Ranking the 5 biggest sales in Real Madrid history
When it comes to transfer business in football, no one does it quite like Real Madrid. The Spanish giants have a history of record buys, splashing millions and millions in acquiring the very best talents in the circuit.
But in more recent years, they've turned into a successful 'seller club', selling some of their own big names for hefty sums.
Raphael Varane has become the latest player to exit Santiago Bernabeu after Manchester United signed the star for €50 million.
But where does he rank among the list of the most expensive Real Madrid sales? Here are the top five:
#5 Mesut Ozil - €50 million (Arsenal)
Jose Mourinho has transformed several young talents into world-beaters and Mesut Ozil is one of them, signing him at Real Madrid after the German's heroic performances at the 2010 World Cup.
The midfielder was still an unknown entity, but turned into a highly sought-after player in the next three years, his creative brilliance helping the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain to plenty of goals.
However, after scoring 27 times and making 80 assists in 159 games, Ozil left for Arsenal in 2013 for a mammoth €50 million, making him the most expensive German player of all-time.
His departure wasn't met with good reactions from the Bernabeu faithful, while Ronaldo even revealed he was 'angry' about Ozil leaving as the duo had forged a terrific attacking partnership.
#4 Raphael Varane - €50 million (Manchester United)
Raphael Varane has become the latest player to walk the well-trodden path between Real Madrid and Manchester United after finalizing his move to Old Trafford earlier this month.
The Frenchman joins legendary names like Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Michael Owen, etc, to grace both the fabled blanco colors as well as the furious red of Manchester.
Arriving in the Spanish capital as a promising 18-year-old talent, Varane went from strength to strength and became one of the best centre-backs in the business.
He's been at the heart of all of Real Madrid's success over the last decade, though his performances have visibly declined for the last two seasons or so, with mistakes often cropping up in his game.
Yet, the club has managed to extract €50 million from his sale to United.