Real Madrid is widely considered to be one of the biggest football clubs in the world in terms of financial strength, historical success and global stature.
Los Blancos are renowned for consistently signing the sport’s global superstars, often dubbed as ‘Galacticos‘ – which also means they have overseen some high-profile exits over the years as well.
The club’s Galactico policy can be traced back as far as the 1950s and 1960s, under the then club-president, Santiago Bernabeu, who sanctioned the big money arrivals of the likes of Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, and Raymond Kopa.
Fast forward to the year 2000, Florentino Perez was now the club’s president, who revived Real Madrid‘s Galáctico policy. Luis Figo controversially arrived for a world record fee from Barcelona, followed by the arrivals of Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham in the following years.
Madrid would continue signing the world’s best, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez all signing for substantial fees between 2009 and 2014.
More recently, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Trent Alexander-Arnold have headed to the Spanish capital to become the newest Galacticos.
With so many huge incomings at the Bernabeu, what about those who depart for big money fees? Here, TEAMtalk takes a look at the top 10 most expensive Real Madrid sales of all time.
10. Robinho – £32.5m
Year: 2008
To: Manchester City
Real Madrid appearances: 137
Real Madrid goals: 35
Once tipped to be a future Ballon d’Or winner, Robinho joined Madrid in August 2005 for £20m from Brazilian side Santos and was given the number 10 shirt previously worn by Luis Figo.
Whilst his time at the Bernabeu didn’t quite reach the expectations that were set for him, he remained a regular fixture in the side for three seasons, scoring 35 times and assisting a further 27 in 135 appearances for the club.
Despite being promised a new contract by the club, the forward was never offered one, and it was later revealed that the club had wanted to use him as part of the deal to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to the capital.
The Brazilian eventually made a £32.5m move to Man City in September 2008, the same day the club was bought by the Abu Dhabi Investment Group.
His time in Manchester wouldn’t last, and he would go on to play in Italy, China, Turkey and his native Brazil for boyhood club Santos on three separate occasions before retiring in 2020.
9. Raphael Varane – £34m
Year: 2021
To: Manchester United
Real Madrid appearances: 360
Real Madrid goals: 17
Signed for £9.4m in July 2011 after just one season and 23 Ligue 1 appearances for relegated Lens at 18 years old, Varane was destined for greatness.
In his first three seasons at Madrid, Varane only made 38 La Liga appearances, finding it initially difficult to dislodge either Sergio Ramos or Pepe from the centre-back spots.
Despite his lack of consistent game time, however, he was named by Marca readers as a member of the “Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid’s history” – his pedigree was clear to see.
The 93-time capped Frenchman went on to form a formidable partnership alongside Ramos following Pepe’s departure, winning 18 major titles in total with Los Blancos, including four UEFA Champions Leagues, four FIFA Club World Cups and three La Ligas.
After 360 appearances across all competitions in 10 years in the Spanish capital, Varane joined Man Utd for £34m plus add-ons in July 2021.
Injuries would thwart his time with the Red Devils, never making more than 24 Premier League appearances in any of his three seasons in Manchester.
He left United for free to join newly promoted Serie A side Como in July 2024.
However, after just 23 minutes into his first appearance for the club in the Italian Cup away at Sampdoria, Varane suffered a knee injury, and this time one which would call time on his playing career, retiring prematurely shortly after at just 31 years old.
8. Gonzalo Higuain – £34.5m
Year: 2013
To: Napoli
Real Madrid appearances: 264
Real Madrid goals: 121
Born in Brest, France, but raised in Argentina, Higuain spent eight years in the River Plate youth system before making his senior debut for the club in 2005 at 17 years old.
A natural centre forward, he would spend two years in the senior team, scoring 15 goals and assisting a further nine in 41 appearances before departing for Real Madrid in January 2007 for roughly £8.7m.
The 75-time capped Argentine international spent six years in the Spanish capital, scoring 121 goals and assisting 56 in 264 appearances for Los Blancos across all competitions before departing for Napoli in 2013 for £34.5m.
After Napoli, Higuain went on to play for Juventus, AC Milan, and Chelsea, before winding his career down in MLS with Inter Miami and retiring in 2022.
The now 37-year-old won three league titles, two Spanish Super Cups and one Copa del Rey with Madrid and is 15th on their all-time top goalscorers list.
