Real Madrid has been home to some incredible players in recent history, but not all of them have come through the academy. With that said, club president Florentino Perez has had to shell out some big money to bring in the best quality in the world. Here are the 5 most expensive Real Madrid signings of all-time…

5 most expensive Real Madrid signings of all-time

For context, transfer fees are courtesy of Transfermarkt.

5. Aurélien Tchouaméni (€80m)

A current Real Madrid player kicks off this list – In at number five, it’s Aurélien Tchouaméni. The defensive midfielder was signed by Real Madrid from French side Monaco in 2022, on a six-year contract. Clearly a sign of intent from the Bernabeu board that they saw their new signing as a long-term project.

Tchouaméni is slowly developing into a first-team player and so far in the 2023/24 season, he has scored two goals and provided one assist. He is mostly known for his impressive dictation of play and being comfortable in possession. Rarely does he drive forward but when he does, he is more often than not effective.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo (€94m)

Considered by many as the greatest player of all-time, he is certainly the best player to ever play for Real Madrid. He was signed from Manchester United in the year of 2009 and instantly was a fan favourite, breaking the record attendance when he was first presented as a Real Madrid player.

It goes without saying that Ronaldo was a success at Real Madrid. The Portugal international was part of the most successful Real Madrid team of all-time and formed one third of the potent attack known as “BBC” (Bale-Benzema-Cristiano).

Ronaldo broke many records while he was a player for Real Madrid. Most notably, he is the Real Madrid all-time scoring leader in Champions League history, amassing an impressive 105 goals in the most elite European competition for Real Madrid.

Ronaldo certainly justified his price tag. This is even more impressive when you consider Real Madrid made a profit on Ronaldo, selling him to Juventus in 2018 for €117m.

3. Gareth Bale (€101m)

Gareth Bale broke Cristiano Ronaldo’s record as Real Madrid’s most expensive transfer of all-time in 2013, when he signed from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. The Welsh winger was signed for a whopping fee of €101m, making him the most expensive British player at the time.

It is difficult to judge whether or not Bale lived up to the expectation when he first signed. In short, Bale was an exceptional player in his own right and the hype of British players from their own media is very difficult to live up to.

Bale’s time in Madrid was plagued by injuries. There were also question marks as to whether or not he had the right attitude to become a club legend. There were times when he was fully fit that he struggled to get into the first-team, particularly in the latter stages of his time at Real Madrid, when Zinedine Zidane did not get on with him.

Still, Bale had some great moments, including THAT goal in the Champions League final.

2. Jude Bellingham (€103m)

Another current player of Real Madrid, Jude Bellingham makes this list as the second most expensive Real Madrid signing of all-time. The Englishman was signed from Borussia Dortmund in 2023, when Florentino Perez forked out an incredible €103m.

Bellingham is still in his first season as a Real Madrid player but already, he is close to justifying his price tag. Oftentimes, the focus on players who exceed the €100m mark is their price tag. However, the biggest compliment to Jude is that nobody is fixated on his cost, they are simply admiring his performances.

Bellingham is the top goal-scorer in the Spanish top flight, which is impressive considering he has played in both the midfield and attack this season. He has scored some pivotal goals in both La Liga and the Champions League. An emotional player who wears his heart on his sleeve, Bellingham has everything it takes to become a Real Madrid legend.

1. Eden Hazard (€115m)

Unfortunately, we have to end this list on a bad note. It won’t come as a surprise to many that the most expensive Real Madrid player of all-time is Eden Hazard, who was signed from Chelsea in 2019 for the price tag of €115m.

Hazard has a legendary status at his former club Chelsea. This is why his price tag was inflated but from Real Madrid’s perspective, he was the right player at the wrong time.

Hazard made a slow start to life at Real Madrid. Firstly, he arrived out-of-shape, which was not a great first impression for Zinedine Zidane or the Real Madrid faithful. Although he slowly started to pick up form towards the beginning of his first season, the campaign then became plagued by injuries.

Unfortunately this materialised into the sad tale of Hazard’s time at Real Madrid. A player who could have provided so much to the club, struggled to find form in the Spanish capital and was certainly not helped by a poor injury record. A flop signing, for sure.