Real Madrid XI of Signings Who Dramatically Underwhelmed
Real Madrid's transfers over the past few seasons have been generally impressive, with the likes of Alvaro Morata, Mateo Kovacic and Toni Kroos all proving excellent additions to the squad or even the starting XI.
Like every side in world football, however, there are on occasion signings made which promise much—yet deliver absolutely nothing positive or close to it. No club wants to see money squandered, and no fans want to see their players fail, but sometimes it simply doesn't work out as expected.
Taking into account transfers all the way back to 1995, we've compiled an XI of Real Madrid signings whose performances and time at the club was way below the expected return; financial investment is a factor in deciding which players get picked, but it's not the only factor. Previous career history, the excitement or expectation around a player and the role they were expected to fill—perhaps even did begin to fill—is all accounted for too.
In other words, don't be looking here for Julien Faubert et al; nothing was expected of them, and that's precisely what was achieved.
GK: Albano Bizzarri
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In truth, Real Madrid haven't had to buy too many goalkeepers since Bodo Illgner back in 1996/97 season, thanks in no small part to the emergence of a teenager named Iker Casillas.
Just before that, though, they turned their attentions to a hugely promising Argentinian goalkeeper named Albano Bizzarri, who joined Los Blancos in 99/00 and was expected to take over as first choice. He played, briefly, but 18-year-old Casillas soon won the battle to be No. 1, and Bizzarri was immediately sold to Real Valladolid at the end of his debut season.
CB: Ezequiel Garay
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Centre-back has been a much more profitable area of woe and discontent for Real Madrid down the years—though that's not the aim, of course.
Partly tactical, as they have always put so much emphasis on attack, but also partly because the club rushes out to buy the new, bright young star and immediately expects stellar displays from them.
That was the case with Ezequiel Garay, clearly a player of immense promise even as a teenager. But after being loaned out in his first year, a squad player in his second and not fancied at all by Jose Mourinho in his third, Garay was jettisoned.
He has since, of course, gone on to be one of the more admired and consistent defenders around Europe with Zenit and Benfica, and the Argentinian is now back in La Liga with Valencia.
CB: Jonathan Woodgate
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A truly desperate transfer, Jonathan Woodgate arrived injured when he signed, remained sidelined for the entirety of his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu...and then, when he finally made his debut, scored an own goal and was sent off.
He managed fewer than 10 league games for the club in two years, was sold for around half the £15 million Real forked out for him and was voted the worst signing of the century by the club's fans in a Marca poll (h/t Reuters).
All this for a player once heralded as England's next defensive rock.
CB: Walter Samuel
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Walter Samuel was a defensive mountain throughout his career...save for one error-strewn season at the Santiago Bernabeu.
A big-money move from AS Roma looked to be exactly the deal Madrid needed back in 04/05—the same year Woodgate signed, incidentally—but the Argentinian continually fell below expectations despite being a regular starter in the hope he'd discover top form.
Caught out for pace and seeming to second-guess himself at times, Samuel was a mess by season's end and promptly moved back to Serie A, where he regained his world-class standing.
WB: Danilo
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On the right flank, it's hard to look past current squad member Danilo.
While Hamit Altintop or Pedro Leon were far from stellar, not much was expected of them. Danilo came with a big reputation and an even bigger price tag.
Suffice to say, he has failed to wrest the right-back spot from Dani Carvajal after a string of misjudgements, mistakes and worrying losses of concentration. There's still time to turn it around, but even his better displays are ignored by fans when a single pass goes astray.
WB: Royston Drenthe
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The left side has one or two more possible options—Robert Jarni from the late 90s was one, Fabio Coentrao from the current squad another—but it's hard to beat the fall from grace suffered by Dutchman Royston Drenthe.
Seen as one of the best young talents out of the Eredivisie, he joined from Feyenoord in 2007 and featured heavily in his first campaign, both at left-back and left wing, but he was out of the squad and arguing with the manager by the end of the season.
