There’s simply no replacing Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid must know that and their support must come to terms with it.
However, there is life after the Portuguese superstar even if his transfer to Juventus coupled with Zinedine Zidane’s departure has put Los Blancos’ dominant European reign in jeopardy.
The good news for new manager Julen Lopetegui is that he already has a supremely talented squad at his disposal. If he is to maintain the lofty standards set at the Santiago Bernabeu though, he’ll need an extra sprinkling of stardust.
Madrid are consistently linked with every big name under the sun while the transfer market is open and this summer is no different.
However, there are three key targets who could make all the difference.
EDEN HAZARD
With pursuits of Paris Saint-Germain duo Neymar and Kylian Mbappe proving to be futile, Madrid have stepped up their interest in Eden Hazard with Le10Sport claiming a €190 million deal has been agreed.
The Chelsea star will not replace Ronaldo’s goals but his superior link-up play and guile in the final third should bode well for Madrid given Lopetegui’s preferred style of play which brings more focus on passing and possession.
Hazard worked brilliantly in tandem with Kevin De Bruyne for the Red Devils and potential interchanges with Golden Ball winner Luka Modric and impressive Spaniard Isco could produce similar results.
The Belgian isn’t in the same stratosphere as Ronaldo in terms of market potential and doesn’t fit into the younger category either which is headlined by the likes of Mbappe and Paul Pogba. After his impressive showing at the World Cup though, his stock has certainly risen.
A decent first season at Madrid would likely put him on par with Gareth Bale at the very least.
Eden Hazard has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.
THIBAUT COURTOIS
With Ronaldo gone, Madrid can’t afford to paper over the cracks anymore. Every position needs to boast enough cover if they are to extend their golden era.
Los Blancos have been attempting to sign a new goalkeeper for several seasons, consistently failing to land David De Gea. Thibaut Courtois is their main target for the position this summer after he became available for a cut-price £31m fee.
The World Cup Golden Glove winner is keen to return to Madrid and would be an upgrade on current custodian Keylor Navas in addition to being five years his junior.
With the Costa Rican relegated to second-choice, it bolsters the position as back-ups Kiko Casilla and Luca Zidane do not inspire much confidence.
Thibaut Courtois
MAURO ICARDI
The goals need to come from somewhere and while Ronaldo’s departure means others can step up and build on their previous tallies, the arrival of a new striker at the Bernabeu is long overdue.
Karim Benzema should see more chances come his way but whether he can replicate his goalscoring form from earlier in his career is debatable after only managing 12 across all competitions last season. Alvaro Morata’s move to Chelsea last summer had already rendered Madrid short in that department while Benzema has been linked to Napoli as well.
Mauro Icardi would be a good fit after his excellent form for Inter Milan over the last couple of seasons, scoring 55 goals over 77 appearances in all competitions.
At only 25, a move for the Argentine makes a lot more sense than a swoop for Robert Lewandowski – turning 30 next month – who would likely cost a lot more.
Hotshot: Inter skipper Mauro Icardi.
