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It's official. Cristiano Ronaldo will continue his career at Juventus. Yesterday, Real Madrid announced that Ronaldo will no longer be their player.
He is possibly the greatest player ever and surely one of the biggest legends of the club. In 9 years at The Santiago Bernabeu, Ronaldo scored 451 goals in 438 games in all competitions. He also won 4 Champions League titles, 2 La Liga titles and 2 Copa del Rey titles.
Cristiano wanted to go. It's his decision and Real Madrid fans should not blame Florentino Perez for this move. He did the right thing. It's definitely the right time to revolutionize the team. Fans should be excited about the direction and possibilities of the club going forward.
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When he came to Madrid in 2009, Ronaldo took the number 9 jersey because Raul Gonzales Blanco was wearing the number 7 jersey at that time. The number 7 jersey was handed over to Cristiano during the 2010-11 season.
Retiring the number 7 shirt is not a good idea. But Real Madrid should make sure to give this iconic number to a special player. But who should it be?
Let's take a look at 5 candidates.
#1 Marco Asensio
Marco Asensio is the only player from Real Madrid's current squad on this list.
In the past few days, Marco's agent confirmed that his client will stay with Real Madrid. Asensio is a fantastic player who is capable of winning the Ballon d'Or award in the future. He isn't just Real Madrid's future, he's a big part of the present.
Real Madrid's new manager, Julen Lopetegui tends to work with young players and he will definitely build his system around players like Isco and Marco Asensio.
Asensio will actually fulfill his potential under Lopetegui because he'll be a guaranteed starter. Asensio is ready to become a Real Madrid star and a future Galactico.
Giving the number 7 shirt to Asensio would demonstrate the tremendous faith the club has in him.
#2 Robert Lewandowski
Real Madrid need to change the shape of their team as it was heavily geared towards supplying Ronaldo.
With Cristiano's departure, Real must sign a forward who is good in the air and finishing. There is no leader in their attack right now.
Robert Lewandowski is undoubtedly an amazing target man and he is brilliant when it comes to finishing. With Lopetegui’s system, Real only need a striker like Lewandowski to replace Ronaldo.
Lewandowski came to Bayern Munchen in July 2014 as a free agent. In 4 years at Allianz Arena, Lewandowski scored 151 goals and also provided 35 assists in 195 games in all competitions.
Lewandowski is a proven striker and Real Madrid would not make a mistake if they sign him. He's had success at Borussia Dortmund, success at Bayern Munchen and also success with the national team.
Robert Lewandowski at Real Madrid looks like a perfect match.
All stats via transfermarkt
#3 Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe is setting the World Cup alight with his performances. He has scored three goals at the tournament so far and he is definitely one of the candidates to win the Golden Ball award.
Last summer, Mbappe became the world's most expensive teenager when he came to Paris Saint Germain from AS Monaco for a fee believed to be £166m. He is also the second most expensive player on the planet behind Neymar.
In his first season with PSG, he scored 21 goals and also provided 16 assists in all competitions.
Kylian Mbappe will be the next global football superstar. Many football fans believe that Mbappe will win the Ballon d'Or award in the future.
Florentino Perez will be interested in bringing Mbappe to Real Madrid after the World Cup. Given the money they earned from selling Ronaldo to Juventus, I wouldn’t be surprised if they enter into serious negotiations with PSG.
#4 Neymar
Neymar's second World Cup campaign didn't end well at all. Tite's side returned to Brazil following their quarter-final defeat to Belgium. Neymar scored only two goals at the tournament.
Neymar only swapped Barcelona for PSG in a record-breaking transfer last summer but the Brazilian superstar continues to be linked with a sensational switch to Champions League holders Madrid.
He should seriously think about this move because Real Madrid have had some of the best Brazilian players throughout their history. Replacing Cristiano Ronaldo is certainly easier said than done, but if any player can come close to filling his boots, it is definitely Neymar.
His ability to bamboozle defenders with his tricks have left fans speechless many times. Also, he has the confidence to handle the pressure of being the talisman of a club.
#5 Eden Hazard
The last player on this list is Chelsea's best player Eden Hazard. Hazard has produced some magnificent performances at this World Cup.
Last night, he completed 10 out of 12 take-ons in the semi-final against France which is the most by any player in a single game at the 2018 World Cup. But that was not enough for a place in the final.
Antonio Conte is still Chelsea's manager at the time of writing although he was meant to be sacked. There are still no signings, and the transfer window shuts in just one month. Due to these facts, Hazard could force a move to Real Madrid.
Hazard’s contract expires in 2020. It seems that Real Madrid would need to spend big money to sign the Belgium captain after how well he has performed at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
