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Real Madrid are undoubtedly one of the biggest and most powerful clubs in the world, and while Los Blancos do not currently hold the record for the world transfer fee, the decade between 2010 and 2019 still saw them spend an astonishing amount of money to bring some of the world’s best players to the Bernabeu.
It’s hard to say that the approach didn’t work, too; Real won a total of 17 major trophies across the decade, including an astonishing 4 UEFA Champions League titles.
With Zinedine Zidane’s side now chasing glory at home in La Liga and in Europe in another Champions League campaign, here is a look at their best 10 signings, in chronological order, during the last decade (2010-2019).
#1 Angel Di Maria (2010)
Argentine winger Angel Di Maria joined Real Madrid from Benfica in the summer of 2010 for a fee of €25 million, and while he initially struggled for consistent form at the Bernabeu, he eventually established himself as one of Los Blancos’ key men, and he departed the club after 4 seasons having helped them to 6 major trophies.
Di Maria’s crowning achievement was undoubtedly his performance in the 2013-14 Champions League final against city rivals Atletico Madrid; with the match tied at 1-1 during extra time, the Argentine dribbled round multiple Atletico players before seeing his shot saved by Thibaut Courtois – but the ball fell to Gareth Bale, who headed home to give Real the lead in what turned out to be their 10th Champions League victory – known as La Decima. Di Maria was later crowned Man of the Match for his display in the game.
Overall, Di Maria played 194 times for Real, scoring 36 goals, including 8 in the Champions League, and he also registered 62 assists in league and European action. It came as a surprise then when he was sold to Manchester United in the summer of 2014 – just months after his tremendous showing in La Decima.
#2 Sami Khedira (2010)
One of the most decorated players in the modern game – with titles in three of Europe’s major leagues as well as a World Cup victory with Germany in 2014 – Sami Khedira was signed by Real Madrid for an undisclosed fee from VfB Stuttgart in the summer of 2010. Still only 23 years old at the time, Khedira’s all-action style quickly marked him out as a fan favourite at the Bernabeu.
The German midfielder spent a total of 5 seasons in the Spanish capital, but his crowning achievements undoubtedly came under Jose Mourinho in the 2011-12 season. That campaign saw Khedira make 28 appearances in La Liga and play a key role in Los Blancos’ eventual title victory – the first of just two by the club during the decade.
After the departure of Mourinho in the summer of 2013, Khedira’s influence at the Bernabeu began to wane somewhat, but he was still utilised by Mourinho’s successor Carlo Ancelotti and he started in the 2013-14 Champions League final against Atletico Madrid – a match that Real went onto win, securing the famous La Decima.
#3 Raphael Varane (2011)
Now considered one of the best central defenders on the planet, Raphael Varane moved to Real Madrid from French side Lens for a fee of around €10m in the summer of 2011. The move was seen as one for the future – Varane was just 18 years old at the time – and nearly a decade on, it’s hard to suggest that it hasn’t been a successful one for all parties.
The Frenchman took some time to settle into life in the Spanish capital – hardly a surprise given his young age and lack of experience – but by midway through his third season at the Bernabeu, he’d unseated veteran defender Pepe in Los Blancos' first-choice XI, and he played the entire 120 minutes during the 2013-14 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid.
In the years that have followed, Varane has been almost an ever-present for Real and was a key part in their subsequent Champions League victories in 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. Renowned for his calm presence in the heart of the team’s defence, he’s likely to remain an important player for Los Blancos well into the 2020s.
#4 Luka Modric (2012)
Signed from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2012 for a fee of £30m, Luka Modric has gone onto become one of Real Madrid’s most successful players in recent history, and in 2018, became the first man other than Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi to be awarded the prestigious Ballon d’Or award in more than a decade.
The Croatian midfield maestro struggled for form in his initial months at the Bernabeu but found a turning point in Real’s Champions League clash with Manchester United in March 2013. With Real a goal behind in the second leg at Old Trafford, Modric was brought into the fray as a substitute – and equalised with a 25-yard shot before helping Los Blancos to a 1-2 victory.
From there, the Croatian went from strength to strength at Real, being their most consistent midfielder across the decade and forming tremendous partnerships in the centre of the field with both Xabi Alonso and Toni Kroos.
Current rumours suggest he’s about to depart the Bernabeu at the age of 34, and if that’s the case, he’ll leave as a legend – with over 300 appearances and 4 Champions League titles to his name, as well as that Ballon d’Or victory. He’s arguably Real’s best signing of the entire decade.
#5 Gareth Bale (2013)
Real Madrid paid a world-record fee of £85m to bring Gareth Bale to the Bernabeu from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2013, and while he’s fallen out of favour with fans of Los Blancos over the last year or so, it’d be hard to claim he hasn’t been a massive success in Spain, as the flying Welshman has won multiple trophies and been involved in countless memorable moments.
In his early days at the club, it felt like Bale was almost living in the shadow of the great Cristiano Ronaldo, but it didn’t take him too long to prove his own worth; after overcoming some injuries, the goals began to flow, and in the 2014 Copa del Rey final he produced a moment of true magic against Real’s bitter rivals Barcelona – sprinting from the halfway line, including going off the pitch for a moment, to score the winning goal in the match.