GO FURTHER – Every completed Real Madrid transfer in summer 2025: Signings, exits, loans
7. Achraf Hakimi – £36m
Year: 2020
To: Inter Milan
Real Madrid appearances: 17
Real Madrid goals: 2
One of only two players on this list who came through the Real Madrid academy, and the only one who spent his entire youth career with Los Blancos, Achraf Hakimi has cemented himself as one of, if not the, best right-backs in the world.
Born in the Spanish capital to Moroccan parents, Hakimi spent 10 years in the club’s youth team, but found himself unable to break into the first team ahead of Dani Carvajal or Nacho.
With his game time uncertain, Hakimi joined German giants Borussia Dortmund on a two-year loan deal in July 2018, making 73 total appearances for the club, with the 2019/20 campaign being particularly fruitful for the defender.
His exploits earned him a £36m move to Inter Milan. After just one season and 17 goal contributions in 37 league appearances in the Italian capital, Hakimi was again on the move, this time to PSG for £51.3m.
The Moroccan international has won four consecutive league titles with the Parisians and played an instrumental role in their first Champions League success, scoring the opening goal against former club Inter in the final, which they won 5-0.
6. Mateo Kovacic – £40m
Year: 2019
To: Chelsea
Real Madrid appearances: 109
Real Madrid goals: 3
Born in Linz, Austria, but representing Croatia since the U14 level, Kovacic, despite regularly playing for some of the world’s biggest clubs, seemingly goes a bit under the radar.
After spending seven years in the academy of LASK, he would join Dinamo Zagreb in 2007, before making his first team debut in November 2010.
Following his breakthrough in Croatia, Inter came calling and signed the press-resistant midfielder in January 2013. Three successful seasons in Italy followed, which caught the attention of Madrid, who signed Kovacic in August 2015 for around £25m.
The 110-time capped Croatian would feature sporadically for Madrid, never able to nail down a place ahead of Casemiro, Toni Kroos or his compatriot Luka Modric in his three seasons at the club.
A loan move to Chelsea in June 2018 followed before joining the Blues permanently the following summer for around £40m. Kovacic is about to enter his third season for Man City after he joined The Citizens for £25m from Chelsea in July 2023.
5. Mesut Ozil – £42.4m
Year: 2013
To: Arsenal
Real Madrid appearances: 159
Real Madrid goals: 27
Born in Germany of Turkish descent, Ozil played for various youth academies in Germany before breaking through at Schalke, although his time there wouldn’t last long. After disagreeing on a contract, he subsequently transferred to Werder Bremen.
His performances at Bremen impressed potential suitors; however, it was at the 2010 FIFA World Cup where he truly came to global prominence, and what led Los Blancos to purchase the playmaker for roughly £12.4m in August 2010.
Upon signing for Madrid, Ozil said, “When the offer came in to join Real Madrid, there is no decision to make. Let’s be honest – you don’t refuse this club. I was in no rush to leave Werder Bremen, but this is one club you say yes to.”
157 appearances, 27 goals and 80 assists in three seasons across all competitions for Madrid ensued, putting the German international amongst the very best playmakers in the world.
Ozil would depart the Bernabeu in September 2013, joining Arsenal for £42.4m, becoming the most expensive German player of all time in the process.
He would win three FA Cups during his eight-year stay in North London before finishing his career in Turkey with Fenerbahce and then Istanbul Basaksehir.
READ MORE – Top 10 most expensive Real Madrid signings of all time, with Ancelotti at the helm for four
4. Angel Di Maria – £59.7m
Year: 2014
To: Manchester United
Real Madrid appearances: 190
Real Madrid goals: 36
Impressing in his native Argentina for boyhood club Rosario Central, Di Maria earned a move to Europe with Benfica at 19 years old.
He would spend four years in Portugal before Madrid signed him in July 2010 for around £21m, the same window in which Ozil joined the club.
Despite being a regular during his four years at the Bernabeu, scoring 36 goals and assisting 85 in 190 appearances across all competitions for the club, Madrid cashed in on the Argentine, as Man Utd signed him in August 2014 for roughly £59.7m.
Inheriting the number 7 shirt previously worn by the likes of Beckham, Ronaldo and George Best and signing a five-year contract, the winger openly stated that he never wanted to leave Los Blancos in an open letter to fans.
The World Cup winner scored three goals and provided 10 assists in 27 league appearances for The Red Devils, though none of his goals came after gameweek seven, and he was ultimately voted as the worst signing of the season by The Daily Telegraph.
