Real Madrid, one of the world’s most famous football clubs, has a long history of making big-money signings. Over the years, they’ve brought in some of the biggest real Madrid flops alongside their successes. When you think of Real Madrid, you probably picture star players and shiny trophies. But not every player who joins the club becomes a legend.
Sometimes, even the most expensive transfers don’t work out as planned. Real Madrid has spent loads of money on players who were supposed to be amazing. Fans get excited when a new star arrives, hoping they’ll help the team win more games and titles.
But football can be tricky. A player who does great at one club might struggle at another. This has happened quite a few times at Real Madrid in the last ten years. Some players who cost a lot of money didn’t play as well as everyone hoped.
In this article, we’ll look at some of these players who didn’t live up to the hype. These are the guys who Real Madrid fans wish had done better.
These 8 Players are Considered the Biggest Real Madrid Flops
8. Danilo (2015-2017)
When Danilo joined Real Madrid in 2015, fans thought he would be amazing. They hoped he would defend well and help the team score goals. But things didn’t go as planned.
Danilo had trouble stopping other teams from scoring. He often made mistakes that led to goals. This made the fans upset. They wanted him to play better.
The fans didn’t like how Danilo played. They would boo him during games. This made it hard for Danilo to feel happy at Real Madrid.
Even though Danilo won some big trophies with Real Madrid, he didn’t play as well as everyone hoped. After two years, he left the club.
Danilo moved to Manchester City in 2017. He played there for two years. Now, he plays for Juventus in Italy. He has done better at these clubs than he did at Real Madrid.
Today, Danilo is the captain of Juventus. He also plays for Brazil’s national team. He has improved a lot since his time at Real Madrid. But Real Madrid fans still remember him as a player who didn’t live up to their hopes.
7. Mariano Diaz (2018-2023)
Mariano Diaz came back to Real Madrid in 2018. He grew up playing football in Real Madrid’s youth teams. The club bought him from Lyon for €30 million. Everyone hoped he would score lots of goals.
But things were different for Mariano at Real Madrid. Mariano didn’t get to play much. He only played in 60 league games over five years. That’s not a lot for a striker!
When he did play, he didn’t score many goals. In all his time back at Real Madrid, he only scored 7 goals in the league. That’s not very many for a team that wants to win many trophies.
Real Madrid spent a lot of money on Mariano. They thought he would be worth it. But he didn’t play enough or score enough to make the team happy. In the end, Real Madrid let him leave for free in 2023.
Now, Mariano plays for Sevilla. He joined them after leaving Real Madrid. He’s trying to show everyone he can still be a good striker.
6. Martin Odegaard (2015-2021)
Martin Odegaard joined Real Madrid in 2015 as a young star. Everyone thought he would become a football hero right away. But it was hard for Odegaard to find a spot in the playing eleven.
When Odegaard arrived at Real Madrid, he was only 16 years old. People expected him to play like a grown-up player. That’s a lot of pressure for a teenager!
Odegaard didn’t get many chances to play for Real Madrid’s main team. So, the club sent him to other teams to get better. He played for teams in the Netherlands and Spain.
While playing for these other teams, Odegaard got better and better. He learned new skills and became stronger. People started to notice how good he was getting.
Martin Ødegaard to Arsenal, here we go and deal confirmed! Permanent move – bit less than €40m to Real Madrid. Personal terms already agreed on five years contract. 🇳🇴 #AFC
Edu and Arteta wanted Ødegaard as only priority since June, strategy was correct… and now, done deal. pic.twitter.com/2LCaiEiKD0
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 18, 2021In 2021, Odegaard moved to Arsenal in England. At Arsenal, he finally showed everyone how talented he really is. He became the team’s captain and one of their best players.
Now, in 2024, Odegaard is a key player for Arsenal. He helps them win games and score goals. People don’t talk about him as a Real Madrid flop anymore. Instead, they see him as a great player who just needed time to grow up.
Odegaard’s story shows that sometimes young players need patience. Not everyone becomes a star right away. With hard work and the right chances, players can still become great, even if they start slowly.
5. Reinier (2020-2024)
When Real Madrid signed Reinier in 2020, everyone thought he’d be the next big star. He was only 18 years old and already super talented. Real Madrid paid €30 million for him, which is a lot of money for such a young player.
But things didn’t go as planned for Reinier. He never got to play for Real Madrid’s main team. Instead, they sent him to other clubs to get better.
First, he went to Borussia Dortmund in Germany. He stayed there for two years but didn’t play much. Then he went to Girona in Spain for a year. After that, he played for Frosinone in Italy.
Now, in October 2024, Reinier is playing for Granada in Spain. He’s still trying to show how good he can be. But he’s 22 years old now, and people are starting to wonder if he’ll ever be as amazing as everyone thought.
Reinier, nuevo jugador del Real Madrid.
Se ha hecho oficial al cumplir los 18 años. Como se esperaba.
