Real Madrid's £233m eight-man 2009 transfer window was potentially the greatest
When it comes to transfer spending, not many clubs can match the financial might of Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Often, the LaLiga giants break records as they attempt to add to the glittering array of stars already at the Santiago Bernabeu. The summer of 2009 was a different beast entirely though as club president Florentino Perez sanctioned a £233m spending spree in pursuit of the club’s tenth Champions League title.
With the last of those expensive acquisitions set to bid farewell to Madrid this summer, remind yourself who the club bought during that famous summer and what has happened since.
Cristiano Ronaldo - £80m from Manchester United
The most expensive player in world football at the time of his move to Real Madrid, yet Cristiano Ronaldo's switch to the Spanish capital still looks to be a bargain. The Portuguese forward was courted by Madrid for a clutch of seasons and they finally sealed his services for an £80m fee.
He went on to score an eye-watering 450 goals in 438 games and became the club’s record goalscorer. That form helped Real to win two LaLiga titles, two Copas del Rey and four Champions League.
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He brought his long-running stint with the club to a close with a shock move to Juventus, adding a further two league titles to his collection. An emotional reunion with Manchester United was then the next port of call before an explosive move to Saudi outfit Al-Nassr.
Karim Benzema is the final player of Real Madrid's 2009 transfer crop to leave (Getty Images)Who do you think is Real Madrid's best signing of all time? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Karim Benzema - £30m from Lyon
The final star of Real Madrid’s 2009 crop to bid farewell, the French striker is set to be reunited with former teammate Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia. He is closing in on a move to Al-Ittihad, where he will pen a two-year contract.
He enjoyed a dream final match for Real Madrid as he found the back of the net from the penalty spot. That was just one of 354 goals that Benzema had scored for the club since a £30m from French side Lyon.
His best campaign arguably came during last season as his 44 goals helped the club to both the LaLiga and Champions League titles and saw the striker claim the first Ballon d’Or of his career.
Kaka - £56m from AC Milan
Arguably one of the best players in the world ahead of his move to Real Madrid, the Brazilian midfielder was fresh off the back of a sensational few seasons with AC Milan. During his time at the San Siro, he helped the Italian side to a league title and the Champions League.
His form in Italy saw him secure a number of personal accolades including the Ballon d’Or, the FIFPro World Player of the Year and much more. Real saw him as an ideal addition as they splashed £56m on his signature.
Injuries limited his contributions at the Bernabeu before Kaka was allowed to return to AC Milan after four seasons. He went on to have spells with Sao Paulo and Orlando City in the MLS before bringing his career to a close in 2017.
Real Madrid spent £56m on Ballon d'Or winner Kaka in 2009 (Getty Images)Xabi Alonso - £30m from Liverpool
After a disagreement with then-Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez, Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso looked set to leave Anfield. Following his excellent form for the Merseyside outfit, it was certainly no surprise to see Real Madrid swoop for his services.
They paid £30m for the former Real Sociedad man’s signature. He proved to be an inspired signing for Los Blancos.
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He went on to make 236 appearances for the club, winning the league, the Champions League and two Copas del Rey. Alonso continued to add a number of trophies during a three-year stint with Bayern Munich.
He is now enjoying a managerial stint with Bayer Leverkusen and was strongly linked with a move to Spurs.
Alvaro Arbeloa - £5m from Liverpool
The second of a host of Spanish players to arrive at the Bernabeu in 2009, the right-back was potentially one of the more under-appreciated signings. Having started his career with the club, he had spells with Deportivo La Coruna and Liverpool before returning for a bargain fee of just £5million.
Arbeloa was instantly installed as the club’s first-choice right-back as he went on to accumulate over 230 outings for the side. Like his teammates, he won a whole host of trophies before he left on a free transfer in 2016.
The 56-time Spain international penned a deal with West Ham but made just four appearances before hanging up his boots for good.
Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa both arrived from Liverpool (Getty Images)Raul Albiol - £13m from Valencia
At the age of 37, Spanish defender Albiol is still going along very well at the top of his game. After catching the eye with Valencia, Real swooped for his services with the centre-back becoming the first Spanish player to arrive at the club during Perez's second stint.
He was the club’s first-choice centre-back during his debut campaign but fell out of contention during the subsequent seasons. He eventually left for Italian giants Napoli in 2013 and went on to become an iconic figure in Naples.
Albiol returned to Spain with Villarreal in 2019 and played a key role as they ended their long wait for a major title by winning the Europa League against Manchester United.
Esteban Granero - £3.5m from Getafe
Whilst there’s a host of players in this list still playing, the same can’t quite be said of Granero. The former midfielder began his career in the Real Madrid youth set-up before leaving for Getafe.
It did not take long for Real to bring him back for a relatively small fee. He played just under 100 games for the Spanish giants.
The midfielder was eventually sold to QPR but could not help his new side avoid relegation in his one season. Granero went on to represent Real Sociedad, Espanyol and second-tier side Marbella before rounding off his career in 2021.
Esteban Granero played nearly 100 matches for Real Madrid (Getty Images)Alvaro Negredo - £4.3m from Almeria
A name that will certainly be known to fans of the Premier League, Negredo's career has turned into somewhat of a journeyman tale. He did not ever make his first-team debut for Real Madrid with the Spanish side activating a buyback clause in the summer of 2009.
He was very quickly sold on to Sevilla and harnessed his goalscoring power there. He moved to Manchester City for £16m four years later and despite 23 goals in his debut campaign, struggled to settle.
Negredo can count Valencia, Middlesbrough, Besiktas, Al-Nassr and Cadiz among his employers.
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