Top 5 bargain signings made by Real Madrid

Three Champions League titles and the Spanish La Liga in the four years; Real Madrid have had one hell of a period. You'd be forgiven to think that their squad was put together by spending big money. While they have invested a lot of money to get some of the best players in the world, the club have also managed to identify those who went under the radar of others.

Under Zinedine Zidane, the club haven't spent copious money -- something they aren't known for -- and have given chances to some of the younger players and allowed the new signings to gel together.

In this list, we take a look at some of the players the fairly low-key players who were signed on cheap and have managed to become an indispensable part of the team.

#5 Lucas Vazquez - €1 million

Signed from Espanyol for a meagre fee of a million, Vazquez has done a tidy job for the team so far. Although he hasn't displaced Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale from the starting lineup, you can't criticise him for the work he puts in whenever he is asked to play.

In the absence of the first team forwards, Vazquez has done an admirable job and earned the adulation of the Bernabeu.

Vazquez featured in 33 games last season and though he started just 12 of them, he mustered two goals and nine assists in the league. Not bad for a player who was signed for a million, eh?

#4 Dani Carvajal - €6.5 million

A Real Madrid Castilla product, Dani Carvajal had to move elsewhere for regular game time to continue his development. His first move outside Europe was to the German Bundesliga, a breeding ground for young players.

Over the years, Bayer Leverkusen have played fluid and attacking football, though the concept of defence has often been ignored. Carvajal played under Sami Hyyppia and Sacha Lewandowski, and though the duo couldn't carry on at the club for long, they did try to employ fluid, attacking football which benefited the fullbacks.

Carvajal's spent a year at Leverkusen before Real Madrid re-signed him for a miserly fee of €6.5 million. Since his move back to the Bernabeu, Carvajal has established himself as one of the best right-backs in La Liga, if not the world.

An epitome of a modern-day fullback, the Spaniard's offensive output was never in doubt. But over the years, he has improved in the defensive aspects of the game, though he might not be the perfect all-round defender.

#3 Casemiro - €6.0 million

Rafa Benitez's spell at Real Madrid wasn't entirely a disaster, but the way the media portrayed it, it sure seemed like one. The former Liverpool gaffer was fighting a losing war as he wasn't really a figure adored by the Real Madrid fans. That, combined with some embarrassing moments -- which includes getting booted out of the Copa del Rey for fielding an ineligible player -- meant his tenure was never going to last long.

One of the few positives during his time at the club was the break Casemiro got. A player who had a lot of untapped potential back then, Casemiro had the perfect ingredients that Benitez often wants from his midfielders.

The Brazilian had to wait for his chance after a €6.0 million move from Sao Paulo but once he settled in under Zinedine Zidane, there was no looking back.

Under the Frenchman's rather pragmatic style of play, Casemiro started off playing as the deepest midfielder, breaking play and intercepting passes. While there are critics -- like me -- who often regard his style as too rash, you can't really argue that he isn't ineffective.

#2 Marco Asensio - €3.5 million

Marco Asensio's rise under Zinedine Zidane has grabbed quite a few headlines in the last few months or so. Signed for a paltry fee of €3.5 million, Asensio managed a spell of games where he performed admirably against the top sides -- including Barcelona -- and he is no longer that lesser-known player who was signed from Mallorca in the summer of 2015.

Still only 21, Asensio has shown that he can adapt his game and can play either as an attacking midfielder or on the right from where he can cut in and give the ball some welly, like he did against Barcelona at Camp Nou in the Supercopa De Espana. Apart from that goal, what'll hurt the Blaugrana is that they had the chance to sign the lad from Mallorca. At the time, Barcelona agreed a fee of €4.5m but were willing to pay only €2m up front.

Cristiano Ronaldo is 32 now and it won't be long before he starts declining, but in Asensio, Real Madrid have a player who can take the mantle and be the focal point of the team for years to come.

#1 Toni Kroos - €25 million

The one that got away from Bayern Munich! After winning the World Cup with Germany, Kroos turned down a contract by the Bavarians and decided to move to Real Madrid for a fee of €25 million. Now, €25 million might sound like a lot, but trust me, apart from the Bayern fans, no one will be complaining!

The German was a key player alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger for Bayern and lifted the treble under Jupp Heynckes. He then went on and formed a formidable partnership with Sami Khedira for the National team and lifted the World Cup.

For anyone who isn't aware of his ability to control the tempo of the game and pick a pass or make a forward run, I'd suggest watching some of his clips while he was on loan at Leverkusen, where he pulled the strings in what was an average team.

Pep Guardiola, Bayern's manager at the time before Kroos left, opined, "Kroos is a great guy, he loves the game. I would really like to hold onto him." Sadly, that didn't happen and since then, Kroos has lifted three Champions League titles with Real Madrid, something Pep could never achieve whilst at Bayern.