After winning three back to back Champions League titles, Real Madrid have suddenly been thrown into a summer of transition as they have decided to replace Zinedine Zidane for the next season. Julen Lopetegui has already taken over the squad at Santiago Bernabeu and is now busy in solving a few issues in the squad.
They need some depth, which was missing last season, but more importantly, they will have to make sure that star players at the club are happy next season. The likes of Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio and Mateo Kovacic continue to be linked with an exit and Lopetegui has to make sure that they are settled or should find a replacement for them, before the start of the next season.
But the former Spain boss will also have to add upgrades to certain roles in his squad and one role he is desperate to improve on is his striker.
French international Karim Benzema had a decent campaign under Zidane last season but his place is not guaranteed in the first team. He is not a player that is in the good books of the owner Florentino Perez and reports now suggest that he will be replaced this summer.
The likes of Robert Lewandowski have been linked with a move to Spanish capital recently but one player now on their radar is Romelu Lukaku.
The Belgian international, is one of the most consistent goal scorers in the Premier League at the moment, scoring 26 goals in all competitions for Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United. He has also been in red-hot form in the World Cup, scoring four goals in the group stages and is crucial for Belgium’s chances in Russia.
At just 25, he has now registered himself as one of the best strikers in world football and it is natural that Real Madrid are interested in his signature.
Reports from Spain claim that Real Madrid are ready to offer Cristiano Ronaldo as a part of the deal to land Lukaku this summer. The Portuguese international has a release clause of €1bn but Lopetegui is open to letting him leave this summer, with Manchester United interested in bringing him back to Old Trafford.
And it is suggested that Perez wants to take advantage of this situation and is ready to table a bid of €50m + Ronaldo to try and land Lukaku. It may seem a profitable move for the English giants but Ronaldo, who is now 33, is not a long-term option and losing Lukaku will leave them in search of another striker this summer.
Read More: Real Madrid Set To Offer Cash Plus Player Deal To Lure Liverpool’s Winger: Should The Reds Comply?
But for Real Madrid, adding Lukaku as a replacement for Benzema will certainly solve goalscoring problems for years to come. Losing Ronaldo could be disastrous but the Portuguese winger has no more than two years at his best so this deal might be Lopetegui planning for the future.
