6 potential heirs to Ronaldo's Real Madrid throne
After nine glorious seasons at Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo has parted ways with the European Champions, leaving for Juventus in a sensational €100 million transfer.
His departure has created somewhat of a vacuum at Madrid, with neither Benzema nor Bale having not shown the ability to consistently score 40 plus goals a season single-handedly at the moment.
Madrid have also been suspiciously tame in the transfer market with Vinicius Junior and Alvaro Odriozola being their only outfield signings. However, unlike the English transfer market, the European transfer market is still open. Here are five players Real Madrid could still sign, potential Ronaldo replacements - at least to an extent.
#1 Eden Hazard
It's unlikely Real Madrid can sign Hazard at this point. The English transfer window is closed and Chelsea are unlikely to sell their star player with no scope for replacement. However, Hazard is arguably a perfect fit for Real Madrid.
He is at the peak of his career at age 27. He is definitely a world class player who fits the Galactico profile, and while he probably will not score as many goals as Ronaldo, he can certainly contribute his fair share of goals and assists.
He's also hinted that Real Madrid would be his preferred destination on multiple occasions. Seems like a perfect match, Hazard comes with a reported £200 million price tag.
#2 Neymar
Definitely the most high profile would be Ronaldo replacement. Already having signed for Paris Saint Germain for €222 million last year, Neymar is already the most expensive player in the world.
The fee Madrid will have to pay to prize him away from Paris would be enormous. Widely touted as the best player in the world behind Ronaldo and Messi, he has seen his stock fall in recent weeks following a poor World Cup showing.
Maybe a move to Real Madrid could help restore his credentials as one of the very best in the world. He has issued a statement saying that he will be remaining in Paris, at least for now. However, it is rumored that Florentino Perez has set his sights on Neymar as his number one target, and more often than not - Florentino Perez gets what he wants.