El centrocampista, firma hasta junio de 2026.
Dicen que se parece a Kakapic.twitter.com/tWsUP91sqG
— Sergio Valentín (@Sergivalentin_) January 20, 2020Real Madrid still owns Reinier, but his future with the club looks shaky. He needs to play really well at Granada to have a chance of playing for Real Madrid one day. If not, they might sell him to another team.
It’s a bit sad because Reinier was so promising when he was younger. But sometimes, even very talented players struggle to reach their full potential. Football can be tough like that!
4. Brahim Diaz (2019-2023)
Brahim Diaz joined Real Madrid in 2019 as a young star. Everyone thought he would become a big player for the team. But Brahim struggled for his game time at Real Madrid.
When Diaz first came to Real Madrid, he didn’t get to play much. The team had many other good players, so Diaz had to wait for his chance. This made it hard for him to show how good he was.
To help him grow as a player, Real Madrid sent Diaz to AC Milan. He played there for three years, from 2020 to 2023. During this time, Diaz got better and better. He played in lots of games and scored some great goals.
After his time in Milan, Diaz came back to Real Madrid in 2023. Now, he plays more games for the team. He’s not a flop anymore! In fact, Diaz has become an important player for Real Madrid. He even scored a cool goal in a big game against Atlético Madrid in January 2024.
Diaz’s story shows that sometimes young players need time to grow. He didn’t give up and kept working hard. Now, he’s living his dream of playing for Real Madrid.
3. James Rodriguez (2014-2020)
James Rodriguez became a football superstar at the 2014 World Cup. He scored amazing goals and won the Golden Boot as the top scorer. Everyone talked about his skills and talent.
Real Madrid bought James for a lot of money after the World Cup. They thought he would be their next big star. At first, it looked like a great choice. James played really well in his first season. He scored goals and helped his teammates score too.
But things changed after that good start. James didn’t play as well as everyone hoped. He had some injuries and didn’t fit in with the team’s playing style. The coaches didn’t use him as much as before.
Real Madrid sent James to play for other teams for a while. He went to Bayern Munich in Germany for two years. He did okay there, but not great.
After leaving Real Madrid, James moved around a lot. He played for Everton in England, then went to Qatar and Greece. Now, in 2024, he plays for Rayo Vallecano in Spain. He’s not the superstar he once was, but he still loves football and tries his best.
2. Luka Jovic (2019-2022)
Luka Jovic’s story at Real Madrid is a bit sad. He came to the club in 2019 after doing really well at Eintracht Frankfurt. Everyone thought he would score lots of goals for Real Madrid too.
But things didn’t go as planned. Jovic found it hard to get time on the pitch. When he did play, he didn’t score many goals. In three years, he only scored three times in the Spanish league.
Real Madrid paid a lot of money for Jovic – €60 million. That’s like buying 60 million ice creams! But he didn’t play well enough to make the team happy.
In the end, Real Madrid let Jovic go to another team for free in 2022. This means they lost all the money they spent on him. It’s like giving away all those ice creams without eating them!
Jovic’s time at Real Madrid shows that sometimes, even when a player does well at one team, they might not do well at another. Football can be tricky like that!
1. Eden Hazard (2019-2023)
Real Madrid spent a huge €115 million to bring Eden Hazard from Chelsea in 2019. The club wanted him to fill the gap left by Cristiano Ronaldo, and fans hoped he would become their next superstar.
Sadly, Hazard’s time at Madrid became a story of injuries and missed games. He suffered seven major injuries in his first season alone. He missed 44 matches out of 79 games during that period, spending more time in the medical room than on the football field.
The numbers tell a sad story. In four years at Madrid, Hazard played only 76 matches and scored 7 goals. This means he scored about 0.04 goals per game – a big drop from his amazing record at Chelsea. Each of his goals cost Madrid around £31 million when you add up his transfer fee and wages.
On this day in 2019, Eden Hazard scored his first goal for Real Madrid. Although his time at the club was impacted by injuries, he finished with a total of 7 goals before eventually retiring. pic.twitter.com/bG8INRYwRf
— On This Day In Football (@chuksdoyo) October 5, 2024In June 2023, Madrid and Hazard agreed to end his contract early. He left the club with eight trophies, including one Champions League and two La Liga titles. In October 2023, at age 32, Hazard announced his retirement from football.
Many football experts now call him the worst signing in Real Madrid’s history, which makes fans extra sad because they remember how great he was at Chelsea.
Ending Note
Real Madrid has learned a lot from these past transfers that didn’t work out. The club now takes a smarter approach when buying new players. They focus more on young talent and do better research before spending big money.
The good news is that Real Madrid keeps growing stronger. They mix experienced players with fresh faces from their youth academy. This helps them save money and create a team that really cares about the club.
Remember, every football club faces ups and downs. What matters is how they learn and improve. Real Madrid keeps moving forward, ready to write new success stories with players who truly shine on the pitch.
