Top 5 Real Madrid’s Most Expensive Signings and How They Fared Including Hazard and Ronaldo

• Eden Hazard is the most expensive signing in Real Madrid’s history
• Los Blancos signed Cristiano Ronaldo for a world record fee in 2009
• Gareth Bale’s transfer in 2013 broke a previous record set in that year

Real Madrid are the biggest club in European football with 14 UEFA Champions League trophies and are also one of the heaviest spenders in the transfer market.

One of Florentino Perez’s campaign promises before becoming the club president in 2000 was that the best players would play for the club. Quality costs money.

Sports Brief looks at the top five most expensive Real Madrid signings and how they fared.

Real Madrid's most expensive signings

1. Eden Hazard

Per Transfermarkt, Hazard is the club's most expensive signing at €115 million when he joined from Chelsea in 2019. The Belgian failed to replicate the blistering display he had in London due to injuries, inconsistencies, and weight issues. His contract was mutually terminated last summer after four seasons, and he retired in November.

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2. Jude Bellingham

The English youngster joined Los Blancos last summer for a reported €103mil from Borussia Dortmund. He needed no time to prove he was worth the money. He is currently La Liga’s top scorer with 16 goals.

3. Gareth Bale

The Welsh winger moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Madrid in 2013 for €101mil. He had his up-and-down moments in white but was not a fan favourite. He scored in the 2018 Champions League final. Bale retired in January 2023 after guiding Wales to their first World Cup since 1958.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portuguese is the best value for money in the club's history. He spent nine seasons there, between 2009 and 2018, when he left for Juventus. He scored 451 goals and left the club for more money than he was signed for. Ronaldo was signed for a world-record fee of between £80mil and €94mil in 2009.

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5. Aurelien Tchouameni

The France international moved to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in 2022 for €80mil. He has eased the club of the void left by Casemiro's departure to Manchester United. His versatility has come in handy for Carlo Ancelotti this season; Tchouameni played six games as a centre-half, keeping five clean sheets.

Bellingham breaks Ronaldo's record

Sports Brief previously reported on Bellingham breaking Ronaldo's record after scoring his 14th goal in his first 15 games as a Real Madrid player.

Club legends like Ronaldo and Alfredo Di Stefano only managed 13 in the same number of games, but the English midfielder went a notch higher.