5 promising forwards who flopped at Real Madrid in the last decade

Playing for Real Madrid is a dream for many footballers in and around Europe. There is no doubting that it is one among the most loved and most admired clubs globally. Los Blancos have almost always kept themselves afloat in terms of financial prowess and that has allowed them to compete for silverwarve consistently.

The Spanish club have been home to some of the brightest prospects in European football over the years. Even though a select few are able to fulfill their dream of wearing the prestigious Real Madrid jersey, there is only a small crop that is able to do justice to it.

Real Madrid have won the Champions League a record 13 times

Many bright stars from various European top flights have been brought to the Spanish capital with the hope of taking the club's legacy forward. For every man that succeeds at Real, there is one who did not as well.

Especially when you are a forward, the attention around you is different. Madridistas love their goal scorers. But they don't tolerate the sight of those who can't return the club's investment in them on score sheets. The last decade has seen a few promising names emerge at Real or come from elsewhere who could have had the world at their feet, but failed to fulfill expectations.

On that note, here are five promising forwards who flopped at Real Madrid in the last decade (2011-21)

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#5 Denis Cheryshev

Cheryshev turned from a flop at Real Madrid to Russia's protagonist at World Cup 2018

Denis Cheryshev was the first Russian-born to play for Real Madrid and graduated from the club's academy, which he joined at the age of 12 in 2002. His performances in the youth setup made him a topic of conversation on a few occasions and a step-up into the senior side was always on the cards.

A left winger by nature with decent pace, Cheryshev's style of play was similar to that of Cristiano Ronaldo. Cheryshev was an important asset for Real Madrid's reserve side when they earned promotion to the Segunda Division.

The winger's minimal involvement with Real Madrid's first team also meant that he was not being given regular starting opportunities with the Russian team. In order to become a more pivotal part of his national side, Cheryshev decided to go on multiple loans.

He could only amass a mere seven appearances for Real Madrid and scored only one goal in that tenure. Out of those appearances, one is infamously known as the "Copa-gate" incident of 2015.

Cheryshev, who was on loan at Villareal the previous season, had picked up three yellows in the competition. Legally, he was suspended and couldn't have started the cup game. Unfortunately, everyone forgot to make note of the fact. He went on to score in the game.

In 2016, the Russian star finally left the club and signed for Villareal. He currently plays for Valencia and at both those clubs, his goal contributions have been quite ordinary.

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#4 Mariano Diaz

Mariano's wages at Real Madrid are not allowing the club to dispose him

When Mariano Diaz returned to the Bernabeu for his second spell at Real Madrid, there was a lot of buzz due to his impressive performances in Ligue 1. In his only season with Olympique Lyon in 2017-18, Mariano showcased real class and ability by contributing 18 goals in the league in 34 appearances.

The striker's linkup play with Nabil Fekir and Memphis Depay attracted Real Madrid, who were looking for an attacking force after Cristiano Ronaldo's departure. He was entrusted with the No.7 jersey, which seemed a little too much at the time and he did nothing to change that notion.

The Spaniard has been unable to gain any momentum in his time with Los Blancos, partly due to injuries and sometimes due to illness. This clearly left his managers unconvinced about playing him in big games.

In his three seasons at Real Madrid since 2018, he has struggled to manage his current tally of 33 appearances. Moreover, he has only netted five goals and by no means is he satisfying the Real Madrid faithful as Benzema's backup.

Last year Benfica came close to landing Mariano and this year a deal with Valencia was seemingly completed but the move broke down on deadline day. Mariano's contract expires in 2023 and he's doing himself no favors by continuing at the Bernabeu.

#3 Jesé Rodriguez

Jese is currently playing for Las Palmas in Segunda Division

A third star in a row on this list who emerged from Real Madrid's academy, Jese Rodriguez could not settle as a regular at his boyhood club. A cruciate ligament injury in 2014 and a knee infection following the injury really put Jese off the tracks in his aim to excel at Real Madrid.

Los Blancos sanctioned the versatile striker's exit for good by not including any buy-back clause in his contract when he joined PSG. The intentions were quite clear; Jese was not going to generate the quality they desired. He was no longer the same player they were raving about in 2013 when he broke the single-season goal scoring record for Real Madrid Castilla.

Zinedine Zidane's team at the time was well stocked and there were enough alternatives present in the team that a need to offer Jese regular football wouldn't arise. Jese had a golden opportunity to turn his fortune and prove that he was capable of leading the line at elite clubs with his move to PSG.

Instead, it was his lifestyle and a visible lack of professionalism that risked his reputation in front of French supporters and the media. During his four-year stay in Paris, the Spaniard struggled to establish himself as a proper attacking force and was loaned out in all successive campaigns.

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#2 Luka Jović

Jovic has been an underwhelming back-up to Karim Benzema

While Real Madrid engaged in one of the worst business deals in the club's recent history, Eintracht Frankfurt pulled off an absolute jackpot for themselves. At the center of it all, Luka Jovic. The biggest move of the striker's career turned out to be the baddest.

In many ways, this was a similar signing to that of Mariano Diaz. One outstanding season, and the Madrid club were out splashing cash. Those €60 million Euros seem like they were flushed down a drain. At Frankfurt, Jovic played upfront with a fellow striker and so when he was tasked to lead the line at Real Madrid as a No.9, he couldn't find his feet. Eventually, he felt out of proportion in Zidane's system.

The Serbian played 15 games in La Liga for Los Blancos last season under Zidane and couldn't manage a single goal contribution. He was then loaned to his former club Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, where he started brightly, but the early sparks were gone as he ended his tally of 19 matches with just 4 goals.

Real Madrid have predominantly employed the 4-3-3 system whoever the manager is, and it has been a part of their free-flowing football identity. Carlo Ancelotti is also sticking with the same, meaning Jovic will continue to play second-fiddle to Karim Benzema.

His struggles in the central No.9 position has been very evident. Unless Ancelotti works out some magical scheme with him, it will be difficult to see Jovic thriving and taking over the baton from the French striker.

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#1 Eden Hazard

Hazard is the most expensive Real Madrid signing ever at €115m

They say, "Form is temporary, but class is permanent." But we can be sure that Eden Hazard will not care one bit about that famous statement if you were to give him an opportunity to take some form for a run of five or six games. The biggest reason for Hazard's abysmal time has been his constant injuries.

In his debut season at Real Madrid, Hazard was injured in a Champions League game against PSG. After recovering from that injury, he ended up suffering with another one against Levante in La Liga. Hazard ended his first season at the Bernabeu having scored just one goal in 22 La Liga matches. He also missed his first two El Clasico games due to those injuries. What a shame.

There was little to cheer about in Hazard's case last season as well, as he made 24 appearances in the Spanish top-flight with only five goal contributions. Last month, Hazard achieved a rather relieving feat that was an apt summary of how out of fitness he had been at Real Madrid. The draw against Villareal was the first time the Belgian has played five successive games for Real Madrid.

In his last season at Chelsea, Hazard was prolific while functioning in spaces behind the striker. He managed a mouth-watering tally of 21 goals and 17 assists. But consistency and momentum were key to the forward's success at Chelsea. He missed only 21 games due to injury during his time at Stamford Bridge in his seven years. At Real Madrid he has already missed nearly 60.

Oh Cristiano, how have you enchanted the No.7 jersey at Real Madrid, everyone who tries to own it, seems to crumble.