Ranking Real Madrid’s best transfer windows this century

1. 2009 Summer transfer window

Was there ever any doubt about the one you were going to see on the top of the list. Undoubtedly it is the 2009 Summer transfer window ranked No.1, and any fan can only dream of such a window in which their club would sign two Ballon d’Or winners in their prime. And this window is the best example of the word ‘overhaul’.

Barcelona had won a Treble in the previous season, and Real Madrid had to react, to become the force they were once, and pose some threat to Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona that looked like an unstoppable team. Real Madrid did react in the best way possible, with a window that would lay the foundations for the success following in the next decade. And with Florentino Perez returning as the club’s President, there had to be a bang!

As I mentioned above, this window was indeed a revolution, with a massive clearout of players happening. Players like Arjen Robben, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Wesley Sneijder being sold to major clubs for any amount the club could recover. Alvaro Negredo was bought back from Almeria and was sold immediately to Sevilla, for a profit. Stars like Fabio Cannavaro, Michel Salgado while Saviola, Parejo, Javi Garcia, Miguel Torres and Heinze were sold for minimal amounts.

It was indeed a massive clearout, as the club looked to generate funds in every way possible. The club did sell some quality players, and there was a possibility of regretting some of the decisions. But the club wouldn’t make that mistake, as Florentino Perez started the era of Galacticos 2.0, buy signing some of the best players in Europe.

First up, Real Madrid would sign the Ballon d’Or winners of the two previous calendar years, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Kaka from Manchester United and AC Milan respectively. The Portuguese superstar was signed for a record fee of 94 million euros, and in the present-day market, those 94 million euros will only look like a bargain, considering his achievements at Real Madrid. Kaka’s signing wouldn’t work out that well on the pitch, but his star image was enough to generate a lot of revenue for the club.

The club would also sign a promising striker in Karim Benzema and a perfect defensive midfielder in Xabi Alonso, for a sum of 35 million euros and 34.5 million euros respectively, while also making a smart investment of 15 million euros in Raul Albiol. Academy graduates Esteban Granero and Alvaro Arbeloa would be bought back from Getafe and Liverpool respectively, rounding off a perfect transfer window.

Five of those players would go on to become starters from the word go, while some of them became Real Madrid’s legends in their journey at the club. Real Madrid spent a record 258.5 million euros in that way, and that expenditure obviously drew some criticism.

Well, the same clubs who once criticised Real Madrid’s spending would spend millions of money in the future, but what they failed to realise was that Real Madrid spent wisely. And the expenditure made sense, with Real Madrid being one of the richest clubs in Europe while being a fan-owned club. And it is fair to say that no other club would spend money so wisely as Real Madrid spent in 2009.

The 2009 window is something that you would call a perfect window or a perfect revolution. But for me, that transfer window is nothing but a ‘dream window’, because any club and any fan can only dream of such an exceptional transfer window.