Real Madrid are poised to welcome Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer after he departs Liverpool as a free agent – and it won’t be the first time the club has secured a top-class talent without paying a transfer fee.

Alexander-Arnold is believed to have verbally agreed terms with Real Madrid, which will bring an end to his one-club association with Liverpool and reunite him with his England colleague, Jude Bellingham.

While Bellingham was a significant purchase for Madrid in 2023, Alexander-Arnold will be arriving in the Spanish capital as a free agent.

The right-back will be tasked with succeeding Dani Carvajal in his position, where he is regarded as one of the best in the world, thanks to the numerous assists he has provided over the years for Liverpool.

It is a shrewd move by Los Blancos, but it is not the first time they have pulled off such a deal.

Real Madrid, of course, have a history of signing the best available talent, often paying hefty fees – sometimes world-record amounts – for the privilege. However, here are some of their other high-profile Bosman signings over the years.

Steve McManaman

As his Liverpool contract entered its final six months in January 1999, Steve McManaman signed a pre-agreement that would see him join Real Madrid the following summer.

The curly-haired England winger had been one of the most thrilling attackers in the Premier League’s early years, scoring 66 goals in 364 games for the Reds. A dynamic and skilful dribbler who could play on either flank, his deliveries were eagerly anticipated by the likes of Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, and Michael Owen. At his peak, McManaman was one of the most feared players in the English top flight.

Upon agreeing to join Madrid, media reports focused on the £60,000-a-week wages McManaman would earn in Spain – a sum unmatched in English football at the time – and accused the departing Liverpool star of greed.

However, there were solid sporting reasons behind McManaman’s decision to test himself abroad. In a decade with Liverpool, his modest medal haul included an FA Cup triumph and another in the League Cup.

Although he had to accept a diminished role at the Bernabéu compared to his status as one of Anfield’s true stars, McManaman won two La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues during his four years at Madrid, with one of his standout moments being his stunning volleyed goal in a 3-0 victory over Valencia in the 2000 final in Paris.

David Alaba

Signed from Austria Wien as a teenager, David Alaba developed into one of the best and most versatile defenders in the world during his 13 years at Bayern Munich.

Alaba's technical ability was such that he regularly played in central midfield for the Austrian national team and was often deployed as an attacking midfielder during possession phases while Pep Guardiola was in charge at the Allianz Arena.

When his Bayern contract expired in 2021, Alaba sought a new challenge, reportedly looking for a new role where he could feature more regularly at centre-back, rather than his usual left-back position.

Madrid seized the opportunity and secured one of the most decorated defenders in the game – a player with 10 Bundesliga titles, six German Cups, two Champions Leagues, and two World Club Cups to his name.

A free-kick goal in a 2-1 win over Barcelona quickly endeared Alaba to his new supporters, and he has won two league titles and two Champions Leagues in just three seasons with the club to date.

However, injuries have prevented the 31-year-old from making as significant an impact in Spain as expected, with an ACL tear sidelining him since December, causing his absence during Madrid’s run to the knockout stages of the 2023-24 Champions League.

Antonio Rudiger

After five seasons with Chelsea, Antonio Rudiger joined the Bernabéu in the summer of 2022 as a free agent, bringing with him experience of European success, having won both the Champions League and Europa League with the Blues.

He added to that CV with another Champions League triumph this season, as well as earning the first league winner’s medal of his career.

Rudiger has been a crucial part of the defensive foundation upon which Madrid have built their success since his arrival in Spain. The German centre-back has already made over 100 appearances for the club and has produced a consistency of performance that earned him a spot in both the La Liga and Champions League teams of the season for 2023-24.

Kylian Mbappé

In a move long anticipated – and one that had been in the pipeline for several months, if not years – Real Madrid confirmed a massive move for Kylian Mbappé in 2024.

It is rare in the world of modern football for the biggest transfer of the year to come without an astronomical fee between clubs, but that was the case last year.

Not every Bosman signing Madrid have made over the years has been a resounding success. Christoph Metzelder, Jerzy Dudek, and Hamit Altintop all joined Los Blancos as free agents in the 2000s, for example, and the trio combined for just 30 La Liga appearances. Even without a transfer fee, a return on investment is never guaranteed.

While Madrid owed no fee to Paris Saint-Germain for Mbappé, the player did not come cheaply. He is reported to earn over £26 million a year at the Bernabéu, with a substantial signing bonus to be paid over five years.

Still, the acquisition of arguably the world’s best player as a free agent – even before he kicked a ball in Madrid’s immaculate all-white kit – was hailed as one of the shrewdest transfers in football history.

Mbappé arrived at Madrid with a CV boasting 287 goals at club level, another 46 for France, seven league titles, six domestic cups, and a World Cup. At just 25, he was at the peak of his powers, with several years of prime performance ahead of him.

Integrating the former Monaco forward into Madrid’s tactical system wasn’t necessarily going to be easy for manager Carlo Ancelotti, given stylistic similarities with established Madrid superstar Vinícius Júnior. However, signing Mbappé just days after securing both La Liga and Champions League titles was a bold statement of intent from the world’s biggest club.

And, unsurprisingly, Mbappé has made an immediate impact in Spain, scoring 30 goals in his first 43 games for Madrid.