5 players who could be the next Real Madrid Galactico
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez ushered in the Galacticos (superstars in Spanish) era at the club during his first stint at their helm in the early 2000s.
It was thought that a plethora of big-name players would make Real Madrid the team to beat at home and Europe. Although things didn't exactly pan out that way, the likes of Ronaldo Nazario, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, David Beckham and Sergio Ramos subsequently arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu.
In later years, Madrid snapped up Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos and recently Chelsea star Eden Hazard. A decade later, Ronaldo and Ramos are gone; Modric and Kroos are on the wrong side of 30, and Bale is seemingly surplus to requirements.
With new manager Carlo Ancelotti also enduring the departure of the club's long-serving central-defensive pair of Ramos and Raphael Varane, Real Madrid have been linked with a host of big-name players, which could possibly herald a new Galacticos era at the club.
On that note, here's a look at five players, in no particular order, who could be the new Galactico at Real Madrid:
#5 Harry Kane
Harry Kane is one of the hottest strikers on the planet at the moment. The Englishman has been a prolific scorer for club and country for a while,
Kane, who top-scored for England at Euro 2020, endured another trophyless campaign last season at Tottenham Hotspur despite scoring over 30 goals in all competitions. As a result, the 28-year-old has been linked with a number of top clubs around Europe, one of them being Real Madrid.
Madrid did flirt with the idea of bringing Kane to the Bernabeu when Cristiano Ronaldo departed the club.
But three years later, considering Madrid's financial woes and Spurs unlikely to let go of their prized possession for cheap, Kane's move to the Santiago Bernabeu seems like a fanciful proposition. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that if the move were to materialise, the England striker would be a 'Galactico' signing and possibly live up to his reputation as well.
#4 Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah was one of the star performers in an otherwise dismal campaign for Premier League holders Liverpool last season.
The Egyptian has enjoyed a purple patch since arriving on English shores four years ago, amassing 125 goals and 47 assists in over 200 appearances across competitions. Salah has averaged more than 20 league goals a season at Liverpool.
In the midst of Liverpool's injury-plagued campaign last summer, Salah was strongly linked with a move away from Anfield, with Real Madrid and Barcelona touted to be his next destination.
But Salah is a key player under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. With the winger having two more seasons left on his contract with the club, who finished fourth in the league last season, Salah is unlikely to move to the Santiago Bernabeu any time soon.