Real Madrid are in the hunt for a replacement for their talisman following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure. The Portuguese star is seeking a fresh challenge after almost a decade in the Spanish capital. It’s been a decade of tremendous success for the new Juventus number seven. Four Champions League trophies and same number of Ballon d’Or awards in addition to the one already won in England with Manchester United is no mean feat.
But change is the only constant. Leaving for Italy is Ronaldo’s way of seeking new motivation and a new experience. While Real Madrid may be the most successful club ever, Juventus are a powerhouse in their own right. The Italian giants have an agenda of their own when it comes to winning on the continent. Having come so close in recent seasons to winning only their third UCL trophy, one can easily see the reasoning behind signing the current world best.
For Real Madrid, though, it’s unto the next one. The club has perfected the strategy for building the best team to dominate both the domestic league and the continent. With Ronaldo gone, the club is now on the quest to sign another Galactico who will lead the forward line.
Eden Hazard is reportedly the chosen one. Naturally, Chelsea are reluctant to release their starman. But should Real Madrid even bother fighting for the Belgian’s signature? Are there better alternatives that can do a better job?
Surely, there are. Hazard’s record shows he is still a long way from being able to match Ronaldo’s exploits. The former Manchester United star is a monster. After winning his first Ballon d’Or in England, he moved to Spain and has so far smashed almost every available record in the Spanish club. He has consistently scored more than 40 goals every season in the last decade.
Hazard’s numbers meanwhile, are far less. The 2015 PFA Player of the Year scored 17 goals in all competitions last season for Chelsea, a far cry from Cristiano Ronaldo’s 41 for the Spanish giants. Real Madrid needs a player who is a whose record stands far and above that of any of the current players in the club’s rooster.
Hazard is only marginally better than Isco, for example, statistically speaking. The Spanish international who can also play the Belgian’s role in the team, scored seven times in 33 La Liga matches last term. Hazard netted 12 times in 35 games.
Three players who are better options to replace the Portuguese star are Neymar, Mohamed Salah, or Paulo Dybala. Statistics show that each of these players will do a better job in the team than the Chelsea man.
Starting with the last of them, Paulo Dybala notched in 22 goals in 34 matches for Juventus in Serie A last season. The Argentine chipped in 24 goals in 56 matches, seven assists and three hat-tricks. He had a goal-per-minute ratio of 156 minutes per goal. That puts him in a better position to replace his new teammate than Hazard. The Belgian captain had 22 goals in 64 matches, 12 assists and scored a goal in every 206 minutes.
Neymar and Mo Salah have far better stats, though. Either one is well suited for the starman role in the Spanish capital. Considering the fact that Florentino Perez likes to add a Galactico every once in a while, Neymar or Salah will fit the bill perfectly.
With 33 goals in 39 matches, 18 assists and a hat-trick last term, the Paris Saint-Germain forward is the ideal replacement for Ronaldo. Moving to the Santiago Bernabeu will be perfect as it will pitch him head-to-head against Lionel Messi in El-Clasico. It will also put the Brazilian in pole position to finally win the Ballon d’Or.
Liverpool’s Mo Salah has also demonstrated his readiness to step into such shoes. Moving to Real Madrid will be a logical progression for a player who has vastly improved in recent seasons. His performance last season in which he scored 48 goals in 56 matches for Liverpool in all competitions tells it all.
The Egyptian outscored Cristiano Ronaldo in the league. He netted 32 times in 36 Premier League matches to Ronaldo’s 26. Only Messi scored more with 34 in 36 La Liga games. It will, therefore, make an interesting watch for him to feature for the Merengues against Messi’s Barcelona in El-Clasico.
