Asier Illarramendi leaves Real Madrid and heads to the Royal Society after two seasons in which he never started and never proved to be the replacement for Xabi Alonso. Since Florentino Perez came to Real Madrid, the white club has spent nearly 200 million in midfield and in the case of Illarra is the fifth most expensive signing in the history of the organization.
The sports policy of Real Madrid since the arrival of Florentino Perez to the presidency in 2000 and after his return to power in 2009 has been marked by trying to engage the best players in the world considered and, to a lesser extent but equal or greater cost , to try to find a midfielder capable of leading the team . The output of Asier Illarramendi to Real Sociedad is another example of what has been really difficult for white club find the ideal replacement for first Fernando Redondo , later Claude Makelele and finally of Xabi Alonso .
At different times and circumstances, the president of Real Madrid let go of Fernando Redondo (sold in 2000 by 18 million to Milan ). Four years later, I did not want to increase the salary and Frenchman Makelele was transferred to Chelsea. And last summer, Xabi Alonso asked to leave Bayern Munich when it was newly renovated. These three midfielders were the three main pillars that supported the team's game in the past two decades, and only with them on the pitch reached important successes .
How much money has cost the ideal midfielder search? Almost 200 million euros, including in this figure the latest addition, Mateo Kovacic . A total of 18 players since he left Fernando Redondo until the Croatian came from Inter, where homegrown players like Borja Fernandez, Ruben De la Red or are also included Esteban Granero (for which Real paid 4 million per repescarle Getafe) . And as discussed as signings Thomas Gravesen and Pablo Garcia , or others that went unnoticed as Nuri Sahin (two injured seasons) or the penultimate signing in this plot, Lucas Silva , who this season has not even back in the first team.