The top teams in La Liga have consistently possessed many of the most renowned figures in global soccer, while the standard of play within the league ranks among the finest worldwide.
Several of their top players have come from different regions, with numerous global superstars following the path from the Premier League to La Liga.
Reports indicate that Trent Alexander-Arnold might be the next player to make the move from Liverpool to Real Madrid. In light of this news, we’ve examined the 10 most expensive players who previously made similar transfers to La Liga and analyzed their performances.
10. Conor Gallagher
In his final season at Chelsea, Gallagher appeared to be an essential player for the team. He was thriving as an academy graduate, experiencing the most successful campaign of his career in terms of both goals scored and assists provided. Additionally, he frequently took up the role of captain by wearing the armband.
However, since he was a local talent, and Chelsea aimed to clear their accounts purely through profits, they offloaded the midfielder to Atletico Madrid for around £35 million.
He appears to be an ideal match for Diego Simeone’s team, although he has shared playing time with other midfielders. During a round-of-16 Champions League match against Real Madrid, Gallagher netted a crucial goal, but Atletico was unfortunately eliminated through penalty kicks.
So far, with three goals and five assists from the midfield position, although he hasn’t stood out dramatically, Gallagher has proven to be a valuable addition.
9. Ferran Torres
Barcelona
He was acquired for around £46 million from Manchester City in 2022, but he hasn’t truly justified this cost so far.
Before this season, the winger had never managed to score more than 10 goals in a single season with the La Liga heavyweights.
Out of his 145 matches with Barcelona, Torres has started nearly precisely half of them (73). This indicates that the various managers he has worked under were conscious that although he can influence games, they do not consider him their top option among available assets.
8. Raphinha
Before joining Barcelona, Raphinha wasn’t yet considered a superstar, and compared to transfers to major La Liga teams, his move carried the least amount of hype. At Sporting CP and Rennes, he hadn’t made much of a splash, but he truly flourished when he joined Leeds.
During his debut season in the Premier League, Raphinha contributed to 15 goals, and in his subsequent season, he played a part in scoring or assisting 14 goals. His performances were instrumental in preventing Fulham from being relegated during the 2021-22 campaign, which also attracted interest from Barcelona.
Initially, his tenure in Spain was somewhat lackluster but not entirely so; it might best be described as rather gradual. In his debut season, he netted 10 goals and provided 12 assists, which was then succeeded by another tally of 10 goals along with 13 assists in the subsequent term.
However, in the 2024/25 season, following reports suggesting that Barcelona might sell him to generate urgently required capital, Raphinha has emerged as a force to be reckoned with. As of this writing, he boasts an impressive tally of 27 goals and 20 assists for the current campaign.
Should Barcelona manage to clinch the La Liga title or triumph in the Champions League this campaign—Raphinha contributed with 11 goals and five assists in the latter—if they succeed, the winger will be pivotal to their achievement, having emerged as a megastar this season.
7. Diego Costa
Costa represented Atletico Madrid multiple times throughout his career. After departing initially, he returned in 2010 before transferring to Chelsea in 2014. Four years following this move, he rejoined the team, with Atleti allegedly shelling out £57 million for him.
During his last campaign before moving to the Premier League, Costa found the back of the net 36 times. Over three years at Stamford Bridge, he accumulated an impressive tally of 59 goals along with 21 assists.
Therefore, Atletico likely expected to welcome back an elite forward, yet Costa found it challenging to readjust to Spanish football, with his recovery from injuries compounding the issue.
After returning, the forward played in 81 games over four seasons but managed only 19 goals during this period. Released in 2021, his stint of being without a team for several months underscores how unsatisfactory his performance had been.
6. Luis Suarez
In just two and a half years at Liverpool, Barcelona recognized enough potential in Suarez to bring him aboard with an initial transfer fee reportedly set at £75 million. It wasn’t surprising when he went on to greater heights following his last season in the Premier League where he scored 31 goals and provided 13 assists.
In his sophomore year at Barcelona, he broke that record by netting an astonishing 40 La Liga goals, coupled with 18 assists. Throughout all tournaments that campaign, Suarez registered 54 goals and provided 24 assists.
