Cristiano Ronaldo is in decline according to stats but can Gareth Bale take over as Real Madrid talisman

REAL MADRID are shelling out £86million a year to make Cristiano Ronaldo the world's most expensive player.

But stats show that the Portugal star's age is beginning to catch up with him as he struggles to live up to his past heroics.

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The three-time Ballon d'Or winner hit his peak in the 2014-15 season when he netted 1.37 goals every 90 minutes in La Liga, as well as setting up 2.14 chances for his team-mates.

Those figures plummeted last season and have gone even lower so far this campaign, where Ronaldo is producing by far his worst numbers in five years.

The 31-year-old is taking fewer shots, with less on target and also failing to get past defenders with any regularity.

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Gareth Bale - who also agreed terms on a mega-money extension recently - has been hailed as Real's future by Dani Carvajal.

The Welshman's figures could not live up to his illustrious team-mate during his first two years in Madrid - although they did rise when Ronaldo was not playing.

But last season he provided more chances, took on more players and produced comparable shooting figures.

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Bale, 27, has suffered a slight dip in form this season on a smaller sample size as both players come off the back of a long Euro 2016 campaign where Ronaldo knocked out the Dragons in the semi-final.

But if the trends continue, he will be more productive than his rival in every area by the end of the campaign and Bale will have the last laugh. 

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