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#3 Asier Illaramendi
Illaramendi's exceptional season with Real Sociedad attracted Real Madrid's interest. He was brilliant for Sociedad, helping them reach the Champions League in 2013. Ending speculations Illaramendi joined Real Madrid for a £28.8million fee which was apparently the highest the Blancos have spent on a Spanish player.
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While he was immensely talented as a holding midfielder, Illaramendi never got going at Real Madrid. He suffered from homesickness and cultural shock as he came from a small town with around 5000 inhabitants. The Spaniard made 90 appearances at the club but was never really convincing. He was seen as a long term replacement for Xabi Alonso, who left the club to join Bayern Munich. However, the Sociedad man was technically limited and was woeful even while covering up the Real Madrid backline.
The club were forced to sell Illaramendi back to Sociedad after a massive loss in 2015. The Spanish midfielder was a victim of Real Madrid's weird transfer policy of stockpiling midfielders as they faced the same issue with Lucas Silva later on. apart from his Real Madrid stint, Illaramendi has featured over 200 times for Real Sociedad and is also the club's current captain. The 31-year-old defensive midfielder will probably retire as one of their most decorated players.
#2 Fabio Coentrao
Fabio Coentrao joined Real Madrid to provide competition to Marcelo on the left flank. He came to Spain from Benfica on a £27million deal and a lot was expected from the versatile Portuguese defender who could also slot in as a right back or even play in midfield.
The experienced fullback never really realized his potential at Santiago Bernebeu, as he was either struggling with injuries or with form. He was never really in competition with Marcelo as the Brazilian made the left flank his own.
In his seven years of association with Real Madrid, the former Portugal international was loaned out twice, once to AS Monaco and once to Sporting CP. He turned into a proper liability for the last three seasons when he did not make a single appearance despite being on their books. He finally left the club to join Rio Ave, where it all started for him as a footballer. Coentrao even retired from football last year but returned to ply his trade for Rio Ave.
#1 Theo Hernandez
Real Madrid were so impressed by Atletico Madrid's prodigious French left back, Theo Hernandez, that they decided to make a move for the youngster. The Royal Whites decided to break an unwritten pact between the two Madrid clubs with respect to signings when they triggered Hernandez's £21.6million release clause.
The youngster came fresh from an impressive season with Alaves on loan from Atletico only to play as second fiddle to Marcelo. The Frenchman was once again a victim of Real Madrid's lack of planning. Los Blancos tried stockpiling left backs when they already had someone like Marcelo. So players like Fabio Coentrao, Danilo and even Theo Hernandez never felt at home.
After an underwhelming season where Theo Hernandez looked like a shadow of his former self, Real Madrid decided to ship him away to San Sebastian on loan. The Los Blancos thought the loan would help the Frenchman develop as a player as he would get more gametime.
But after his loan stint, the club was not satisfied with his performances and ultimately decided to pull the trigger. He departed the Spanish capital to join AC Milan, a move that changed his future forever. Hernandez has finally realized his potential at the San Siro as he has been consistent in both attacking and defensive phases. The 23-year-old is probably among the best in Serie A right now.
