The €100m man

Posted Saturday, August 24, 2013 by Marca.com

The €100m man

Bale has become football’s most expensive ever transfer. Real has paid Tottenham €99m for the midfielder.

The Welshman has taken Cristiano Ronaldo’s place as the world’s most expensive signing. Real paid United €96m for its Portuguese star during the summer of 2009. Cristiano had previously dethroned Zidane, who signed for Real Madrid for €69m in 2001.

Four of the most expensive transfers in the history of football were made by Real Madrid during Florentino Pérez’s two terms as club president. Cristiano, Bale, Zidane and Kaká are amongst the top 5 most expensive footballers of all time. The Frenchman and the Brazilian are ranked fourth and fifth respectively.

Only Ibrahimovic’s arrival at Barcelona for €75m from Inter de Milan stops Real from monopolising the top five most expensive players ever. The Swede is ranked third.

Figo is another of the footballers who arrived at Real as a big-money signing. He joined in 2000 for €60m and was the first big-name signing of the Florentino era and he became, at that time, the most expensive player ever.

Real Madrid, in signing Bale, reaffirms itself as the richest club in the world, according to a recent study published by U.S. magazine Forbes a few weeks ago.