After a nightmare 2018/19 campaign, Real Madrid wasted no time in splashing the cash as the Spanish giants set the stone for another Galactico era ahead of next season.
Los Blancos’ president Florentino Perez has developed a reputation of taking out his chequebook when things don’t go according to plan, and that’s what happened a season later, following the departure of their star man Cristiano Ronaldo.
Zinedine Zidane returned to the club last season in March, and he has been backed with five big signings so far this summer.
Eder Militao, Luka Jovic, Rodrygo Goes, Ferland Mendy and Eden Hazard all arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu for a combined fee of over €300 million.
Let’s look at the five most expensive signings in the club’s history.
#5 James Rodriguez
The Colombian first broke onto the scene in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and immediately earned a move to Madrid from Monaco in a deal worth €75 million.
He finished the 2014 World Cup topping the goal-scoring charts as he plundered 6 goals in 5 games and featured in the Team of the Tournament.
However, a falling out with the French manager Zidane cut his time short with the Galacticos and he is likely to be sold this summer.
#4 Zinedine Zidane
The Frenchmen broke the transfer record as a player when he moved from Juventus to the Spanish capital for a whopping €77.5 million.
Before his arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2001, he was the FIFA world player of the year and the Ballon d’Or holder.
One could argue, his fee set the precedent of the big-money signings and was the beginning of the famous Galactico era at Real Madrid.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo
The most expensive signing in the club’s history at the time, Ronaldo arrived at Santiago Bernabeu for an extravagant €94 million from Manchester United, an amount which might not fetch even Wilfried Zaha in the current market.
However, this was a great piece of business, seeing how much Portuguese achieved with the Los Blancos.
Before his departure to Turin, the 34-year-old became Real Madrid’s all-time highest goal scorer and lifted 15 titles during his time in Spain.
#2 Eden Hazard
Hazard finally completed his dream move to Real Madrid from Chelsea in a deal worth €100 million, and in the process, became the second most expensive signing in the club’s history.
However, the expectations of the Santiago Bernabeu faithful will be immense, seeing their recent demise in both domestic and European competition last season.
#1 Gareth Bale
Beating Hazard by only a million, Bale holds the number one spot for the most expensive signing in Real Madrid’s long history.
The Welshmen arrived from Spurs for €101 million back in the summer of 2013. Although he enjoyed a bright start to his Galactico career, his reputation has taken a hit over the years, especially under Zidane.
The 30-year-old has chipped in with important goals at significant moments, but his injury-stricken status has made sure he never settled in at the club.
Transfer fees courtesy transfermarkt.com