A £44m move to PSG just one year after United made him the most expensive transfer a British club has ever made followed, where he enjoyed far greater success.
The 37-year-old played just shy of 300 games in France before one year in Italy for Juventus, and then to Benfica before his impending move back to boyhood club Rosario Central this summer, where he will presumably finish his career.
3. Alvaro Morata – £60m
Year: 2017
To: Chelsea
Real Madrid appearances: 95
Real Madrid goals: 31
The only other Real Madrid academy graduate apart from Hakimi on this list, Morata has historically only ever played for big clubs. He is also, in fact, the fifth-most expensive footballer ever in cumulative transfer fees.
Having initially struggled to break into the Los Blancos first team, Juventus signed Morata for £15.8m in July 2014.
After two impressive seasons in Turin, including an excellent assist for Juan Cuadrado away at Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Los Blancos re-signed Morata for £23m in July 2016.
His return to Madrid would only last one year, though, as Chelsea signed the Spaniard for £60m after 20 goal contributions in 26 La Liga games.
Morata hasn’t spent more than two years at a club since, having played for the likes of Atletico Madrid, a return to Juventus, AC Milan and most recently a loan to Galatasaray.
At 32, Morata’s time at the very pinnacle of the game may well be up, but his goal record wherever he has gone, whilst not astounding in any case, remains highly impressive.
2. Casemiro – £60m
Year: 2022
To: Manchester United
Real Madrid appearances: 336
Real Madrid goals: 31
At one point in time, Casemiro was regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.
The Brazilian joined Los Blancos from his boyhood club Sao Paulo FC in January 2013, initially on a loan, linking up with the club’s Castilla side.
After impressing during his loan spell, the move was made permanent for just £5.1m, though he struggled to nail down a place in the first team during his first full season in the Spanish capital, and ultimately headed out on loan to Portuguese giants, Porto.
He would appear 41 times across all competitions during his stay in Portugal, which was made permanent for £6.4m. However, the following day, Madrid activated his buyback clause and re-signed the midfielder for £12.8m.
From there, he would become a regular under Zidane at the Bernabeu, achieving unprecedented success with the club, winning 18 titles across nine years, including five Champions Leagues and three La Ligas.
Capped 77 times for Brazil, Casemiro departed Madrid for Manchester, namely Man Utd, in August 2022 for £60m, potentially rising to £70m with add-ons, but his time in England has been turbulent to say the least.
Following United’s 4-0 away loss to Crystal Palace in May 2024, in which the then-32-year-old had a particularly poor game, Jamie Carragher was quoted as saying: “Leave the football before the football leaves you. The football has left him,” after the match, directed at Casemiro.
Still under contract until 2026 with an option to extend for a further year, the Brazilian is reportedly on £350,000 per week at Old Trafford, and it’s difficult to see any club in the world come anywhere near matching that salary.
Casemiro will go down as one of the best defensive midfielders of the modern game, though the player he was at Madrid seems so long ago.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – £99.2m
Year: 2021
To: Juventus
Real Madrid appearances: 438
Real Madrid goals: 450
A name you may be familiar with, Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the greatest footballers of all time, and for many, the greatest.
Starting his career in his native Portugal with Sporting CP, the forward impressed Man Utd manager Sir Alex Ferguson in a friendly between the two clubs in August 2003. Less than a week later, Ronaldo was made a United player for just over £12m, the highest fee spent by an English club on a teenager.
His first couple of seasons in Manchester were slow as he adapted to a new country and league, but his talent was obvious.
The 2007/08 season was the Portuguese’s most prolific in England, scoring 42 goals and assisting a further eight in 50 games across all competitions as United won the Champions League and Ronaldo won the 2008 Ballon d’Or.
Madrid signed Ronaldo for a world record £80m in July 2009, and his time at the Bernabeu didn’t go too badly.
16 major trophies, four Ballon d’Ors and becoming Los Blancos’ record goalscorer with 450 goals in 438 appearances later, Juventus decided to spend close to £100m on the then 33-year-old in August 2021, making him Madrid’s record sale.
Three years in Turin followed, as did 123 goal contributions in 134 games, before a quintessentially chaotic 18-month stint back at Man Utd.
Ronaldo is now entering his third full season in Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr, still as prolific as ever at 40 years old.
The most-capped European player of all time, with 221 international appearances, the all-time leading international goalscorer with 938 goals across his entire professional career, Madrid signed him for a world record fee and still made a profit. GOAT status.