The following campaign was similar: initially involved, albeit as sub, before the fans booed him off the pitch and he was barely seen again for the remainder of the year in 08/09. Things have gone downhill since, with Drenthe loaned and sold on, moving to Russia, the lower leagues in England, Turkey and UAE before retiring.
He is now 29 and involved in hip-hop as Roya2Faces.
CM: Lucas Silva
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Even before the events of this past summer, Lucas Silva was already a disappointment for his time at Real Madrid.
Hailed as one of the biggest talents emerging from Brazil when Real signed him from Cruzeiro in January 2015, Lucas was initially involved in squads under Carlo Ancelotti but soon left out and overlooked. Things got no better when he was deemed not required in 15/16 and sent on loan to Marseille.
There, he barely featured and rowed with the coach before L'Equipe reported the French club attempted to cancel the loan early (h/t AS). A move last summer was put off after the discovery of heart defects, which left Lucas sidelined all season as he recovered.
He moved back to Cruzeiro on loan in January.
CM: Nuri Sahin
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While not quite as dramatic a fall as Drenthe's, Nuri Sahin's move to Real Madrid also seems to have been a turning point in his career.
A star at Borussia Dortmund as he dominated midfield and took the team to the German title, Sahin signed a long-term deal with Real, and the expectation was certainly that he'd become part of the new XI. Injuries disrupted his first season, though, and he spent only a few months in the side at the Santiago Bernabeu before being loaned to Liverpool the following year.
That move was cancelled halfway through, and Sahin's second loan was back to Dortmund before he re-joined BVB permanently. He has played only once for the club this season.
AM: Rafael Van Der Vaart
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Rafa van der Vaart was once the poster boy for Dutch football and sought after by most big European clubs.
When Real Madrid eventually signed him from Hamburg, he looked a good fit and initially impressed. But, midway through the campaign, his drop-off was momentous. Left out and used only as a sub for the remainder of 08/09, Van der Vaart's Real career was basically already over.
He didn't receive a squad number initially the following campaign and was only used sparingly until the latter part of the year when injuries elsewhere afforded him a chance. Van der Vaart left for Tottenham after two seasons at Real Madrid, when really his talents should have seen the team shaped around him for many years more.
CF: Nicolas Anelka
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The forward positions have historically been where Real Madrid throw the most money, and, while that tends to lead to great players showing why they are so in demand, on occasion it can also bring up an expensive flop.
Step forward the 1999 version of Nicolas Anelka, signed for well over £20 million from Arsenal...and who didn't score in La Liga until February of the following year.
Anelka was suspended for arguing with his manager and sold at the end of his single season in which he managed just two league goals.
CF: Javier Saviola
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If Anelka was the expensive mistake, Javier Saviola was simply the huge disappointment.
The Argentinian striker was signed on a free transfer from Barcelona and was expected to finally make good on his massive potential, but he failed to regularly win a place in the team in his two years at the club and managed only five goals.
Other players cost more, but Saviola had the big name and could have been a real coup from the club's biggest rivals. Instead, he flopped big time.
Subs
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Cesar Sanchez: Signed to replace Bizzarri but similarly failed to usurp Casillas for long.
Christoph Metzelder: An experienced defender who proved injury prone, playing 30 games in three years.
Robert Jarni: Excellent at Real Betis, Real wanted him so much they paid more to Coventry to sign him than the English side had done to capture his signature just weeks earlier. Failed to win a place at Madrid.
Asier Illarramendi: Big-money signing to herald a move by the team to Spanish roots. Never trusted, sold at a loss.
Antonio Cassano (pictured): Brought in midway through 05/06, had fitness issues, was fined for being overweight and argued with the coach before being sold.
Elvir Baljic: A huge €25 million fee paid in 1999 after he starred in Turkey. Tore his ACL before the season started, never regained form thereafter. Scored only once for Madrid.
Dejan Petkovic: Heralded as one of Europe's best young playmakers, he played only five times before being loaned and sold, going on to achieve success in Brazil.
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