Real Madrid have always been renowned for spending big amounts of money of quality and high profile players. The Los Blancos have broken the world record for transfer fees more than any other club — and even broke their own record for four consecutive transfers in the space of 13 years and were holding that record until this summer when Manchester United broke it by signing Paul Pogba.

The ‘Galacticos’ transfer policy that has been implemented by club president Florentino Perez has seen Madrid achieve plenty of success over the years, but at the same time, there have been quite a few players who have struggled to make the step up at the Santiago Bernabeu.

With the January transfer window open, amidst all the transfer fever among the fans, we at SoccerSouls give you two of the best and the worst transfers made by the 11-time European Champions in the last decade:

Best Transfers

Cristiano Ronaldo

Inarguably the best piece of business Real Madrid have ever made. Cristiano Ronaldo signed from Manchester United in 2009 for a then-world record fee of £80 million and has gone to show year after year why the Spanish giants paid that amount of money.

While he may not have won a bucket loads of trophy in his 8 years at the Santiago Bernabeu, it is his sheer desire to win, his brilliant individual abilities and his unparalleled goal-scoring record that set him apart in the world of football. Despite playing through some of the most turbulent times in the Spanish capital, the Portuguese never let his game be affected and has shown monumental consistency over the years and is one of the main reasons for Madrid’s re-emergence as the superpower in Europe after a brief spell of dullness before his arrival.

382 club goals in 370 appearances over eight years, winning one La Liga title (2010-11), two Champions League trophies (2013-14, 2015-16), two Copa Del Rey wins, two FIFA Club World Cup trophies, two UEFA Super Cups and one Super Copa de Espana. And plenty of individual honours to go with these including the Ballon d’Or awards in 2013, 2014 and 2016. Nothing more needs to be said.

Luka Modric

The Croatian arrived from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2012 for a reported fee in the region of £30 million and what an impact signing he has been for Madrid.

In his five years in the Spanish Capital, Modric has just grown from strength to strength and has become one of the finest deep-lying midfielders in the game at the moment. His creativity and eye for a pass are the driving force for Madrid in attacks while he has been equally impressive in his defensive duties over the years.

His energy and presence in the middle of the park is absolutely vital for the Los Galacticos. In the age of big money moves and crazy transfer fees, Modric did not cost Madrid a lot, given their history of spending and has established himself as the key part of the team having won plenty of titles with them, including the two UEFA Champions League titles in 2013-2014 and 2015-16.

Worst Transfers

Kaka

A World Cup, Champions League and Ballon d’Or winner, Kaka is, without a doubt, one of the most talented players to have emerged from Brazil in recent times. Kaka joined Real Madrid for a transfer fee of £60,000,000 which was a world-record at the time, adding to the list of Galacticos.

While at Milan, Kaka had won the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 2007 and the Real Madrid fans were itching to see the Brazilian weave his magic at the Santiago Bernabeu. The last man since Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to win the Ballon d’Or, failed to do so.

There were some moments of brilliance, but they were too few and far between. 29 goals and 32 assists from attacking midfield in the 120 games did not justify the money that Madrid had invested in him. After four years at Real, he returned to AC Milan on a free transfer and his spell in the capital of Spain was largely deemed as a failure.

Julien Faubert

One of the most bizarre signings in the history of Real Madrid, Julien Faubert joined the Galacticos on loan in January 2009 from West Ham United, with an option of making the move permanent at the end of the season. There were question marks over his qualities upon his arrival at the Bernabeu and those misgivings were proven right given he made only two appearances for Madrid.

His attitude was always a talking point, considering that he skipped training thinking mistakenly that he had a day off. The worst moment, however, came during Madrid’s clash against Villarreal, when the Frenchman was caught sleeping on the Spanish giants’ bench. No wonder Madrid did not make the move permanent.