Since Karim Benzema’s departure, rumors of Real Madrid’s interest in signing 30-year-old Harry Kane have been on overdrive. Despite having only one year left on his contract, Daniel Levy, the chairman of Tottenham Hotspur, is expected to demand €100 million or more for his prized asset. Even if Levy prefers to sell outside the Premier League, he won’t budge on the price. With salary, bonuses, and the transfer fee combined, Kane’s package could cost Real Madrid upwards of €150 million.
This potential deal would be of unprecedented magnitude for a 30-year-old player. Not only has Real Madrid implemented a youth policy at the club transfer level, the club has rarely ever considered players over 30. Throughout the club’s 121-year history, only 11 outfield players above the age of 30 have been signed. Among them, only three were attacking players. Looking back at La Liga’s debut data for a Real Madrid player since 1929 reveals that about 97.5% of players making their debut for the club have been under 30. In the two presidential eras led by Florentino Perez, only one player over 30 has been signed—Ricardo Carvalho—for a minor fee of €8 million, and that was 13 years ago. Clearly, Real Madrid prefers to invest in long-term, younger assets.
This is not to say reports of Real Madrid’s pursuit of Harry Kane have zero credibility, it simply highlights the rarity of such a deal. Real Madrid will likely exercise caution as Daniel Levy tries to negotiate or drive up the figures in the Kane deal.
Given that there are only handful of 30+ aged players that signed for Madrid, it would be interesting to evaluate their track records. Below is a list of the 11 outfield players and when they made their debut in La Liga:
- Ferenc Puskas — debuted in La Liga at 31 years and 5 months old (1958)
- Ruud Van Nistelrooy — debuted in La Liga at 30 years and 1 month old (2006)
- Ricardo Carvalho — debuted in La Liga at 32 years and 3 months old (2010)
- Fabio Cannavaro — debuted in La Liga at 32 years and 11 months old (2006)
- José María Peña — debuted in La Liga at 33 years and 9 months old (1929)
- Emerson — debuted in La Liga at 30 years and 4 months old (2006)
- Didi — debuted in La Liga at 30 years and 11 months old (1959)
- Vilmos Keleman — debuted in La Liga at 30 years and 7 months old (1935)
- Manuel Eteca — debuted in La Liga at 30 years and 10 months old (1931)
- Triana — debuted in La Liga at 31 years and 6 months old (1939)
- György Nemes — debuted in La Liga at 30 years and 3 months old (1950)
The bottom five names (Didi and below) may not be familiar to most Real Madrid fans. They had limited playing time, staying with the club for one season and playing in fewer than 10 games. Needless to say, they were not impactful signings.
Emerson, a veteran Brazilian signing from a relegated Juventus in 2006, was a direct request from then manager, Fabio Capello. However, he failed to win the fans’ affection and was shipped out after just one season. Number five on the list was Jose Maria Pena, who managed to play 56 games for the club over two seasons, but only made 4 appearances in his final season before leaving Real Madrid.
Moving to the top four, we encounter two legendary center backs who were past their prime upon arrival: Ricardo Carvalho and Fabio Cannavaro. Cannavaro, having won the World Cup and delivering exceptional defensive performances during the tournament in Germany, struggled in his first season but gradually improved over the following two years. He became a veteran presence that guided the likes of teenage Marcelo and Sergio Ramos. Carvalho, signed as a stop-gap solution for Mourinho, had two solid seasons, winning La Liga and a Copa del Rey before Ramos and Pepe forged their legendary partnership. Both players, Cannavaro and Carvalho, were inexpensive signings and were direct requests from the managers at the time.
However, the top two signings stand out as Real Madrid’s best over-30 acquisitions. Ruud Van Nistelrooy made an immediate impact in 2006, leading the club to its first title in three seasons and winning the Pichichi in La Liga with astonishing goals. He had two great seasons before injuries took a toll, and young talents like Higuain and Benzema eventually replaced him.
Van Nistelrooy’s stats for the first two seasons:
- Appearances: 80
- Goals: 50
- Assists: 13
Stats for the third season and a half:
- Appearances: 16
- Goals: 11
- Assists: 3
Despite a strong output, injuries and competition got the best of the aging forward in his final 18 months at the club.
Lastly, we have Ferenc Puskas, the greatest anomaly of them all. Despite arriving out of shape and advanced in years, he left Madrid as one of the greatest players to ever wear the white shirt. Puskas played 229 games for the club, scoring 221 goals. His achievements include 3x European Cup Winner, 5x Spanish Champion, 1x Spanish Cup winner, and 1x Intercontinental winner. He also won the Pichichi trophy four times during his time in Spain. He was an unparalleled success story.
If Harry Kane ultimately does sign for Real Madrid, it will be for big money and it will be a major deviation from the club’s historical approach to the market. The England captain would look to mold himself in the light of a Van Nisterlooy or a Puskas rather than the remaining 9 players who had signed for Real Madrid in their 30s. If injuries and adaptation are no hurdle, then expectation would be for Harry Kane to produce for a number of years. Despite that expectation, the club knows there is always an inherent risk in signing players in the final years of their careers.