Real Madrid emergency striker: the candidates
The Spanish outfit are suffering from a scoring drought - meaning they are keen to pick up an out and out goal-getter in January.
This season's Real Madrid, first under Lopetegui and from two months ago with Solari, is the most goal-shy Real Madrid side since 2006-2007. They've scored 55 goals in 27 matches, and just 24 in LaLiga. Half of Barcelona's total. Having just won the Club World Cup, coach Solari was asked if he wanted the club to sign someone in the winter transfer market who could provide goals. He avoided the question. The statistics show what most expected and many feared, since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus Real Madrid are blunter up front: Bale has scored 11 and Benzema 10 to try to make up for the departure of Ronaldo's strikes. Meaning that, Solari's evasive answers aside, Real Madrid are looking to bring in a striker in the winter transfer market.
Icardi
◗ Club: Inter
◗ Age: 25 ◗ Goals: 13
◗ Market value: 100 million euros
The Inter forward has been linked with Real Madrid in the past two transfer windows. Italian paper 'La Gazzetta dello Sport' said recently that the player would renew with Inter at the start of 2019 to 2023, but his wife and agent has subsequently denied that version of events saying club and player are very far apart...
Timo Werner
◗ Club: Leipzig
◗ Age: 22 ◗ Goals: 13
◗ Market value: 65 million euros
Timo Werner was linked to Real Madrid back in the summer of 2018. He's considered one of the best up and coming strikers in Germany, and despite not hitting top form with the national side, he's remained a fixture in Löw's plans. Although Transfermarkt put his price at 65 million euros Real Madrid are expected to be able to get him for 20.
Piatek
◗ Club: Genoa
◗ Age: 23 ◗ Goals: 19
◗ Market value: 15 million euros
The Genoa striker is on fire in Serie A, having scored 13 and only behind Cristiano Ronaldo in the scoring charts, thanks to the Portuguese man's double against Sampdoria on Saturday. Real Madrid have been following him for months. He's cheap (in this market) making him an attractive proposition. He made his debut for Poland against Ireland on 11 September.
Fernando Llorente
◗ Club: Tottenham
◗ Age: 33 ◗ Goals: 1
◗ Market value: 4 million euros
The Spanish striker isn't in Pochettino's plans and is looking for a new club in January. Back in December he admitted he would be keen to return to LaLiga. The main candidate is Athletic. He was in fact offered to Real Madrid in 2017 to cover Morata's departure but was ruled out. Highly unlikely but stranger things have happened.
Bas Dost
◗ Club: Sporting Lisbon
◗ Age: 29 ◗ Goals: 15
◗ Market value: 22 million euros
The Dutch hitman is flying with Sporting at the moment. He came to Portugal from Wolfsburg in 2016, where he was banging them in for fun. He's scored 15 in 14 matches this season. His aerial prowess (he measures 1.97m, 6 feet 6 inches) is his major weapon. He would adapt fine to a role as a luxury second striker, and he's already asked to leave the club after being injured in May by Sporting Ultras in one of the more bizarre incidents of 2018.
