5 replacements for Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid

3. Eden Hazard

This is where the rumor mill starts to heat up concerning Ronaldo replacements, as Chelsea forward Eden Hazard hasn’t been subtle about his desire to play in the Spanish capital. That, when combined with recent remarks by his father, probably makes this move more likely than most.

Hazard is not nearly as prolific a goalscorer as Ronaldo which suggests a swoop for him would be accompanied by additional reinforcements. This is not to say Hazard can’t score — he got 17 across all competitions for a dysfunctional Chelsea side — but his value comes just as much from setting up his teammates as it does from scoring himself.

Hazard, combined with Gareth Bale (who may or may not be exiting Madrid himself) and/or other players on this list, could more than offset the loss of Ronaldo, but would require a relatively significant system change from Lopeteguie. Would Hazard thrive in a 4-4-2? Do Los Blancos have the personnel to play a 3-4-2-1, like with Belgium, or a 3-4-3 like Antonio Conte’s Chelsea?

There’s also a concern with Hazard, more than any of the other four players on this list, about injuries and mercurial performances in big games. When the goal is to win a fourth consecutive Champions League, that won’t be tolerated by the Madrid faithful for any extended period of time.