Ronaldo off to Real
- 00:02:27
- ITN
Ronaldo off to Real
Real Madrid will break their own three-day-old world transfer record if the £80m signing of Christiano Ronaldo goes through. We look back at the biggest deals in football history. Kaka, £56million from AC Milan to Real Madrid, June 2009 Three days ago Real made their first major purchase of the summer following Florentino Perez's return as president with the capture of brilliant Brazilian Kaka. The midfielder had rejected a move to Manchester City in January - for nearly double the fee - but the bumper pay day for cash-strapped Milan sealed the deal this time. Zinedine Zidane, £46.7 million move from Juventus to Real Madrid, 2001 The previous world record deal, the French star was the biggest piece in Real president Florentino Perez's Galacticos project. The World Cup winner had made his name at Bordeaux before moving to Juventus for just £3 million in 1996. At Real he continued to flourish as the world's best player winning the Champions League in 2002. Luis Figo, £37million, Barcelona to Real Madrid, 2000 Perez had been elected Real president in the summer of 2000 on the back of his promise to make a staggering transfer coup - the signing of Luis Figo, the star player of arch-rivals Barcelona. He kept his promise and the Portugeuse arrived at the Bernabeu for a then world transfer record. Hernan Crespo, £35.7 million Parma to Lazio, 2000 In the summer of 2000 Sven-Goran Eriksson's Lazio were Serie A champions and free to splash the cash following the sale of Christian Vieri to Inter Milan a year before for around £32 million. They decided to spend their money on Parma's Hernan Crespo, who finished top scorer in the league in his first season in Rome but was unable to help the club defend their Scudetto and also left for Inter in 2002. Robinho, £32.5million, Real Madrid to Manchester City, 2008 The current Premier League record deal, Manchester City announced their intention to become a major player in world football with the signing of the Brazilian forward. Of course it only became possible following the takeover at Eastlands by the super-rich Abu Dhabi investment group on the final day of the 2008 summer transfer window. It is thought one day City themselves could break the world transfer record. Gianluigi Buffon, £32 million Parma to Juventus, 2001 With Parma selling off all their best players Italian giants Juventus beat Roma to the signing of international keeper Gianluigi Buffon for £32 million, a figure which remains a world record sum for a goalkeeper. For club and country Buffon has continued to show why for many he is still considered the world's best stopper.
ITN | June 11, 2009
