10 best transfers in Real Madrid history

Real Madrid are one of the most successful clubs in Europe's top five leagues. They have won a plethora of domestic and continental honours during the course of their long and illustrious history.

Unsurprisingly, some of the best players to have graced the game have turned up for the record 34-time La Liga and 13-time Champions League winners over the years.

Ten best transfers made by Real Madrid

While not all big-name players have excelled in the famed Real Madrid whites, a few of them have left an indelible mark on the club's history. On that note, let's have a look at the ten best transfers made by Real Madrid.

#10 Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale - on loan at Tottenham Hotspur - may be surplus to requirements at Real Madrid at the moment, but there's no denying the Welshman's impact at the Spanish giants.

Since arriving at Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 on a world-record transfer, Bale has scored 105 goals in over 250 appearances while also providing 68 assists. He has netted in big games - the 2014 and 2018 Champions League finals, the second one being an acrobatic overhead kick.

Despite poor form and injuries plaguing his stint at the Bernabeu, Bale has played a stellar role in Real Madrid winning four Champions League and two La Liga titles. Considering his good form at Spurs, Bale is far from a finished article and could have a role to play at Real Madrid in the future.

#9 Ronaldo Nazario

One of the most lethal strikers in the game's history, Ronaldo Nazario had a fabulous stint at Real Madrid, scoring 104 goals in 177 games.

Fresh off winning the 2002 FIFA World Cup, where he scored eight goals, the two-time Ballon d'Or winner's arrival kickstarted the Galacticos era at Real Madrid. Ronaldo scored 23 league goals that campaign to help the team win the La Liga title before winning the Pichichi award in his next season.

Ronaldo netted a memorable hat-trick against Manchester United in the 2002-03 Champions League quarter-finals, which earned him a rare standing ovation from both sets of fans.

With injuries slowing him down, Ronaldo scored just 19 times in his last two seasons at Real Madrid before he moved to AC Milan.

#8 Zinedine Zidane

Present Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane is arguably best remembered by Los Blancos fans for his sensational volley against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 Champions League final in Glasgow.

That goal sealed Real Madrid's third Champions League title in six years as Zidane walked into club folklore. Earlier that season, the Frenchman had arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu on a world-record transfer.

The two-time Ballon d'Or winner scored 49 goals and provided 68 assists in over 200 games spanning five seasons at Real Madrid.

More than a decade later, he would return to deliver a stunning Champions League three-peat as Real Madrid became the team to beat in Europe.

#7 Toni Kroos

Toni Kroos has turned out to be one of the best signings made by Real Madrid in the last decade.

Since arriving from Bayern Munich after winning the FIFA World Cup with Gemany in 2014, Kroos has become a first-team regular at Real Madrid. Not one to hog as much limelight as some of his illustrious colleagues up front, Kroos has played a key role in Real Madrid's dominance in Europe and in the league over the years.

Although he has scored only 21 times in over 300 appearances, Kroos has made an impressive 75 assists.

Real Madrid manager recently said about Kroos:

"Kroos is such a good player that he can play as a No.6, as a pure midfielder or as a No.10. His main virtue is his serenity. He never gets nervous. I find it amazing how easily he plays with both feet. I might think he's left-footed. His whole life is football and family. The rest does not matter. He will be remembered as a spectacular player, one of the best in the world in his position."

#6 Luka Modric

Luka Modric, like Toni Kroos, has been a mainstay in the Real Madrid midfield since arriving at the club almost a decade ago.

The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner has been a standout performer for Real Madrid. He has tallied 26 goals and 59 assists in 377 appearances, while winning four Champions League and two league titles among other domestic and continental honours.

The 35-year-old Modric's importance in the Real Madrid squad can be gauged from the fact that he has been a very reliable assist-provider to veteran striker Karim Benzema.

#5 Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema has been one of the shrewdest signings made by Real Madrid.

After being prised out of Olympique Lyon in the summer of 2009 (coinciding with the arrival of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo), Benzema has been a steady if not spectacular performer for Real Madrid over the years.

Nevertheless, with 269 goals, the Frenchman is Real Madrid's third-most prolific scorer. Benzema has especially come into his own since the departure of Ronaldo in the summer of 2018 and has scored an impressing 77 goals in this period.

Zidane once said about his 33-year-old striker:

"I know what a player Benzema is, everyone knows it. The number of goals he's scoring is incredible. I'm made up for him. Everyone can have their opinion on who is the best number nine in the world and for me it's Karim."

#4 Ferenc Puskas

Ferenc Puskas is one of the best players to have played for Real Madrid.

Part of the Magnificent Magyars (Hungary) at the 1954 FIFA World Cup, Puskas arrived at Real Madrid in 1958 and won three European and five league titles at the club. He scored 195 goals in only 225 appearances for the club in a glorious decade-long stint.

Puskas unfortunately passed away at the age of 79 in 2006 but remains a much-loved figure at Real Madrid.

#3 Sergio Ramos

Undoubtedly one of the finest defenders to have played for Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos has been a standout player for the Merengues since arriving from Sevilla in 2005.

One of the most prolific goal-scoring defenders in the game, Ramos has scored an incredible 100 goals for Real Madrid and has excelled at both ends of the pitch.

The 34-year-old centre-back has won an incredible 22 titles with Real Madrid - a tally that comprises five league and four Champions League honours.

Zidane, unsurprisingly, expressed his desire for Ramos to stay at the club beyond the summer, when the defender's current contract with Real Madrid expires. The Frenchman said about Ramos in this regard:

"We want him to stay here. He's always going to be an important player and I want him to remain here, that's what I'll say as a coach."

#2 Cristiano Ronaldo

If not for one other player, Cristiano Ronaldo would have been considered the best-ever signing in Real Madrid history.

Arriving from Manchester United in the summer of 2009 on a world-record transfer, Ronaldo scored a staggering 450 goals in nine prolific seasons with the club.

Breaking a plethora of records along the way, Ronaldo particularly dazzled in the Champions League, winning four titles in six years before leaving for Juventus in 2018.

At the time, Zidane said these words about Ronaldo that would turn out to be prophetic.

"It is impossible to replace Cristiano, it does not matter who you sign."

#1 Alfredo Di Stefano

Alfredo Di Stefano (air borne) is one of the greatest players to have played for Real Madrid.

Alfredo Di Stefano is arguably one of the greatest players to have turned out for Real Madrid during the club's rich and illustrious history.

After arriving at Real Madrid in the summer of 1953, the Argentine scored goals and won honours aplenty as Los Blancos became the team to beat at home and abroad.

Di Stefano scored 266 goals for Real Madrid, the most by a non-Spanish player in the club's history, before he was surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo and then by Benzema.

The Argentine won five consecutive European titles and eight La Liga titles amidst a rich haul of domestic and continental honours. Considering his contribution to the game, Di Stefano became the only player in history to win the Super Ballon d'Or.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

Know More

Edited by Sai Krishna