9 Players Real Madrid Probably Regret Selling

7. Alvaro Negredo

He may be among the most fearsome attacking ranks English football has ever seen, but only half a decade ago, 'The Bull's' career was stuck in such a limbo that it seemed his only route away from the Bernabeu substitute bench was via Stoke City or Hull. Having become a potent finisher for the Real Madrid B side between the years of 2005 and 2007, he was sold to Spanish strugglers Almeria, where he continued his rich vein of goal-scoring form. Impressed with his application and realising their mistake, the Bernabeu outfit triggered the £5 million buy-back clause, where he once again found himself struggling for first-team football. The Madrid hierarchy had recently undergone a presidential election, and as a result an influx of Galacticos were swarming through the door, with £80 million superstar Cristiano Ronaldo top of the list. With the likes of Karim Benzema, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Gonzalo Higuain all vying for the number nine slot, Negredo was advised by boss Manuel Pellegrini within a month of his return to seek first-team football elsewhere.

''He said to me 'Listen, I want you to go to a club where you can keep growing and doing well'. He helped me look at my options so there were no hard feelings''. - Alvaro Negredo, November 2013.

Indeed, manager and player have both been re-united at Manchester City, with the former having splashed out £16.4 million last summer for the Sevilla man's services. Having torn La Liga defences to shreds in a four-year spell with the Andalucian outfit, scoring 70 league goals, he enjoyed a keen start to life in England with 23 goals in all competitions. With Madrid looking a little lightweight in the striking department, there have been rumours of an effort to ensnare the prolific Spaniard for a third time.