5 times Real Madrid overpaid for a player
Real Madrid have always been famous for their 'Galactico' recruitment policy, which includes the purchase of established superstars to form the core of their team. While financial constrictions and the ongoing pandemic have restricted them from splashing sumptuous amounts of cash in the last two windows, Los Blancos will act in the market soon. Due to their tendency to spend big bucks, they have also had to bear the cost of some substandard signings over the years.
Real Madrid have conducted some of the most exorbitant transfers of all time
Real Madrid's pursuit of prodigies Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland has picked up serious pace recently and has the potential to completely rattle the transfer market. Having broken the transfer record thrice this century, they know a thing or two about making extravagant signings.
Who had the better transfer window?
Real Madrid in 2009 or PSG in 2021 🤔 https://t.co/ngjgXNehEG
Their famous spending spree of 2009 resulted in the arrivals of Karim Benzema (€35 million), Xabi Alonso (€34.5 million), Kaka (€67 million) and Cristiano Ronaldo (€94 million), among others. Real Madrid replicated this trend a decade later, spending a grand total of €355.5 million on incoming transfers, to varying fortunes.
With a habit of splashing world-record fees from time to time, Real Madrid are bound to have made multiple underwhelming signings. Their obsession with a particular player has resulted in Los Merengues spending ridiculous amounts of cash just to land their desired target. On that note, let's take a look at five times when Real Madrid gravely overpaid for a player:
#5 Danilo - €31.5 million
Brazilian full-back Danilo starts us off in fifth place. A highly-rated defender during his time with Porto, Danilo had caught the eye of multiple elite-level clubs due to his potential in 2015. As per various reports, both Real Madrid and Barcelona were keen to land the youngster's signature in an attempt to secure their right-back spot for the foreseeable future.
After a heated battle in the transfer market, Los Blancos were successful in procuring their man, bagging him for a sizeable fee of €31.5 million. Aged 24 at the time of the transfer, Danilo only had Porto and Santos as major clubs on his resume, making this transfer a risky gamble.
Technically, Manchester City spent £26.7 million on the signing of Joao Cancelo. It was a £60 million fee, where they then sent Danilo to Juventus for a fee of £33.3 million.
Absolute steal for a player that's unbelievably versatile https://t.co/PszjBHKNEL
Expectedly, the gamble backfired massively as Danilo could not make his mark at the Bernabeu in his two seasons at the club. The Brazilian failed to win over fans as well as the coaching staff, who clearly preferred Dani Carvajal in place of the erratic right-back. The only positive thing about this transfer was that Real Madrid were able to recoup a substantial amount during his sale to Manchester City in 2017.
#4 Asier Illarramendi - €32 million
Just after 2010, a young Spanish midfielder was making waves in the Basque region, which attracted the attention of some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Real Sociedad seemed to have unearthed a rare gem in the form of Asier Illarramendi, as the defensive midfielder became one of the hottest properties in 2013.
Likened to Xabi Alonso due to his positioning and history with Los Txuri-Urdin, Illarramendi was widely viewed as the heir to the veteran midfielder. Believing in the hype, Real Madrid exuded no hesitation in forking out a whopping €32 million for an unproven 23-year-old, making him Sociedad's record departure at the time.
🗣 Asier Illarramendi: "I lacked self-confidence in the key moments at Real Madrid. It's a different world, to play at Real Madrid you have to stand out in every way." https://t.co/lrbzcASidn
However, Illarramendi tanked hard at the Bernabeu, failing to displace Alonso from the base of the midfield. His 90 appearances with the club reaped little to no rewards for either of the parties and Real Madrid decided to cut their losses short after just two seasons. Illarramendi was sent packing to his former side for half the price that Madrid had spent on him in 2015.
Also read: 5 players Real Madrid should have never sold