This article was originally published on www.si.com as Alvaro Carreras: Why Real Madrid Paid €50 Million to Re-Sign a Player Who Left For Free. Five years later, Álvaro Carreras is back with Real Madrid.

Carreras has taken a winding route via Manchester United, the Championship and Benfica to get back to the Spanish capital

It was always clear that the defence would be Real Madrid’s biggest priority heading into the new season. Florentino Perez and Co., needless to say, have over-delivered on that front.After signing