he has played that role to near perfection. In 605 appearances for Los Blancos across all competitions so far, Benzema has scored 323 goals and provided 159 assists.
He has won four La Liga titles, five Champions League titles, two Copa del Rey titles, four Club World Cups and three UEFA Super Cups.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United to Real Madrid (€94 million in 2009)
Cristiano Ronaldo had already established himself as one of the best players in the world by the time he secured his dream move to Real Madrid in 2009. But it was during his Real Madrid stint, during which he won four Ballons d'Or, that he cemented his status as one of the greatest of all time.
Ronaldo did the unthinkable and went toe-to-toe with the otherworldly Lionel Messi and even outshone him on several occasions. The Portuguese talisman burgeoned into one of the greatest goalscorers of all time and was simply unstoppable in the Champions League during this time.
He became known as 'Mr. Champions League' and was the top scorer in the competition in six of the nine seasons he spent at Real Madrid. Ronaldo was arguably their best player as they won four Champions League titles in the span of five seasons between 2014 and 2018.
In 438 appearances across all competitions for Real Madrid, Ronaldo scored a whopping 450 goals and provided 131 assists. He won two La Liga titles, four Champions League titles, two Copa del Rey titles, three FIFA Club World Cups and two UEFA Super Cups before leaving Real Madrid in 2018.
