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Real Madrid shortlist three strikers to replace Cristiano Ronaldo

By Prathamesh Murugesan

MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 31: Real Madrid CF president Florentino Perez reacts as he listens to Zinedine Zidane during a press conference to announce his resignation as Real Madrid coach at Valdebebas Sport City on May 31, 2018 in Madrid, Spain. Zidane steps down from the position of Manager of Real Madrid, after leading the club to it's third consecutive UEFA Champions League title. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 31: Real Madrid CF president Florentino Perez reacts as he listens to Zinedine Zidane during a press conference to announce his resignation as Real Madrid coach at Valdebebas Sport City on May 31, 2018 in Madrid, Spain. Zidane steps down from the position of Manager of Real Madrid, after leading the club to it's third consecutive UEFA Champions League title. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) /
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Following their defeat in the UEFA Super Cup to city rivals Atletico, Real Madrid are ready to step up their pursuit to sign Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement, and have three players on their shortlist.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez reportedly has three strikers on his radar to replace Cristiano Ronaldo following the Portuguese superstar’s blockbuster move to Juventus earlier this summer.

Ronaldo’s high profile and unexpected move to Turin fetched them a hefty fee of €100 million, but Perez has uncharacteristically chosen not to spend it so far.

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He is perhaps justified in  believing that the Los Blancos can cope without a suitable replacement – they do have plenty of firepower up front in Benzema, Bale, Asensio, Vasquez, Vinicius Jr and Mayoral.

But the recent defeat to city rivals Atletico in the UEFA Super Cup has served as a harsh reality check for Perez and Lopetegui.

Diego Costa rammed his way through Real’s defense to score in typical Diego Costa fashion inside one minute.

While Real did manage to take the lead through Benzema and Ramos, Costa equalized in the 79th minute, before Saul and Koke sealed the win for Atleti in extra time, handing them their first continental final defeat in 18 years.

The defeat showed that Real could still improve their defense, and could definitely use some extra options going forward.

And Florentino Perez has three strikers on his shopping list – Mauro Icardi, Rodrigo and Timo Werner.

Inter Milan’s Icardi has been linked with a move to the Bernabeu for a very long time as a potential replacement for Karim Benzema, and would be a world class replacement for Ronaldo.

The 25 year old Argentine has been one of the most potent forwards in the Serie A over the last few seasons – he’s scored 100 league goals in 159 appearances for Inter.

Rodrigo is a rather peculiar target – he’s actually a graduate of Real’s academy, and has represented their ‘C’ and ‘B’ teams.

He would present a more versatile option compared to Icardi. The 27 year old Spanish international is capable of playing as a winger or a striker, and netted a very impressive 16 league goals for Valencia last season.

Timo Werner is probably one of the most exciting prospects in German football. At the age of 17, he was already a regular for Stuttgart, before RB Leipzig signed him in 2016.

He has since developed into one of the best young strikers in Europe, and is already first choice for Germany. He’s currently 22 years old, and could turn out to be an excellent long term replacement for Ronaldo and Benzema.

Rodrigo could set Perez back by €80 million, and Icardi and Werner will cost considerably higher. It remains to be seen if Real will be willing to shell out such a huge amount.

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Real Madrid kick off their 2018/19 La Liga season with a home fixture against Getafe on Sunday night.

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