None can deny that Cristiano Ronaldo remains one of the world’s best attackers currently and of this generation, but the Real Madrid superstar is showing signs of slowing down.
The Portuguese ace, despite boasting 11 goals in only six Champions League group stages matches this campaign, has only 16 in 21 games in La Liga this season, an impressive number for many but not for the former Man United winger.
Cristiano will turn 31 in just over a week’s time, and this has club president Florentino Perez eager to cash in on the three-time Ballon d’Or winner while his stocks are high, but before he is long past his prime.
It remains unsure where Ronaldo will be headed next, though Manchester United or PSG are his likely destinations, but it is believed that the Blancos’ all-time record goalscorer will be transferred at the end of this season.
And according to Sport, the player that will be brought in to Santiago Bernabeu to replace Ronaldo will be Barcelona superstar Neymar, a man who has been winning over the critics with his exploits this season.
Although Eden Hazard is the player preferred by manager Zinedine Zidane, Perez has identified the Brazilian as the ideal candidate.
The Real Madrid president is reportedly ready to pull out all the stops in order to land the Selecao captain, as Les Merengues aim to not only sign one of world football’s brightest prospects, but pry rivals the Blaugrana of their key asset.
Neymar, though, will not come cheap; nonetheless, Real Madrid are willing to splash big, as they are ready to meet his €190m buyout clause.
In addition, the 10-time Champions League winners will hand Neymar a five-year deal should the transfer go through, which would see the 23-year-old earn a staggering €35m per year.
Furthermore, the player’s father, who has several times before aired his son’s desire to stay at Camp Nou, will be handed a signing bonus worth €30m in order to see the deal through.
This means signing Neymar could cost Real Madrid close to €400m!
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Follow the game on-the-go
Download our iOS and Android apps to follow soccer on-the-go. It comes packed with features - live scores, fixtures, results, tables, line-ups, stats, TV schedule and much more! Sorry, no live streaming within the app.
