10 Footballers Who Returned To Their Former Clubs For Inflated Prices

9. lvaro Arbeloa - Real Madrid

lvaro Arbeloa joined Real Madrid as a 16-year-old in 2001 and became a product of the Spanish giant's famed youth academy, playing for the C and B teams up until 2006. At which point, Madrid took the decision to sell him to Deportivo de La Coruña, which Arbeloa later reflected upon as "strange". The defender once said of his departure from the Bernabeu:

"This is a strange situation for me; I have been playing for Real Madrid for five years, since I was 16", adding "Real always has the best players. There were eight defenders in the squad, something had to give."

The Spain international would spend just a year at La Coruña before ending up at Premier League side Liverpool, joining Rafael Benitez's side in a paltry £2.6 million. His stay at Anfield ended in acrimony when he was involved in a clash with teammate Jamie Carragher, the two coming to blows before being separated by Daniel Agger, Xabi Alonso, Emiliano Insúa and Pepe Reina. Two months after that incident, Real took back their former player in a £5 million deal, and the fullback remains a Madrid player.