Dani Ceballos – Aurelien Tchouameni
There were a lot of expectations on Dani Ceballos when he signed for the club back in 2017, but five years have passed, and he hasn’t been able to prove himself yet. At the moment, he looks like a player surplus to Real Madrid’s requirements, and a move away from the club this summer looks inevitable.
Midfield is Real Madrid’s best department, with a mixture of experienced players who are among the greatest of all time, and world-class young talents. If there’s anything missing, it’s only a proper backup defensive midfielder. Antonio Blanco looked like a player destined to be the club’s future, but he would want to forget this season, with little to zero chances with the first team.
If the club even thinks of signing a midfielder to fill in the spot vacated by the Andalusian Ceballos, Aurelien Tchouameni should be the best option. The Frenchman has been linked to the club for a while, and he is a player who has the potential to become one of the best midfielders in the future. His price tag would be the only issue, as he’s expected to cost around 60-80 million, which is something the club must be wary of.
Mariano Diaz – No one
Real Madrid shouldn’t look to replace Mariano because, well, he is simply irreplaceable.
Jokes apart, I have always felt that Mariano has always been a player who’s surplus to the team’s needs, especially since the day Luka Jovic was signed by the club. There is no need to have a third-choice striker at the club, and it is only because of the club’s inability to sell him and the 28-year-old’s stubbornness that he’s still at the club.
If at all there is an emergency where the club’s both strikers are injured, the manager can look to use Kylian Mbappe as a CF, similar to how Cristiano Ronaldo was occasionally used as the lone striker, or rely on a Castilla striker like Juanmi Latasa.