The intense rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid means they are always trying to outdo one another, especially in the transfer market as they look for players to strengthen the squads.
There is nothing like watching your arch-enemy lift a Champions League cup to get you thinking about reinforcements so you will emerge the victors in the following season.
Despite having won La Liga and the Copa del Rey, the victory of their rivals will have left a bitter aftertaste for the Catalans.
In these situations, opening the chequebook comes in very handy, as they head to the transfer market to look for a remedy to reverse the situation.
It remains to be seen what will happen after the latest win for Los Blancos in Milan but, regardless of this, the Luis Enrique has already been on the lookout for a striker and several defenders.
It is likely that Dani Alves will go to Juventus, where talks are advanced, forcing them to find a replacement for one of the best signings in the club’s history.
Prices of defenders are also rocketing and the Blaugrana are known to be interested in John Stones at Everton, and Marquinhos at Paris Saint-Germain.
On their wish list is a striker who can guarantee results, but such a signing will come at a price. In this instance, the return of Nolito would not be a bad bet.
Whenever either of Real or Barca does well, their rivals will react by investing in new players.
The clearest example of this was in the summer of 2009 when Pep Guardiola’s team won the treble.
That, and the painful 6-2 defeat of Los Merengues in El Clasico at home, led to the turn of Florentino Perez as Madrid president and their biggest spending spree on record – 264 million Euros.
The Azulgrana have not been able to top that, although they managed to spend 162m after Real lifted their 10th European trophy.
But then they had the FIFA sanction on signings which was only lifted in January.
Their second biggest expenditure was after their rivals won their eighth European title in 2000, when the president at the time, Joan Gaspart, spent the 62m euros he received for Luis Figo – plus a few more millions – on Marc Overmars, Gerard Lopez, Alfonso Perez and Emmanuel Petit.
Despite their 84m outlay, they failed to end Real’s triumphs in Europe, although they did win the league again.
Jose Luis Nunez was also quick to turn to the chequebook when he was president after their foes had won in Europe for the seventh time.
He invested 6,600m pesetas, which is about 40m euros, to sign Patrick Kluivert, Ronald and Frank De Boer, Boudewijn Zenden and Mauricio Pellegrino.
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