Real Madrid have had a lot of success in the transfer market over the years, but there are occasions in which big-money deals end in failure.
Los Blancos are currently enjoying a remarkable season thanks to the impact made by summer signing Jude Bellingham, but whilst they hit the jackpot with the Borussia Dortmund midfielder, there have been less successful signings in the position in the past.
One such transfer was that of Asier Illarramendi from Real Sociedad. The defensive midfielder was highly rated as a top prospect who could one day replace Xabi Alonso at the Santiago Bernabeu, and he joined for a fee of around £34m in the summer of 2013.
His move ended up being a disaster, making just 90 appearances for the club before returning to La Real, and he is now in MLS with FC Dallas.
Asier Illarramendi shares Real Madrid regret
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo ahead of a La Liga clash between his two former sides, the 34-year-old explained what went wrong for him at Real Madrid.
“When I look back…when I left Sociedad, I was 23 years old, I still lived in my village, with my friends and I lived a normal life there as one of the town,” he stated.
“Until I left for Madrid, I had never left my environment and it affected me a little. it was difficult fo me to adapt a little to Madrid. Maybe less to the city, but at first I did feel more drowned in the city.
“In Madrid you have more pressure. When I started, I did not get good games, you are losing confidence and I felt something inside me that I had not felt until then. It was hard for me to turn it around, and in the end, I regret not have shown my best version there.”
How Real Madrid replaced Xabi Alonso
Alonso eventually moved to Bayern Munich, but Real Madrid had still not found his replacement given that Illarramendi was not seen as an option after his initial struggles at the club.
However, the iconic midfield trio with Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Casemiro eventually formed, helping Madrid move on from Alonso and Sami Khedira, and they would go on to win four Champions League trophies together, as one of the best midfield rosters of all time.
Illarramendi did enjoy a productive spell at Real Sociedad again after returning in 2015, but given his promise as a youngster, his Madrid move was overall damaging for his career.