Manchester United were interested too, but when Alex Ferguson heard the sum Real Madrid were willing to pay, he backed off. They also signed a promising 21-year-old striker from Lyon for €35 million named Karim Benzema. This was back when Real Madrid had the funds to pay the premium for letting other teams turn potential into something more tangible before they swooped. “We’ll buy him when he’s worth €60 million then” came Florentino’s response. “He’ll be worth €60 million one day,” Valdano told the Real Madrid president. ![]() Jorge Valdano tells the story of how he brought the young Brazilian to the attention of Florentino Pérez earlier in his career and said they could sign him for €12 million. They also signed Kaká from A.C Milan, a player thought to be the best of the lot. They also signed Xabi Alonso, the classiest of midfielders who would help them win seven trophies over the next five years including a Champions League and league title. They signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United, a sport-changing signing that would shape the way we viewed La Liga and his rivalry with Lionel Messi - a debate that still rumbles on. That summer and Florentino’s flurry in the transfer market would come to shape the sport for a decade and define an era in La Liga and European football. ![]() They spent over €200 million on signings during those frantic summer months in what was one of the most incredible transfer windows in the history of football. The Black Eyed Peas were the hottest band on the planet, FarmVille was a thing and Real Madrid were in the process of a summer recruitment drive that would change the club’s future that continues to affect Spanish and European football 13 years later. But how did he make it to this point? We look back at his career trajectory through the data. Widely expected to pick up the Ballon d’Or this year, Karim Benzema is now one of the greatest players in world football.
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