Real Madrid sees its next center forward of campanillas in 2022, with Erling haaland, but Luka Jovic's departure back to Frankfurt leaves the squad with only two nines (Benzema and Mariano) and the club with the potential temptation to scan the market. There are rams in advantageous contractual situations for an immediate start or in the summer, others wanting to leave their current clubs and a bunch of young people with a lot of projection and still at low cost. The economy, as the entity has been showing, is taken care of to the maximum.
Madrid are not usually friends with going to the January market, but there are not so distant precedents, such as Adebayor in the Mourinho era, a battering ram who was a market opportunity low cost. Now, the stage throws different profiles and all of them ready to leave their clubs without having to break the piggy bank destined for Mbappé …
Veterans wanting more rock and roll
The option of the experienced and contrasted footballer, in the final stretch of his current contract with a high salary but quick adaptation, offers interesting alternatives. The most obvious is the Kun Agüero, who ends his link with City in summer. Pochettino wants him for PSG, but the frustrated love story between the little Argentine attacker and Madrid is known to everyone. Harassed by injuries and 32 years old, but always with a goal (23 last season). A line in which another nine moves much more similar to what Jovic offered, pure power. Is Olivier giroud. Also in the final stretch of his career (34 years), he ends up at Chelsea also this summer and his departure from Stamford Bridge seems like a done deal. The problem could be the occasional public brush with Benzema …
Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal forward, ends his contract in 2022.
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If the thing is French, something that in Zidane's Frenchified Madrid would not collide at all, Arsenal puts another bleu international in luck, Alexandre Lacazette. At 29 years old and with a long history of back and forth in his competitive attitude, Simeone likes and his relationship with Mikel Arteta is not the best, in fact the gunners they have him in their cleaning operation of the campus. All in all, it continues to offer quality nights.
Old acquaintances and possible 'bargains'
In the window there is even an ex-Madridista, Raúl de Tomás. He stayed at Espanyol but the Second is very small and although his salary is impressive (close to € 5M), he has the advantage that know Valdebebas by heart. The particular situation of some players makes them almost bargains. Arkadiusz Milik (26 years old), the Polish tower of Naples, ends his contract in 2021 and wants to leave because the Eurocup is in danger for him. ANDl Naples, rather than losing it, would ask, according to reports from Italy, at least € 10M. Little for a forward who has scored 38 goals in 93 Serie A games and has experience in Ajax and the Bundesliga. From Italy and the national team azzurra another opportunity emerges from mercatoWhat they would say in transalpine football. Is Andrea Belotti, the capocannoniero from Torino. At 27 years old, Bull He has outgrown and in his country they point to Milan as a possible destination if Ibrahimovic does not renew. Transfermarkt, the website specialized in market values, 'rates' him at 40 million euros. But it will come out for less. The key is that he ends with his current club in 2022, so the forward has the upper hand.
The new sap of Edouard, Lassina Traoré, Boadu …
The last variant could be to bet on an emerging young talent who can learn as the third nine of the white team. Cheap, because it would arrive before exploding, and without pressure. A strategy that would approach, keeping the distances, to the one undertaken with Vinicius and Rodrygo.
Badou (AZ Alkmaar), Lassina Traoré (Ajax) and Odsonne Edouard (Celtic), three young 'nines' who are hitting hard.
There are nines on the market that are starting to get elbows. Two in the Dutch Eredivisie. Lassina Traoré (20 years old) has been growing at Ajax. His power led to a monstrous match against Venlo. Of the historical 13 goals of the ajaccied, five were from the African attacker and he gave three assists. A footballer who played barefoot in his native country, whose mother was a footballer (and captain of the national team) and who comes with the stamp of the quarry of the Amsterdam club. Mayron Boadu (19 years old) is dating, for his part, at AZ Alkmaar. Under-21 international with the Netherlands, is valued at 15 million euros and its projection is such that Mino Raiola has become his agent. A powerful representative with whom Madrid have close connections with first Pogba and now Haaland.
There is also a young French striker ready to give the best of European football a glimpse. Odsanne Edouard (22 years old) was a youth squad for PSG, he is a French Under-21 international and is scoring goals of all colors for Celtic Glasgow. Add 11 in 23 matches this year. The contract ends in 2022 and it is also affordable (it is valued at € 15M) so it is at the right time to go to a more powerful League and its agency is Bale's, with which Madrid also has a lot of ties for the Welshman … and by Camavinga.