The costly pattern of Real Madrid re-signing former players has now exceeded €110 million
Real Madrid’s latest signing, Alvaro Carreras, continues a familiar trend at the club—bringing back former academy talents who left to grow elsewhere, only to return as more experienced players.
For Carreras, Real Madrid paid a hefty €50 million, making him the most expensive academy product to ever be re-signed by the club.
Carreras, who rose through the ranks at Valdebebas, has made a name for himself at Benfica, becoming one of the standout left-backs in Europe.
His return marks the ninth time since 2000 that Real Madrid have bought back a player who originally developed in their youth system.
It is a long-standing strategy in Madrid’s transfer policy, though it has brought mixed results over the years, and with each case, the cost continues to rise.
A History of buying back homegrown stars
Real Madrid’s first high-profile buyback came in 2009 when they re-signed Alvaro Arbeloa from Liverpool for €4 million.
Arbeloa had previously left for Deportivo in 2006 due to limited chances in the first team, but after proving himself in the Premier League, Madrid brought him home.
In 2011, Jose Callejon followed a similar path. After leaving for Espanyol in 2008 for €1.2 million, he impressed in La Liga, prompting Madrid to buy him back for €5 million in 2011.
Dani Carvajal spent a successful season at Bayer Leverkusen. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Perhaps one of the most successful cases was Dani Carvajal. In 2012, Madrid sold him to Bayer Leverkusen for €5 million, but included a buyback clause. After just one outstanding season in Germany, they exercised the clause for €6.5 million.
In 2015, Lucas Vazquez returned after a year at Espanyol, where Madrid paid €1 million to bring him back after initially allowing a loan with an option to buy.
Alvaro Morata also fits the pattern. Sold to Juventus in 2014 for €20 million, Morata returned in 2016 for €30 million after shining in Serie A.
Mariano Diaz was sold to Lyon in 2017 for €8 million but re-signed a year later for €21.5 million, following a successful season in France.
Fran Garcia, another left-back, moved to Rayo Vallecano in 2020 for €2 million. Madrid bought him back for €5 million after a few strong seasons.
Finally, Joselu arrived on loan from Espanyol in 2023 for just €500,000. His goals in the Champions League semi-final helped Madrid lift the trophy.
The club made the deal permanent for €1.5 million in 2024, before allowing him to move to Qatar for the same fee, helping him secure a better contract—a gesture appreciated by the player.
