5 players Real Madrid could sign instead of Hazard

Real Madrid have finally woken up from the deep slumber. They needed Cristiano Ronaldo, a player who brought unprecedented success to Real Madrid, to agnize the reality, an entelechy that makes them vulnerable.

Since Ronaldo made his move to Italian behemoths Juventus, Real Madrid have been in the transfer market in search of players capable of making it big with their club.

Reports across Europe suggest numerous players are linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer.

Ronaldo has left a huge void at the club, which is not ideally replaceable. However, Real Madrid are determined to add talented players to the roster to scale down the impact Ronaldo's departure has made.

Chelsea attacker Eden Hazard impressed one and all with his performance for Belgium in the FIFA World Cup. He coordinated well with Romelu Lukaku and Co. and brought devastating effects.

Real Madrid are interested in signing this Belgium superstar and are planning to make a £112 million bid.

However, there are players better than Hazard who would fit in Real Madrid's system and deliver what the situation warrants. In this article, we take a look at 5 players Real Madrid could go for instead of Hazard.

---

#5 Edinson Cavani

Clinical Edinson Cavani inspired Uruguay to a victory against Portugal

Uruguay bowed out of the FIFA World Cup in the Quarterfinals as eventual champions France defeated them 2-0. Despite that, the team displayed a valiant show in Russia and Edinson Cavani, in particular, dazzled the audience.

Cavani, 32, was so clinical throughout the World Cup. His brace against Portugal which sent Cristiano home speaks volumes about Cavani's ability to turn the tide.

Cavani played four games for Uruguay in the World Cup and scored three goals. He also registered four shots per game and won an aerial duel per game.

Cavani would be a perfect fit for Real Madrid. The 32-year-old can ply his trade on various positions and is adept at scoring goals. Like Ronaldo, who left Santiago Bernabeu earlier this month, Cavani is also good at scoring header goals.

Ronaldo played as a left winger for Real Madrid last season. As he has left, Welshman Gareth Bale would take over that position, but he is unlikely to emulate Cristiano's goalscoring exploits.

Real Madrid need an attacker who is a prolific goalscorer and Cavani is. Signing Cavani only needs €7.5 million which Real Madrid could easily afford.

Cavani featured in 44 games for PSG last season and scored an impressive, decent 38 goals and scripted seven assists to his name.

#4 Robert Lewandowski

Lewandowski flopped in the World Cup

Lewandowski and Poland endured a tough campaign in the recently concluded World Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stage. He failed to inspire his team to global victories and the European nation suffered.

Poland lost to Senegal and Colombia but scripted a consolating victory against Japan in the final fixture of their World Cup campaign.

He played in all three World Cup games for Poland, but couldn't bag a goal. However, he made three shots per game and won an impressive 3.3 aerial duels per game.

However, he was in spectacular form for Bayern Munich in the European club Football. The Poland striker made 24 appearances for Bayern in the Bundesliga and bagged 29 goals to his name. He also featured in 11 Champions League games and hammered five goals.

Lewandowski is considered by many as one of the best strikers in the World Football. The pacey Polish attacker is proficient at scoring goals and has all the necessary attributes a modern striker should have.

His goalscoring exploits at Bayern Munich is understandable from above stats. With Karim Benzema slated to leave Real Madrid, Lewandowski could be an ideal option.

Real Madrid would have to spend a figure in between £80 million and £100 million if they need to sign Lewandowski.

#3 Harry Kane

Kane's consistency makes him special

A player with incredible consistency, Harry Kane-led England marched into the semi-finals before they crashed out against Croatia 2-1. Kane scored six goals in the tournament and bagged the Golden Boot.

Kane has been a part of Tottenham Hotspur since 2009. He became a regular at the club in the 2014-15 season where he netted 21 goals from 34 games. Since then, he has become a vital cog in their armoury.

The English attacker scored 25 goals next season, whereas it was 29 in the 2016-17 season. Last season witnessed Kane scoring 30 goals for Tottenham and led them to a respectable third position.

At this moment, Real Madrid not only needs just a prolific goalscorer but also a player who can influence the rest.

Kane captained England in the World Cup and it surely serves a bonus point for him.

Should he join Real Madrid, he'd ply his trade as an out-and-out striker as Benzema's and Bale's future at Real Madrid is uncertain.

However, Real Madrid would need to splash the cash to sign, a figure not less than £150 million.

#2 Paulo Dybala

Would Real Madrid sign Dybala?

Touted by many as the heir to Messi's kingdom, Argentina youngster Paulo Dybala has already become a massive piece in Juventus' jigsaw.

The 24-year-old was not given appropriate playing time in Russia and Sampauli's decision was backfired as Argentina suffered a defeat at the hands of France in the Pre-Quarters, ending their World Cup sojourn.

A versatile, agile, athletic attacker, Dybala can give any defence a run for their money. His dribbling is exquisite, his ball-control is dumbfounding, his defensive contributions are not paltry, he is mordacious during counter-attacks, with his ability to get the better of the defenders.

Dybala made 46 appearances for Juventus last season and even scored 26 goals, with 22 coming from Serie A and one from Champions League.

At Real Madrid, there are plenty of positions that would suit him. He could play as a left-winger, the position Ronaldo has left at Real Madrid.

Or if Bale decides to play left, Dybala could ply his trade on the right. He could also play as an attacking midfielder or an out-and-out striker.

However, Real Madrid would need to spend a figure near £100 million to sign the Argentine superstar.

#1 Mauro Icardi

Icardi is a fox-inside-the-box

When Sampouli announced Argentina's squad for the FIFA World Cup, the majority of the fans were left wondering why he did not choose the in-red-hot-form Mauro Icardi, a player who had done an incredible job at Inter Milan.

Icardi made 34 appearances for Inter Milan last season and registered 29 goals to his name. A prolific goalscorer, Icardi's ability to ghost into the box and score goals help Real Madrid find the perfect solution they are looking for.

He is an expert inside the penalty box and is a fox-inside-the-box. He is good with both feet and is also a decent performer during aerial duels.

Should Real Madrid sign Icardi, he'd play a No.9 role for Real Madrid, replacing Karim Benzema, who is heavily linked with an exit this summer.