Real Madrid enjoying most extravagant spending spree with past splurges largely successful

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Real Madrid have a storied history and in the modern era, the club has also become synonymous with glitz and glamour.

    The Galacticos era demonstrated the financial muscle of the Spanish outfit and under Florentino Perez in particular, that’s been flexed regularly.

    Los Blancos have long been considered a domineering force in the transfer market and are proving as much this summer as well, already spending £272.7m (according to transfermarkt.co.uk) with the acquisitions of Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo.

    After a disastrous season during which they went through three managers, they appear determined to buy a route back to success.

    Will they succeed?

    We look at some of their most lavish summer spending sprees of the past to help you formulate your own opinion…

    2009 | Money Spent – £232.65m

    Players bought: Cristiano Ronaldo (£84.6m); Kaka (£60.3m); Karim Benzema (£31.5m); Xabi Alonso (£31m); Raul Albiol (£13.5m); Alvaro Negredo (£4.5m); Alvaro Arbeloa (£3.6m); Esteban Granero (£3.6m)

    TRANSFER WINDOW STORY

    Three years after stepping down as club president, Florentino Perez was in the hot seat once again and predictably revived the Galacticos policy he pursued in his first term. He did so in emphatic fashion.

    Madrid set the world record fee by luring Kaka away from AC Milan on June 8 before shattering it just three days later with the acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.

    The Portuguese star arrived at Santiago Bernabeu as the Ballon d’Or winner and was greeted by over 80,000 fans for his presentation – a record audience.

    Madrid had finally won their pursuit of Ronaldo having come close the previous summer only for Sir Alex Ferguson to persuade the star to remain at Old Trafford for another season.

    Perez also managed to rope in two more massive signings in Karim Benzema from Lyon and Xabi Alonso from Liverpool, while adding Raul Albiol, Alvaro Negredo, Alvaro Arbeloa and Esteban Granero to the fold as well.

    WAS IT A SUCCESS?

    A splurge upwards of £200m was unprecedented a decade ago and transformed the football transfer market. Ronaldo’s fee was staggering but at a time when Lionel Messi was beginning to realise the full extent of his powers, Madrid had to break the bank for an answer to the phenomenal Argentine in their rivals’ ranks.

    Having gone on to smash several records at the club and depart last summer as their all-time leading scorer, inspiring them to four Champions League crowns in the process, that coup must be deemed an overwhelming success.

    Kaka’s arrival on the other hand pales in comparison. The Brazilian didn’t turn into a bad player overnight, even leading the way for assists in his first season and scoring eight goals. But he couldn’t match the lofty expectations in the Spanish capital and injuries soon slowed him down.

    Alonso and Benzema went on to be great successes at the club. The Spaniard established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world while the striker has led the line for Los Blancos ever since.

    Albiol and Arbeloa were useful members of the squad as well but Granero and Negredo never quite made the cut.

    RATING 8/10

    Success story: Cristiano Ronaldo.

    Success story: Cristiano Ronaldo.

    2013 | Money spent – £157.95m

    Players bought: Gareth Bale (£90.9m); Asier Illarramendi (£28.8m); Isco (£27m); Dani Carvajal (£5.8m); Casemiro (£5.4m)

    TRANSFER WINDOW STORY

    After what felt like an eternity of negotiating with Tottenham and Daniel Levy, Gareth Bale was finally a Madrid player for a world record transfer fee. Having just enjoyed a phenomenal 26-goal season with Spurs, the Welshman was one of the most sought after talents in the game and presumably Real’s answer to Barcelona’s acquisition of Neymar.

    Meanwhile, Madrid made Asier Illarramendi their most expensive Spanish signing with the midfielder touted as a long-term replacement for Alonso at the time. They also exercised their buy-back option for Dani Carvajal who was impressing at Bayer Leverkusen. Casemiro caught the eye after his loan move from Sao Paulo in January and was tied down to a permanent deal.

    WAS IT A SUCCESS?

    Bale’s first two seasons were impressive. Even though he played second fiddle to Ronaldo, he scored 39 goals in 92 appearances. However, he didn’t kick on and never got near the bar set by the Portuguese. Instead, injuries took their toll and the unforgiving Bernabeu crowd got onto his troubled back. That said, he has scored some crucial goals along the way, including that unbelievable bicycle kick to beat Liverpool in the Champions League final last season.

    Illarramendi never quite nailed down a spot for himself in the first team before returning to Real Sociedad. Casemiro on the other hand was a mainstay in the XI as Zinedine Zidane led them to three consecutive European crowns while Carvajal – when fit – has been the undisputed starter at right-back since his return to the capital.

    While Isco has been in and out of the team over the past couple of seasons and perhaps hasn’t scaled the heights he’s capable of, it’s hard to label his transfer a failure. He was key to Madrid’s Champions League success in Zidane’s first season and has regularly reminded all of his class.

    RATING 6/10

    2000 | Money spent – £107.33m

    Players bought: Luis Figo (£54m); Flavio Conceicao (£22.5m); Claude Makele (£12.6m); Pedro Munitis (£9.45m); Cesar Sanchez (£5.6m); Santiago Solari (£3.1m)

    TRANSFER WINDOW STORY

    At the turn of the millennium, Luis Figo was the king of Camp Nou and arguably the best player in the world. He then did the unthinkable by leaving for fierce rivals Madrid and his transition was nowhere near as graceful as Michael Laudrup’s six years earlier.

    A deeply complicated transaction that involved a greedy agent, Florentino Perez’s power struggle at the Bernabeu, false assurances and a triggered release clause led to Figo’s unforgivable – as far as Barca fans are concerned – switch to Madrid.

    Los Blancos spent heavily on luring midfielder Flavio Conceicao from Deportivo La Coruna as well before also adding Claude Makelele from Celta Vigo, Pedro Munitis from Racing Santander, Cesar Sanchez from Real Valladolid and Atletico Madrid’s Santiago Solari.

    WAS IT A SUCCESS?

    Spending over £107m back then was unheard of but in the following three years, Madrid would win two league titles and one Champions League. Figo was an instant hit, scoring 14 times in his first season – even winning the Ballon d’Or – and consistently delivering until his move to Inter Milan in 2005.

    Makelele was a solid purchase while Conceicao, Pedro and Solari were useful squad players. Sanchez’s stint in the capital was short-lived with Iker Casillas emerging as the undisputed No1.

    RATING 6/10

    Ballon d'Or winner Luis Figo

    *All figures via transfermarkt.co.uk

    Recommended