5 stars who can replace Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid

There has been a lot of speculation regarding Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Real Madrid after the forward himself told the press after winning the Champions League that he is not sure about where he will play next season.

The 33-year-old star man has always had rumours surrounding him but this time it looks certain that the Portuguese is set Madrid once and for all after reportedly having his release clause reduced from a whopping 1 billion euros to a much more reasonable 100 million euros.

With Juventus apparently interested in a deal and with Real Madrid set to lose their star man, here are 5 players who I think can replace Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.

---

#5 MARCO ASENSIO

Can Asensio step up?

Asensio is definitely an outside option for replacing Ronaldo. The 22-year-old has found minutes hard to come by after his move from Mallorca in 2014. Having bought him for a mere 4 million Euros, he has proved to be a real bargain for the Madrid side.

He is now one of the hottest properties in the world right now. He is already well integrated into the Real Madrid squad and he is already known to have a powerful left foot, with an eye for long-range goals. The new Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui was previously the manager of the Spain National team and thus Asensio has already played under him and thus he already knows what Asensio can bring to the table.

Asensio recently signed a new contract binding him to the cub till 2023 and the deal also contains a buyout clause of 700 million Euros.

So it seems that he will not be leaving Madrid anytime soon. By making him Ronaldo's replacement, Asensio will not only get more playing time but will also save Madrid millions of euros.

#4 KYLIAN MBAPPE

Kylian Mbappe has been in terrific form for both club and country

Kylian Mbappe is certainly the most talented teenager in the world. Being just 19 years old, he is already one of the best players in the world and has also been touted as a future Ballon d'Or winner. After having moved to Paris-Saint Germain for a reported 180 million Euros from Monaco last season, he has thrived at PSG with the likes of Neymar and Edison Cavani playing alongside him.

He is clinical in front of goal and his devasting pace has often hurt opponents all around Europe. He has also been in fantastic form for an underperforming France at the World Cup with him already scoring 3 goals.

With his current form for both club and country and with PSG having issues with Financial Fair Play (FFP), PSG might have no choice but to sell Mbappe if Real Madrid come calling.

With Mbappe worth around 150 million Euros, an offer of over 200 million Euros should be enough for a transfer to happen.

#3 HARRY KANE

Can England Captain Harry Kane bring home the World Cup?

Harry Kane over the past few years, has become one of the most lethal forwards in the world. Kane has dominated the Premier League for the past 4 seasons and has also proven his worth in the Champion League. Even though Mohamed Salah of Liverpool won the Golden Boot last season, Kane still managed to score 41 goals in all competitions for Tottenham. He is also leading the Golden Boot at the World Cup with 6 goals.

In Harry Kane, they are getting a player who is just 24 years old and has not yet hit his prime. They are also getting a consistent goal scorer who can guarantee close to 40 goals a season, exactly which Ronaldo will be leaving behind. Kane is also very clinical and as Real Madri have a much stronger midfield than Tottenham, Kane will definitely improve even more.

Due to the fact that Tottenham have a very strict wage structure, a bumper deal with a huge pay raise, and the prospect of winning trophies could be enough to tempt Kane into leaving. But as Kane has just signed a new contract with no release clause, it would probably take around 150-200 million Euros to sign him.

#2 EDEN HAZARD

Chelsea v Manchester United - The Emirates FA Cup Final

Eden Hazard is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world. The Belgian international is 27 years old and is in his prime. He has been renowned for his amazing dribbling skills and ability to open up defences with his quick feet. He plays a key role for Chelsea and was crucial in their Premier League triumph during the 2016/17 season.

He is not much of a goal scorer but still scored 16 goals for Chelsea last season. His creativity and mazy runs will surely add a lot of flair in the Real Madrid squad. Hazard is also reportedly keen on a move away from Chelsea and is said to be keen on a move to Spain if Real Madrid comes calling.

Hazard is the sort of player who plays out wide but regularly cuts inside. His ball control and dribbling skills will surely draw defenders towards him and as he is also an excellent passer, he will be able to find the perfect pass for other players to run into the space that is left by the defender.

With Chelsea having failed to qualify for the Champions League, a move to the club which has won 3 consecutive Champions League would certainly tempt Hazard. With Chelsea having a history of selling their best players such as Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic, an offer of around 120-150 million Euros should be enough to sign Hazard.

#1 NEYMAR

Will Neymar move once again for a record fee?

Neymar shocked the entire world when he decided to leave Barcelona and instead go to Paris Saint-Germain for a world record fee of 222 million Euros. But his move did not go as he had expected. According to reports, Neymar was unhappy at PSG as he thought that the league was not that competitive and there were also reports saying that there was a rift between Neymar and Edison Cavani.

It is clear that Neymar is among the top 5 players in the world. His tricks, skills and overall mobility on the pitch is what attracts fans, and that is what the Madrid fans had with Ronaldo. It has also been a while since Florentino Perez has made a 'Galactico' signing.

A Galactico signing such as Neymar will surely attract a lot of media and thus it will help in a marketing sense. If Ronaldo, who has a lifetime contract with Nike and has deals with many other brands, does leave, then Neymar would be the perfect replacement for him, both on and off the pitch.

There are also reports that Madrid need to cough up around 350 million Euros to get Neymar, which seems unlikely to happen. But if Real Madrid does sell Ronaldo then they will have a large hole in their squad and with club president, Florentino Perez said to be a huge fan of Neymar, anything could happen.