After a slow start to his Real Madrid career, Kylian Mbappé has silenced his critics to prove why he’s one of the best players on the planet. The 26-year-old ended one of the most protracted transfer sagas in football history by eventually joining Madrid in the summer, following the expiry of his contract at PSG. Mbappe arrived in the Spanish capital amid massive expectations with almost 80,000 fans attending his unveiling in the Santiago Bernabeu in July.

Hazard, Bellingham & Co: Real Madrid’s Record Transfers

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22.. Thibaut Courtois – Chelsea → Real Madrid – 18/19 – €35m

Updated Jan 8, 2023.

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21. Luka Modric – Tottenham → Real Madrid – 12/13 – €35m

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20. Karim Benzema – Lyon → Real Madrid – 09/10 – €35m

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19. Arjen Robben – Chelsea → Real Madrid – 07/08 – €35m

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18. Nicolas Anelka – Arsenal → Real Madrid – 99/00 – €35m

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17. David Beckham – Man United → Real Madrid – 03/04 – €37.5m

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16. Mateo Kovacic – Inter → Real Madrid – 15/16 – €38m

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15. Rodrygo – Santos → Real Madrid – 19/20 – €45m

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14. Vinicius Junior – Flamengo → Real Madrid – 18/19 – €45m

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13. Ronaldo – Inter → Real Madrid – 02/03 – €45m

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12. Ferland Mendy – Lyon → Real Madrid – 19/20 – €48m

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11. Éder Militão – Porto → Real Madrid – 19/20 – €50m

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10. Luís Figo – Barcelona → Real Madrid – 00/01 – €60m

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9. Luka Jović – Frankfurt → Real Madrid – 19/20 – €63m

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8. Kaká – AC Milan → Real Madrid – 09/10 – €67m

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7. James Rodríguez – Mónaco → Real Madrid – 14/15 – €75m

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6. Zinédine Zidane – Juventus → Real Madrid – 01/02 – €77.5m

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5. Aurélien Tchouameni – Mónaco → Real Madrid – 22/23 – €80m

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4. Cristiano Ronaldo – Man United → Real Madrid – 09/10 – €94m

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3. Gareth Bale – Tottenham → Real Madrid – 13/14 – €101m

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2. Jude Bellingham – Dortmund → Real Madrid – 23/24 – €103m

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1. Eden Hazard – Chelsea → Real Madrid – 19/20 – €115m

The French international was joining the Champions League holders and his integration wasn’t perfect as Carlo Ancelotti battled to find the perfect balance to his side. But with time, Mbappé has forged strong relationships with his teammates and is in red hot form with 11 goals in his last eight games. Some legendary attackers have pulled on the famous white jersey over the years but Mbappé is on track to break the all-time record for most goals in a debut season at Real Madrid.

Best goal scoring debut seasons at Real Madrid

Although Cristiano Ronaldo is renowned for his incredible goal scoring numbers, Real Madrid’s all-time top scorer doesn’t rank first. Iván Zamorano scored more goals than any other player in history during their first season at the Spanish giants. The Chilean netted an impressive 37 goals in 45 games during the 1992/93 campaign after joining from Seville. As the graphic below illustrates, Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy both scored 33 goals in their first seasons at Madrid with both players joining from Manchester United.

Ronaldo, however, ranks higher on our list as he reached that total in 12 games fewer than the former Netherlands international. Mexican icon Hugo Sanchez and Croatian great Davor Suker complete the top five. Mbappé ranks sixth with 28 goals in 38 games this season but the 26-year-old could feasibly break Zamorano’s record as Madrid could play 22 more games this campaign if they reach the final of the Copa del Rey and Champions League. Mbappé is currently scoring 0.71 goals per game, so would require another 15 games to eclipse the current record.