Real Madrid’s top five transfer targets for next summer after having ban halved
Zinedine Zidane is expected to recruit heavily next summer once their transfer ban has been lifted
NEWS broke this week that Real Madrid’s proposed transfer ban has been halved following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The European champions were originally barred from registering new players for two transfer windows by Fifa due to irregularities in the club’s signing of young players, meaning Zinedine Zidane would have been unable to bolster his squad until January 2018.
But now Los Blancos will be able to splash the cash next summer, freeing them up to make the kind of Galactico signings that have become their trademark over the last decade-and-a-half.
But which superstar players are on their summer wish list?
Here we look at the top five Real Madrid targets according to the Football Whispers Index.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has made no secret of the fact that he dreams of someday pulling on the famous white shirt of Real Madrid.
And for a while there, with the Spanish side’s transfer ban threatening to put all Bernabeu incomings on hold for a year, it seemed as though the Gabonese marksmen might miss out on joining the European champions altogether - certainly in the short-term.
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With deals of such magnitude like the one that would see a player of Aubameyang’s standing moving clubs rarely occurring during the mid-season window, the summer of 2018 looked like being the earliest opportunity for the switch to take place.
By that time, however, he would’ve been 29 and Madrid would perhaps prefer to concentrate on a younger target.
But now, with Los Blancos free to resume their dealings next summer, a move for Aubameyang, who scored 39 goals last season and has already been on target 20 times this term, appears to be a strong possibility.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos - Borussia Dortmund
Aubameyang is not the only Dortmund player wanted in the Spanish capital, with the 11-time champions of Europe also reportedly lining up a move for Greek centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
Spanish newspaper AS recently reported that, with veteran Portuguese defender Pepe out of contract in the summer, Madrid have made an enquiry over the availability of Sokratis – a story which was also picked up by German tabloid Bild.
The 28-year-old defender would hardly be the kind of Galactico signing to get Real fans excited, but, with his experience, leadership and ability on the ball, the former Werder Bremen man would be an astute addition.
Christian Eriksen - Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen might not be the most obvious candidate to become Real Madrid’s next Galactico, but the 24-year-old is a rumoured target for the Spanish giants.
Since moving to White Hart Lane from Ajax in 2013, Eriksen has developed into one of the most effective creative midfielders in the Premier League.
The Spurs man has scored five goals and registered four assists this season, and could follow in the footsteps of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale by swapping north London for the Bernabeu.
Eden Hazard - Chelsea
Perhaps the most realistic world-class star – other than Aubameyang – that Madrid could target next summer would be Chelsea’s Eden Hazard.
The diminutive Belgian has bounced back from a disappointing 2015-16 to rediscover his best form for the Blues this season.
Hazard would be a true Galactico acquisition for Real, and would surely command a fee close to the £89million world record sum that Manchester United forked out for Paul Pogba last summer.
However, with Gareth Bale and Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo having recently signed bumper new contracts at the Bernabeu, crowbarring another enigmatic attacker into the starting XI could upset the balance of Zidane’s side.
Thomas Lemar - Monaco
Monaco’s 21-year-old midfielder Thomas Lemar is enjoying somewhat of a breakout season in Ligue 1 this term.
Signed from Caen in the summer of 2015, Lemar featured regularly last season, scoring five goals from 34 appearances.
The current campaign has seen Lemar take his game to a new level, however, bagging eight goals in 22 games – including a stunning strike against Tottenham in the Champions League at Wembley.
The left-sided midfielder is known for his ability to strike the ball powerfully and accurately from distance, but he has also shown a level of deftness in his finishing of late.
If Real Madrid intend to lure the French international to the Bernabeu, they will have to fend off rival interest from Atletico Madrid and Barcelona for the £30million-rated star.
