Real Madrid are one of those few clubs fortunate enough to not really be bothered by such things as price tags, responsible spending and cashflow; while they still have to live within their means, their income is so vast compared to other sides that expenditure on transfers isn't really a problem.
More than once they've broken the world record for new signings, but that doesn't mean they're always ready to spend huge sums on every addition to the squad.
Quite the opposite, in fact: they've been a team keen to swoop and sign whichever young stars look vaguely promising in the early stages of their career, hoping to land bargains early on and develop them alongside their expensive, ready-made stars.