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Real Madrid are going through one of the worst seasons in their history: they are virtually out of the LaLiga title race, couldn't make it past the semis in the Copa Del Rey, and fell surprisingly early in the Round Of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. Los Blancos' poor run of form has prompted Club President Florentino Perez to dismiss Santiago Solari—the second of Perez's sack victims this season after Julen Lopetegui—from his managerial duties and reinstate Zinedine Zidane, who previously had a fantastic two-and-a-half season as Real Madrid coach.
After returning to Madrid within a year of his resignation, Zidane has some business to take care of in the capital. In order to take the club back to the top, the French phenomenon is looking for much-needed reinforcements in the market. He has already addressed the team's defensive shortcomings by quickly securing the signing of emerging Brazilian defender, Eder Militao, from FC Porto; however, more signings are rumoured to be on their way.
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According to numerous sources, Zidane has been given a ridiculous transfer budget to bolster his squad with 'Galactico' signings for next season. Let's have a look at five such players whom Real Madrid may target in the summer transfer window.
#1 Eden Hazard
Chelsea's silk-footed, slalom speedster, Eden Hazard has been under Real Madrid's radar ever since his early days in Lille. In fact, it is reported that the Spanish club was musing on a possible move for the Belgian even before Chelsea entered into negotiations for him. Since then, not much of that interest has dwindled as the Belgian skipper is still admired by Zidane for his exquisite displays for both club and country, and it is highly likely that the Real coach will look to finally sign him come summer.
The rumours are consolidated by the fact that Hazard himself is an avid fan of Los Blancos and also their current manager. He has time and again expressed his interest in donning the royal white of Real Madrid, having famously said, "... Real Madrid is the best club in the world. It is my dream since I was a kid. I was dreaming about this club (Real Madrid) ...."
Moreover, Hazard has only a year left on his current contract and hasn't signed an extension yet—putting Madrid in pole position to negotiate for the player. The possibility of losing their star player for nothing next year puts Chelsea under even more pressure to make this sale. Hazard's ambition to play at what he calls "the best club in the world", Zidane's predilection for the player, and Real's urgent need to sign a magisterial forward could mean this transfer would happen sooner than later.
#2 Neymar Jr.
A contender for the most cliched transfer rumour in football, 'Neymar to Real Madrid' is the favourite bread-earning headline of many transfer news sources. This rumour was close to becoming a reality back in 2005 when a teenage Neymar gave successful trials at the Santiago Bernabeu but, in the end, decided he wasn't ready for Europe and returned to Brazil to continue at Santos.
In 2013, Real came calling again but their eternal rivals, Barcelona, swooped for the sensational youngster out of nowhere. However, in 2017, the Brazilian trickster left the Catalan side for Paris Saint-Germain and reignited the possibility of a Real Madrid move in the future.
Perez has made no secret of his admiration for Neymar, and it is widely believed that he sees him as a player who can fill in the shoes of CR7 and replicate his impact at Real Madrid. On the other hand, the 26-year-old forward may just be tempted by Real's interest after failing to make it past the Champions League's Round Of 16 with PSG for the second time in a row.
Although Zidane's personal choice for the team's left-wing might be Eden Hazard, he wouldn't mind signing Neymar either. But, however, Real accommodating both the Brazil international and the Belgian international in their team is a far-fetched thought as both the players have similar styles and play in the same position.
Neymar's contract with PSG runs until 2021 and the club has made it clear that their star player—for whom they broke the transfer record two years ago—is not for sale. As a result, it would cost Real Madrid a fortune to even have a chance of snatching him away from the French champions—but there is no doubt that his phenomenal quality would be worth every penny.
#3 Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe's ability is way ahead of his young age. This fact, more and more people are starting to acknowledge as he tears the best defences in the world to shreds at will. The Frenchman's prodigious talent has already won him a World Cup with France and multiple league titles and trophies at club level. Thanks to the enormous talent he has, he is a constant presence—and one of the first names to be called—in the starting lineups of both his club and country.
Much like Hazard and Neymar, Mbappe was also close to joining Real Madrid in the past. In 2017, after his breakthrough with AS Monaco, Los Blancos were negotiating with the French club to bring him to Madrid. However, Mbappe, over the uncertainty of receiving first-team minutes, chose to join league rivals PSG in a deal worth a whopping total of 180 mil euros.
Much like his compatriot, Neymar, Mbappe too has a fan in the Real Madrid President. In a recent conference, Perez—when asked about whom he preferred between Neymar and Mbappe—answered "both", openly hinting at a possibility of pinning down both the PSG stars for his team in a single transfer window. However, these two are arguably the two most expensive players in world football and would require Madrid to shell out a crazy amount of money to make the moves happen.
Highlighting the French speedster's importance in the team, Jose Mourinho, in a press conference, labeled Mbappe as "unbuyable" and "inaccessible"—a clear assessment that PSG would be reluctant to sell him no matter what the price being offered is. For this deal to materialise, Real Manager Zidane may have to make use of his French connection besides loads of money obviously.
#4 Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba is a player who has regularly attracted attention from the top European clubs. Given his immense talent in the middle of the park, it comes as no surprise that the 13-time European Champions also fancy him in their team. The Manchester United maestro's attacking flair, tireless work-rate, and ability to turn a match on its head single-handedly make him a dream box-to-box midfielder.
Although Real Madrid have a very strong midfield already, it is hard to ignore that Modric, arguably their best midfielder, will be 34 next season and, till now, Zidane hasn't really found his replacement—a role that Pogba is the perfect candidate for. If the flamboyant Frenchman makes his move to the Bernabeu, Real's midfield would also be strengthened in the goal-scoring department which hasn't been impressive this season with their undisputed trio of Kroos, Modric, and Casemiro having just 9 goals between them in all competitions, whereas Pogba alone has scored 14 times.
Zidane has showered praise on Pogba in the past and, more recently, he said that he likes the 2018 World Cup winner and sees him joining Los Blancos in the future. On the other side, Pogba has reciprocated to his comment positively, stating that it would be a "dream for anybody who likes football" to play under Zidane. Such intense flirting between the two hasn't gone unnoticed by United's Coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who has absolutely shunned the rumour. However, keeping in mind that there is no assurance about anything in football these days (recall Neymar's shocking move to PSG or Bonucci's return to Juve after one season at Milan), Pogba to Real Madrid is very much possible and an opportunity which the Real coach will keep tabs on.
#5 Sadio Mane
A dazzling forward who is always on the prowl, Sadio Mane is a continuous threat for the opposition throughout the game. The Senegalese star has incredible pace and power to trouble some of the best defences in the world. A testament to that, he is currently the joint-third in the EPL Golden Boot race with 17 goals. For a team which has found it way too hard to score this season, Real Madrid will be keen to bring him in.
Mane is another favourite of Zidane and the Madrid coach reportedly wants to see him in the white of his club next season. The goal-threat and dynamism that Mane offers on the flanks is something that Madrid have sorely missed this season with wide players like Bale and Asensio failing to finish their chances. Having Mane, to call upon, in his ranks would definitely help the French mastermind in un-complicating Los Merengues' scoring strategy and would add incisiveness to a side that has lacked creativity in the final third throughout this season.
While it would be difficult to pry away such a big name from Liverpool Coach Jurgen Klopp's hands, there is historical evidence that suggests many managers have successfully done it. And, if Zidane approaches this deal the same way he has approached his UCL campaigns till now, we may very well see Mane butchering LaLiga defences while wearing a distinctly white apron in 2019-20.
