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#7 Ronaldo Nazario | €46m, Internazionale
Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario was part of the first few high-profile Galacticos signed by Florentino Perez. After just one season at the Nou Camp, Ronaldo joined Internazionale, where he played for five years, scoring 59 goals and setting up a further 12 in 99 appearances. Perez set his sights on the Brazilian after his World Cup heroics, and managed to sign him in 2002.
The ex-Inter and PSV Eindhoven star spent the longest spell of his club career at Real Madrid, during which he won LaLiga, the Intercontinental Cup and the Supercopa de Espana. O Fenomeno was an unstoppable force, who combined searing pace, power, and surreal dribbling ability with explosive finishing in front of goal.
Ronaldo won the second of his two Ballons d'Or in his first season at the club and scored a total of 104 goals across 177 appearances for the Blancos, along with 35 assists. Unfortunately, Ronaldo retired as arguably one of the best players to have never won the UCL.
#6 Toni Kroos | €24m, Bayern Munich
Four days after Germany's triumphant FIFA World Cup campaign in 2014, Real Madrid announced the signing of Die Mannschaft's metronome Toni Kroos. The German playmaker won everything possible on the domestic front with Bayern Munich before becoming one of the last big-name players to have been purchased in Perez's second Galacticos era.
Kroos went on to forge a magnificent partnership in the middle with Luka Modric and Casemiro and propelled Real Madrid into an era of dominance in Europe. The German established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world and gradually developed into one of the greatest deep-lying playmakers in Real Madrid history.
His importance to Real Madrid was described perfectly by Casemiro, who said on the midfielder;
"If Toni wants the team to slow things down, the team will go a little slower – or if he wants to up the pace, the team will play a little faster. So basically, the way we play is determined by Toni Kroos."
Overall, Kroos has played 320 times for Real Madrid, scoring 22 goals and setting up a further 80. He has been in excellent touch in 2020/21, and has arguably been one of their best players this season.
#5 Luka Modric | €32m, Tottenham Hotspur
Much like Kroos, Luka Modric turned out to be one of Perez's most influential midfield signings during his time at the club. The Croat took a while to settle into life at Real Madrid and was famously branded by Spanish outlet MARCA as the worst signing made by Real Madrid in 2012. However, once he settled into the Spanish capital, Modric became a pivotal player for the Blancos.
The 36-year-old formed a magnificent partnership with Toni Kroos and Casemiro to power Real Madrid to unprecedented glory across all fronts. Capable of playing as an attacking midfielder, a box-to-box player, and a deep-lying playmaker, Modric became an influential figure in all phases of play. Overall, the midfielder donned the famous white shirt 390 times, scoring 27 goals and setting up a further 61.
Modric also managed to replicate his incredible achievements for Croatia as he guided them to their first FIFA World Cup final and won the Golden Ball at the 2018 edition of the tournament. With his Ballon d'Or win in the same year, the majestic midfielder became only the fourth player to win both these awards in the same year after Bobby Charlton (1966), Johan Cruyff (1974) and Paolo Rossi (1982).
#4 Karim Benzema | €35m, Olympique Lyon
Karim Benzema arrived as a talented forward in his early 20s from Olympique Lyon, and went on to build a legacy for himself at the biggest club in European football. After taking some time to adapt to a club as massive as Real Madrid, Benzema became a mainstay in Los Blancos' front line.
The Frenchman's areas of expertise include brilliant off-the-ball movement, positioning, vision and the ability to link up with his teammates in the final third to great effect. Many managers, including Jose Mourinho and Zidane, have alluded to Benzema as a 'nine-and-a-half', highlighting his ability to lead the line and drop into spaces to facilitate other attackers.
Benzema has helped Real Madrid to three LaLiga Santander titles and four UEFA Champions Leagues during his time at the club. The former Lyon man has played 557 times for Real Madrid and scored 278 times, a tally bettered by only four Blancos stars. Benzema is a true modern legend among the club's lengthy list of decorated icons, and is currently one of the club's captains.
Also read: 5 famous footballers with weird jersey numbers
