Paul Pogba: Juventus to Manchester United – £89
Manchester United had been linked to offers for Pogba even when Louis Van Gaal was still coach. But the machine really started turning when Jose Mourinho took over on his mission to get United back into the Champions League frontrunners.
The fact that Pogba had played for United as a teenager and was released for a pittance makes the transfer even more incredible. For a while Real Madrid had been contenders for Pogba’s signature.
Gareth Bale: Tottenham to Real Madrid – £85.1m
Welsh forward whose performances for an attractive Spurs side persuaded Real to bid for him. The English side could not refuse such advances and let their star man go. He has built on his career at the Santiago Bernabeu with two Champions League titles, scoring in the final of the first of the two against Atletico Madrid.
His experience in La Liga helped him lead Wales in their memorable run to the Euro 2016 semi-finals. Bale also scored a stunning winner in the Copa del Rey final against Real’s arch rivals Barcelona in 2014.
Cristiano Ronaldo: Manchester United to Real Madrid £83.7m
Real Madrid came calling for the Portuguese master with what was then a world-record bid. Ronaldo was keen to join, and since arriving in the Spanish capital he has become their all-time top goalscorer and consistently set records in the Champions League, which he has won three times in his career, twice with Real.
He has achieved all this despite the hottest of competition from Barcelona’s Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi, who still leads in the overall La Liga scoring charts.