5 times Real Madrid overpaid for a player

Real Madrid have always been famous for their 'Galactico' recruitment policy, which includes the purchase of established superstars to form the core of their team. While financial constrictions and the ongoing pandemic have restricted them from splashing sumptuous amounts of cash in the last two windows, Los Blancos will act in the market soon. Due to their tendency to spend big bucks, they have also had to bear the cost of some substandard signings over the years.

Real Madrid have conducted some of the most exorbitant transfers of all time

Real Madrid's pursuit of prodigies Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland has picked up serious pace recently and has the potential to completely rattle the transfer market. Having broken the transfer record thrice this century, they know a thing or two about making extravagant signings.

Their famous spending spree of 2009 resulted in the arrivals of Karim Benzema (€35 million), Xabi Alonso (€34.5 million), Kaka (€67 million) and Cristiano Ronaldo (€94 million), among others. Real Madrid replicated this trend a decade later, spending a grand total of €355.5 million on incoming transfers, to varying fortunes.

With a habit of splashing world-record fees from time to time, Real Madrid are bound to have made multiple underwhelming signings. Their obsession with a particular player has resulted in Los Merengues spending ridiculous amounts of cash just to land their desired target. On that note, let's take a look at five times when Real Madrid gravely overpaid for a player:

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#5 Danilo - €31.5 million

Danilo was a flop at Real Madrid

Brazilian full-back Danilo starts us off in fifth place. A highly-rated defender during his time with Porto, Danilo had caught the eye of multiple elite-level clubs due to his potential in 2015. As per various reports, both Real Madrid and Barcelona were keen to land the youngster's signature in an attempt to secure their right-back spot for the foreseeable future.

After a heated battle in the transfer market, Los Blancos were successful in procuring their man, bagging him for a sizeable fee of €31.5 million. Aged 24 at the time of the transfer, Danilo only had Porto and Santos as major clubs on his resume, making this transfer a risky gamble.

Expectedly, the gamble backfired massively as Danilo could not make his mark at the Bernabeu in his two seasons at the club. The Brazilian failed to win over fans as well as the coaching staff, who clearly preferred Dani Carvajal in place of the erratic right-back. The only positive thing about this transfer was that Real Madrid were able to recoup a substantial amount during his sale to Manchester City in 2017.

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#4 Asier Illarramendi - €32 million

Illarramendi was sold after just two seasons

Just after 2010, a young Spanish midfielder was making waves in the Basque region, which attracted the attention of some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Real Sociedad seemed to have unearthed a rare gem in the form of Asier Illarramendi, as the defensive midfielder became one of the hottest properties in 2013.

Likened to Xabi Alonso due to his positioning and history with Los Txuri-Urdin, Illarramendi was widely viewed as the heir to the veteran midfielder. Believing in the hype, Real Madrid exuded no hesitation in forking out a whopping €32 million for an unproven 23-year-old, making him Sociedad's record departure at the time.

However, Illarramendi tanked hard at the Bernabeu, failing to displace Alonso from the base of the midfield. His 90 appearances with the club reaped little to no rewards for either of the parties and Real Madrid decided to cut their losses short after just two seasons. Illarramendi was sent packing to his former side for half the price that Madrid had spent on him in 2015.

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#3 Luka Jovic - €63 million

Jovic has clocked just 84 minutes this season

Following the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018, Real Madrid peculiarly decided not to approach the market in search of a direct replacement for their all-time top scorer. However, this strategy backfired massively, and Los Blancos were forced to take out their checkbook the following summer.

Among other star signings, Luka Jovic's capture for the massive amount of €63 million was one of the most interesting transfers of the summer. The Serbia international had recently exploded onto the scene, scoring 27 goals in his final season with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2018-19. Aged just 22 at the time of the transfer, Jovic was straightaway labeled a long-term replacement for the evergreen Karim Benzema.

Fast forward two years, and Jovic is as far from the Real Madrid first team as he was during his time with Frankfurt. The youngster has struggled to settle into life in the Spanish capital, accumulating a pitiful tally of two goals and three assists in 38 appearances so far.

A half-season loan back to Germany earlier this year did little to reignite his career. With Benzema in the form of his life, Jovic could soon find himself on the chopping block if things don't change soon.

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#2 James Rodriguez - €75 million

Club Atletico de Madrid v Real Madrid CF - La Liga

An ideal example of promising stars bagging big-money transfers after a stellar international tournament, James Rodriguez's €75 million move to Real Madrid perfectly demonstrates the darker side of this phenomenon. Rodriguez was the shining light of an exciting Colombia side in 2014, leading them to the quarter-finals of the World Cup that year on the back of his six goals.

His contributions saw him bag the competition's Golden Boot as well as interest from all the superclubs. Mesmerized by his stunning performances, Real Madrid made it their mission to acquire the services of the young Colombian at any cost. They even sacrificed Angel Di Maria to make room for the rising superstar.

However, Rodriguez's dream move to Real Madrid soon turned sour due to his consistent injury issues and an alleged dispute with manager Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman refused to give the Colombian attacker a chance in his team, sending him out on a two-season loan at Bayern Munich. He was subsequently sold to Everton on a free transfer and is currently contracted to Qatari outfit Al-Rayyan at the age of 30.

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#1 Eden Hazard - €115 million

Eden Hazard being unveiled by Real Madrid

Eden Hazard's move to Real Madrid has been nightmarish, to say the least. The leading man at Chelsea, Hazard has become a shadow of his former self at the Bernabeu, completely losing his magical touch.

Bought from the Blues for a whopping €115 million, despite just one year remaining on his contract, the Belgian superstar inherited Cristiano Ronaldo's fabled No.7 jersey at Real Madrid. The stage was set for him to take the Portuguese superstar's place in the Spanish capital. However, expectations never came to fruition and Hazard is on the verge of exiting his current side at the time of writing.

The magisterial forward has only registered a paltry five goals and nine assists for Los Blancos so far, with injuries completely chewing up his Real Madrid career. Hazard's unfathomable fall from grace is arguably the most drastic downfall witnessed in the modern era. Boasting a market valuation of €150 million during his peak with Chelsea, Hazard is now valued at just €25 million, even less than his brother Thorgan.

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