We don’t know if Real Madrid has already got reconciled them to the fact that they have been left to the average of 50 goals per season that Ronaldo delivered through his nine campaigns at Santiago Bernabeu. Whatever happens from here, we can say that no player in the world can simply replace Cristiano Ronaldo.
The team was structured that way under Zinedine Zidane, so that can extract goals from Ronaldo. He
may have been positioned on the left side of the Madrid attack but he was everywhere, and most of the times on the right place. He scored 44 times last season in all competitions. Ronaldo is a striker and a pretty good one at that.
His clever runs into the box, his game that became about instinctive finishes and anticipation always required the rest of the individuals set within the attacking formation to “serve” him. Next top scorer for Real Madrid is Gareth Bale with 21 scores.
Zidane had his own strategies, and one of them was fielding a playmaker in Isco behind Ronaldo and Benzema the last season. But know it appears dubious that Lopetegui can replicate that system, given the profile of both players with the squad he’s got right now. But, this situation brings us to Eden Hazard, the double-title winner of Chelsea who has made clear about his desire to move to Madrid.
In St. Petersburg he said that after six years at Chelsea it might be just the right time to try something different, after the World Cup certainly. He is letting Chelsea make the final decision if they want to let him go. If so, he said that we all know his preferred destination. Was he thinking about Real Madrid? Of course, he did.
This move makes sense for the Belgian Captain. Hazard is 27 years old and the timing is just right, also opportunities like Real Madrid don’t come around often for a one player’s career so he appears to be determined to grab it.
There’s a gap now in the Madrid’s line-up, with Ronaldo sold. But it can be filled by e new Galactico like Eden Hazard. The spot will be taken, but he won’t replace the Juventus sign, won’t replace his aura, his personality or his goals. And definitely, Madrid will be playing a new style of football if they go for Hazard.