Originally, Monaco’s billionaire owner Dmitry Rybolovlev wanted them to become Europe’s elite club. He was willing to spend as much as necessary to get them there. In 2013 he paid £87.5m for Colombian stars Radamel Falcao and James Rodríguez. Plus he spent £21m on Portugal’s best midfielder Joao Moutinho.
Joao Moutinho, Radamel Falcao and James Rodríguez signing for Monaco in the summer of 2013
However, Rybolovlev’s spending spree ended soon after. He lost half his fortune in a bitter divorce battle and UEFA’s strict Financial Fair Play rules were in force.