10 most expensive signings by Real Madrid

#8 David Beckham – €37.5m

Beckham’s arrival at the Bernabeu was a huge blow to Barcelona

In the summer of 2003, it seemed certain that David Beckham would join Barcelona from Manchester United, with both teams announcing that an agreement over the player’s transfer had been reached. To the surprise of many, he instead ended up signing a four-year contract with Real Madrid. Playing alongside some of the very best in the sport like Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Raul and Casillas, it didn’t take long for Beckham to find his goalscoring touch for the Spanish giants.

He scored a goal less than three minutes into his La Liga debut. At the end of his fourth and final season with Madrid, Beckham went home with a La Liga winner’s medal - only his second piece of silverware with the club. During his time at the club, their merchandise sales exceeded $600m primarily thanks to the Englishman’s marketability.