Weeks later Bale scored a goal in the famous La Decima Champions League final win over Atletico Madrid, and he’s since gone onto win 3 more Champions League trophies, including in 2017-18 – a final that saw him score one of the all-time great Champions League goals against Liverpool, a stunning overhead volley.
As of the time of writing, the Welshman has scored a phenomenal 104 goals in 245 games for Los Blancos – a great record by anyone’s standards.
#6 Casemiro (2013)
Holding midfielder Casemiro joined Real Madrid from Sao Paulo in the early part of 2013, but the move was initially a loan one, and the Brazilian was not fully signed until that summer. Even then, it took him until the 2015-16 season to really embed himself into Los Blancos’ first-team – but in the subsequent seasons, he’s gone onto become one of the club’s most important figures.
A favourite of current Real boss Zinedine Zidane, Casemiro essentially does the dirty work – the breaking up of opposition plays, the ball-winning and the quick distribution – that allows Real’s more flashy players like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Isco to do their best work further forward. For this all-action, tough-tackling style of play, he’s been nicknamed ‘The Tank’.
The Brazilian has won a total of 12 major trophies at the Bernabeu, including 4 Champions Leagues, and he was a key man during the 2016-17 season that saw Los Blancos deliver a domestic and European double, appearing in 42 matches across all competitions and scoring a stunning long-range goal in the Champions League final against Juventus.
#7 Isco (2013)
Spanish attacking midfielder Isco was signed by Real in the summer of 2013 following a successful campaign in the previous season with Malaga, a campaign that saw the unfancied side make it all the way to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. That season also saw the 20-year old score the first goal in a 3-2 win over Los Blancos – Malaga’s first in 29 years.
It came as no surprise when Real paid €30 million for his services, and while injuries and losses of form have plagued him at times during his days at the Bernabeu, he’s also had some tremendous highs along the way as well. Those were most notable in the 2016-17 season when he scored 11 goals in 42 matches as a key part of the side that won a La Liga and Champions League double.
Still just 27 years old, Isco has won 14 major trophies with Real since joining them, and while his name is continually linked with a move away from the Spanish capital, it’s honestly hard to really downplay his impact over the past 7 seasons – he’s been a tremendous signing for Los Blancos and his trophy haul backs that up.
#8 Dani Carvajal
Right-back Dani Carvajal might not be the most flashy purchase that Real Madrid have ever made – full-backs often don’t tend to be – but his signing from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2013, via a buyback clause after the Spaniard had moved there from Real’s B team in 2012, has proven to be one of Los Blancos’ most successful in recent memory.
Carvajal has been Real’s first-choice right-back since his move back to the Bernabeu, and over the years that have followed he’s put together a tremendous record of 258 appearances, scoring a total of 6 goals in the process – including one in El Clasico in late 2016. He’s also helped Real to secure a staggering 14 major trophies.
Chosen as a starter in all four of Real’s Champions League victories during the decade, Carvajal is still only 27 years old – meaning he’s likely to be a dependable starter for Los Blancos for years to come. It’s a highly impressive record given that it only cost €6.5m to bring him back to the Bernabeu.
#9 Keylor Navas
After a successful season at Levante in 2013-14, Real Madrid paid €10m to trigger the buyout clause of Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas, but initially, he was used as a backup to first-choice keeper Iker Casillas.
By the summer of 2015, it was expected that Navas would leave the Bernabeu as a makeweight in a deal for Manchester United’s David De Gea – but when that move collapsed, the Costa Rican was installed as Real’s #1 instead.
It turned out to be an excellent move indeed. Navas had a fantastic season in 2015-16, keeping 9 clean sheets in the Champions League as Real won La Decima, and in 2016-17 he continued his impressive form, helping Los Blancos to win a La Liga and Champions League double.
2017-18 saw his stock rise once again; he was named the Champions League’s Goalkeeper of the Season as he helped Real to a third successive victory in the tournament, and made 8 saves during a semi-final second leg win over Bayern Munich, his highest ever total in a European knockout game.
Navas has since departed for Paris St. Germain after the signing of Thibaut Courtois, but it’s not a stretch to claim he was Real’s best goalkeeper during the decade.
#10 Toni Kroos
German midfielder Toni Kroos was already considered amongst the best players in the world in his position when he made a €30 million move to the Bernabeu in the summer of 2014, as he’d already lifted the Champions League with Bayern Munich a year prior. Since moving to Real, he has won a further 3 Champions League trophies and has further established himself as one of the best midfielders of his generation.
Kroos was an immediate hit in the Spanish capital, slotting directly into Real’s midfield alongside Luka Modric, and it was his performances in the centre of the pitch that helped Los Blancos put together a 22-game winning run during his first season at the club. 2016-17 saw him help the club to complete a double of the La Liga title and the Champions League, as he appeared in 48 matches, scoring 4 goals and registering 13 assists.
Still capable of controlling any game with his passing range, dynamic energy and driving style, the German international remains one of the world’s most highly-rated players, and to remove him from today’s Real side would be like cutting its heart out. Contracted at the Bernabeu until 2023, it’s very possible that Kroos could end his career with the Spanish giants.
