Real Madrid's 10 best signings of the decade (2010-2019)

#5 Gareth Bale (2013)

Gareth Bale scored one of the best Champions League goals of all time for Real in the 2018 final

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.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Zaid Khan