During his entire tenure at Camp Nou, the Uruguayan striker netted 195 times and provided 113 assists across 283 matches. He claimed victory in the Champions League once, which was during Barcelona’s win in the 2014/15 season, and secured the La Liga championship four times prior to achieving this feat again with Atletico Madrid in the 2020/21 campaign.
Having already established himself as a top forward at Liverpool, Suarez’s tenure at Barcelona further solidified his reputation as one of the premier strikers of his time.
5. Julian Alvarez
Among the latest footballers to make a switch between the Premier League and La Liga, Alvarez transferred from defending Premier League champs Manchester City to prospective La Liga winners Atletico Madrid during the summer of 2024.
Although he was a consistent presence during his last season with City, the abundance of talented players meant that the game didn’t revolve around him as much as it does now at Atletico.
He has accumulated 23 goals along with five assists this season, which includes eight significant contributions directly leading to goals in the Champions League. Up until now, the transfer appears beneficial for Alvarez.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo’s
It was unquestionably the most remarkable transfer from the Premier League to La Liga ever. His move shattered records at around £80 million from Manchester United. This transaction surpassed the former world-record fee set when Zinedine Zidane joined Real Madrid, which had lasted for eight years.
Throughout his tenure at Real Madrid, Ronaldo stood out as one of the most formidable strikers globally, netting an impressive 450 goals and providing 131 assists in 438 matches.
In 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017, he claimed the Ballon d’Or award when playing for Real Madrid, and he also secured 16 team titles with the club, which included winning five UEFA Champions League trophies.
3. Gareth Bale
When Bale moved to Real Madrid for roughly £85 million, he set a new world record. Having quickly evolved from a troubled full-back into a formidable striker at Tottenham, he went on to maintain his impressive form playing as a winger for Real Madrid.
During his inaugural season with the team, Bale netted 22 goals and delivered 19 assists across all contests. This tally featured six goals and four assists throughout their victorious UEFA Champions League run, which culminated in him scoring in the final match. Over time, Bale secured an additional five UEFA Champions League trophies along with three La Liga championships for the club, amassing numerous accolades.
Throughout seven seasons, he managed to score 106 goals and provided 67 assists. Although his performance waned toward the latter part, leading him to be sent back to Tottenham on loan, his tenure with the La Liga heavyweights can certainly be deemed a major success.
2. Eden Hazard
After moving to Real Madrid for a transfer fee of up to £130 million including add-ons, Hazard struggled significantly to recreate the level of play he demonstrated during his time at Chelsea.
Among the most skillful talents in the Premier League’s history, this Belgian player concluded their tenure at Stamford Bridge with an impressive tally of 21 goals and 17 assists during their last season.
In 76 matches throughout his entire Real Madrid career, he was unable to reach that one-season tally. Hazard began with a sluggish start, scoring only once and providing seven assists during this period.
The fact that he didn’t feature in more than 20 La Liga matches during one campaign—largely due to recurring injuries—highlighted how poorly Hazard adapted, leading him to retire at only 32 with just 10 appearances in his last season.
QUIZ:
Could you list all the players Real Madrid has signed from the Premier League?
1. Philippe Coutinho
Barcelona broke the bank with a record-breaking transfer fee of £142 million to sign the talented attacking midfielder Coutinho away from Liverpool, making him the costliest player ever recruited by a La Liga team.
At Anfield, he transformed into an iconic figure, contributing directly to 97 goals across 201 matches. However, his time at Barcelona did not meet the high standards he had established nor justified the significant cost of his transfer.
Following 13 direct goal contributions in his initial 18 La Liga matches, Coutinho’s performance dipped significantly, contributing only seven goals over the next 32 appearances. Later, he went on loan to Bayern Munich, regaining some of his former prowess; however, he failed to recapture his earlier form upon returning to Barcelona.
The player from Brazil was permitted to depart for Aston Villa following just 39 goal involvements in 106 matches with Barcelona.
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TRY A QUIZ
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Could you list all the English players who have played for Real Madrid since 1990?