Ronaldo, Morata and Mbappe futures discussed by Del Bosque
Former Real Madrid and Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has offered his thoughts on the futures of Cristiano Ronaldo, Alvaro Morata and Kylian Mbappe.
Ronaldo, who is with the Portugal squad at the Confederations Cup, is said to be unhappy and considering an exit from Madrid amid scrutiny over his tax affairs from Spanish authorities.
Del Bosque, who led Spain to back-to-back World Cup and European Championship glory but retired after Euro 2016, admits it would be a blow for the nation if it lost one of the two stars – Lionel Messi being the other – who have taken the game to new heights.
"[Ronaldo] would be a most important loss," said Del Bosque.
"We are in a moment in which, together with Messi, he has defined the last era of our football.
"We are in the era of Messi and Ronaldo and we are lucky in Spain to be able to count on the two best players in the world."
Morata started just 14 LaLiga games for Madrid last season and is reportedly a target for Manchester United, though Del Bosque believes such a transfer would be a "shame".
"What is good for him is mainly that he plays, but I think he is very well at Real Madrid," said the 66-year-old.
"It would be a shame if he leaves, but I have always said that it is a positive for Spanish football that our players have been able to go abroad and have been able to play."
Part of the reason Morata is believed to be heading for the exit is due to heavy links between Madrid and Monaco's teenage sensation Mbappe.
It has been suggested a world-record bid would be required to take the France international away from Stade Louis II, something Del Bosque considers a risk.
He added: "[He] has demonstrated his qualities [and] is a player with very good physical and technical prospects.
"But the process of maturing is not always the same for every player, many times you are running a risk, especially for the amounts of money that is being talked about."