According to a recent report by Spanish news source Diario Madridista, La Liga giants Real Madrid are said to have narrowed their striker search down to three names for next season – Harry Kane, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Erling Haaland.
Despite the interest in Kane and Haaland, the report suggests that Aubameyang remains Los Blancos’ primary target, owing largely to the fact that Real Madrid star Dani Ceballos is currently on loan at the Emirates, and could be used as a makeweight in the deal.
What Are The Linked Strikers’ Current Situations?
Harry Kane has spent a large part of the current league season on the sidelines, after picking up an unfortunate injury in the early part of the term. Despite his extended absence from first-team football, there’s no denying that Kane is one of the deadliest finishers in the world. The Spurs striker has been at the club since he was a young boy, and even though trophies have been sparse, his commitment level towards the club has never really dropped.
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang could offer the most realistic option for Los Blancos, as the Gabonese international has only a year left on his contract. If the Gunners expect to receive a transfer fee for the talismanic forward’s services, then they will be forced to sell him in the summer. The veteran striker has been played across a variety of positions since the start of the campaign, but remains the Gunners’ top scorer.’
Erling Haaland has only recently joined Borussia Dortmund from RB Salzburg, but it doesn’t seem like he’s going to be there long. The 19-year-old is officially contracted to the Bundesliga outfit until the summer of 2024, but the likelihood of the youngster seeing out his contract does look rather bleak. While it could be argued that he’s too young, the Norwegian’s goalscoring numbers tell a different story altogether.
Understanding Which Striker Would Fit In Best At Real Madrid
Harry Kane
The Tottenham man has spent most of the season out injured but has still registered numbers comparable to the other two players. With 16 league goals to his name this campaign, it’s safe to say that Kane would be a good fit for Real Madrid. The Englishman averages almost three shots every fixture, and his shot accuracy of 45 percent needs to be appreciated as well. What makes Kane standout though, is the fact that he consistently got more than twenty league goals for four seasons in a row except the last one where he spent a spell on the sidelines.
Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
The prolific Arsenal striker has undoubtedly been the Gunners’ best player this season. Without his 17 league goals, it’s safe to say that the London club wouldn’t be anywhere near the race for the top six. The former Dortmund man offers a decent return of 2.5 shots per game but tends to take two poor touches in every fixture. Also, the versatile forward isn’t the best dribbler in the league, as he averages just one successful dribble every other game. At 30, the Gabonese striker is the oldest of the lot, and would hence be a short-term investment at best.
Erling Haaland
Haaland has been nothing short of a sensation since the start of the season, and his Bundesliga record of nine goals from just eight appearances so far further highlights that point. The youngster still has a lot of developing to do in terms of technicality, but it must be conceded that he’s one of the most prolific finishers in Europe at the moment. Perhaps unsurprisingly due to his age, the Norwegian tends to be dispossessed at least once in every fixture, while he also takes two poor touches. With a shot per game ratio of 2.5 and one key dribble completed every game, the youngster would make an excellent long-term investment.
Which Striker Should Zidane Look To Sign In The Summer?
All things considered, Harry Kane must be the striker signing that Los Blancos prioritise. The Spurs man is only 26 and has the best part of his career still ahead of him. Moreover, the Englishman would fit in perfectly into the Real Madrid system, where the striker’s primary responsibility is just to hold up the ball and put it in the net when the opportunities present themselves.
While Haaland and Aubameyang are great finishers in their own right too, the fact that Kane is in the age sweet-spot should be enough to tip the scales in the Tottenham striker’s favour. For all the work that Harry Kane has put in over the last many years, he’s yet to win a league title, and a switch to Real Madrid could be the ideal move for the development of his career as well.
