It has been a turbulent summer at Real Madrid. There have been big changes both on and off the pitch at the Bernabeu, and it looks set to be a fascinating season.
This has in fact been one of the most successful periods in the club’s history. They have won the last three Champions League titles, in the process becoming the first side to retain it in its current format.
Arguably the biggest change was the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been such a big part of Real’s success over recent years, and he is a massive loss, especially given that he carried them at times in their run to the Champions League title last season.
There have been a couple of incomings at the club, with Alvaro Odriozola, Thibaut Courtois and Vinicius Junior all making big money move to Real this summer. However, there hasn’t really been that marquee signing that Los Blancos love to make.
There are still worries in attacking areas. Marco Asensio looks set to be tasked with replacing Ronaldo, but the biggest problem may come up front. Karim Benzema has scored just 16 league goals over the past two seasons, and especially with Ronaldo now gone, that just isn’t enough.
There have been rumours that Real are looking to replace Benzema, and they have just under a week of the transfer window left to do so. Here are five men who they could sign to replace the Frenchman.
Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo)
Liverpool fans, in particular, may be surprised to see Aspas’ name on this list, but he is a man who has rebuilt his reputation since his return to Spain. Best remembered in England for that shocking corner against Chelsea, Aspas has been excellent since he returned to Spain in 2014, so much that he earned himself a spot in the Spanish World Cup squad. Once again, this is where this rumour came from, as it was Lopetegui who selected him for the squad.
Anthony Martial (Manchester United)
Martial has made no secret of his desire to leave Old Trafford during this summer’s transfer window. Although he enjoyed a successful first season at United under Louis van Gaal, things have gone downhill in the last couple of years, and he has found himself left out of Jose Mourinho’s team. His lack of appearances saw him miss out on a spot in France’s victorious World Cup squad, which likely played a part in his decision to try and force a way out of Manchester.
Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)
Of all the young strikers in world football at the moment, there are very few better than RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner. Of course, his stock has fallen in recent months following a poor performance at the World Cup, but the same can be said of almost all the German players at the tournament. He has had two very successful seasons in the Bundesliga though and has played a big part in Leipzig’s success in recent years.