24 players who were re-signed by former clubs

#6 Ricardo Kaka

Kaka reached the milestone of scoring 100 goals for AC Milan

Kaka’s most successful years were spent playing for AC Milan. He moved to Milan in 2003 for a deal worth €8.5 million. He spent six seasons at the club before moving to Real Madrid. Kaka was a free agent in 2013 and chose to go back to his former club AC Milan on a two year contract. During his two spells at the club, Kaka cemented his place as one of the best Brazilian attacking players of all time.

#5 Steven Pienaar

Steven Pienaar was released by Everton at the end of 2015-16 once his contract expired.

After struggling during his first seaon at Borussia Dortmund, Pienaar was signed on loan by Everton in 2007. A year later, Pienaar made a more permanent move to Everton for the next three years. He impressed for the Toffees resulting in a transfer to Tottenham.

On account of a bad season due to injuries, Pienaar returned once again to Everton on loan in January 2012 and signed a contract with them for a transfer later that year.

#4 Nemanja Matic

In 2011, Matic was part of a swap deal with Benfica that brought David Luiz to Chelsea

Nemanja Matic moved from the Slovak team MFK Kosice to Chelsea in 2009 on a four year contract for a transfer sum of €1.5 million. Unable to make much headway in the team, he was loaned to the Dutch club, Vitesse in 2010. In 2011, he was sold to Benfica only to move back to Chelsea in January 2014 for the whopping price of €25 million on a five and a half year contract.

#3 Dani Carvajal

Dani Carvajal is set to remain at Real Madrid till 2020 as per his new contract.

Dani Carvajal joined the Real Madrid youth academy as a ten year old and went on to captain Real Madrid B in 2010 and restore their place in the second divison of Spanish football after an absence of five years. However, he failed to make it to the senior team and was sold to Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 2012. After an impressive season at the German club, Real Madrid exercised their buy-back clause and brought him back to the club for a transfer fee of €6.5 million.

#2 Didier Drogba

Drogba’s last minute goal helped Chelsea win their first Champions League in 2012

Didier Drogba moved to Chelsea in 2004 for a transfer fee of £24 million from Marseille and served the club well until his departure in 2012. He was the spearhead of one of the most sucessful Chelsea squads of all time.

Before he left, he gave his club and fans the much-awaited gift of the Champions League and cemented his place in the southwest London club’s history. Unable to stay away from the club he loved so dearly, Drogba moved back to Chelsea on a free transfer in 2014 and gave his best to the club for another year.

#1 Mario Gotze

Mario Gotze admitted that moving to Bayern Munich was a mistake

Mario Gotze joined the Borussia Bortmund youth academy as an eight year old. He quickly made his way into the first team in 2010 under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp. He became a part of the core players behind the success of Dortmund for the next three years.

In 2013, he left for Bayern Munich but barely got much game time. He moved back to his childhood club in July 2016 on a four year contract.