4 Real Madrid players that need to step up this season

For the first time in the past nine years, European champions Real Madrid will be heading into a campaign without Cristiano Ronaldo. Having guided Los Blancos to yet another UEFA Champions League triumph in May, the Portugal international decided to push the exit button in order to continue his career elsewhere - leaving a huge hole behind in the squad.

Despite speculation suggesting they'd be on the hunt for a potential attacking replacement this summer, Real are yet to sign anyone as his direct replacement, instead placing their trust in other world-class superstars already on the club's books.

Although the Galacticos genuinely do have plenty of superstar talents within their ranks, some of these players have not been at their best over the past few seasons and will need to work hard in order to elevate themselves once the new campaign begins in Spain.

With that in mind, let's take a look at 4 Real Madrid superstars who need to step up their respective performances and reach their full potential ahead of the new season:

#4 Keylor Navas

Navas must fight for his place in the starting line-up this season

There is no doubt that Keylor Navas is one of the world's best goalkeepers at the moment. His impressive displays against the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Bayern Munich during last year's Champions League knockout rounds are proof of his undeniable ability.

Despite his high performance levels though, the Costa Rica international has been having problems with consistency over the past few years. Typically, he failed to maintain a reliable level of performance on the domestic stage last term as Real Madrid finished third in the La Liga table and he was liable for a handful of their goals conceded.

The 31-year-old now has a strong competitor in the squad, following their £35m signing of Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois earlier this month. This implies Navas must step up and continue to improve, if he wants to maintain his spot in the starting line-up this season.

#3 Karim Benzema

The striker has been a mere shadow of himself during the past few years

Karim Benzema is also one of the Real Madrid superstars that must work hard and improve their respective performance levels this term. The Frenchman has been at Real for nine years himself, having joined from Ligue 1 side Lyon - where he quickly established himself as one of the most talented goalscoring forwards at the time.

However, it is increasingly obvious that his career has been on a decline over the past few years, with the 30-year-old struggling to replicate the same level of goal contribution he previously averaged.

With Ronaldo's departure this summer, Real need all of their attackers to step up in his absence and contribute more regularly, none more so than Benzema. Some have suggested that playing alongside Cristiano saw his freedom in the final third limited, so it'll be interesting to see how he fares without the Ballon d'Or winner alongside him moving forward. Even still, he must raise his game and improve his consistency in-front of goal to maintain a chief attacking role under new boss Julen Lopetegui.

#2 Isco

Isco must rise up under Lopetegui at Real Madrid this season

It is time for Isco to finally step up and reach his full potential at Real Madrid. The creative Spaniard had a difficult time under Zinedine Zidane over the past few years, struggling to establish himself as a first-team regular while under his management.

Despite playing at an incredible level while representing his national team, it was obvious that the playmaker failed to replicate such impressive performances regularly enough at club level, thus failing to convince Zidane that he could trust the 26-year-old to start big games at times in recent seasons.

With the Frenchman now gone and Lopetegui his replacement at the helm, Isco would have himself to blame should he fail to produce a meaningful impact at the club over this upcoming campaign. Having established himself as the key man within Lopetegui's Spain squad recently, the midfielder must utilise his fantastic relationship with the tactician as an effective elevator for his career at Real.

#1 Gareth Bale

An ultimate chance for the attacker to step up at Real Madrid

It is now or never for Gareth Bale to assume the role of the main man at Real Madrid. Having played under the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo at the Bernabeu ever since he moved to the Spanish capital from Tottenham in 2013, the attacker finally has the opportunity to become the team's undisputed star now that his former teammate has joined Juventus.

Although his incredible ability cannot be questioned, the Wales international still has work to do before becoming the team's major superstar. Consistency in the final third, particularly with his goal and assist tallies, must improve. In addition, he also needs to ensure he maintains a high level of fitness to make himself available for longer periods.

With a Ronaldo-shaped hole in Real's attack, plenty responsibilities will fall on Bale's shoulders and he must embrace added pressure - as it's something he has eagerly relished since joining the European champions five years ago.