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Luka Modric is now in the twilight years of his career. Even though the Croatian is still regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world and perhaps could play for 2 or 3 more years at the top flight, Real Madrid should now prepare for a replacement. At 33 years of age, Modric will not get any younger while Matteo Kovacic is not having a decent season at Chelsea.
It is understandable that Madrid still have Dani Ceballos who got the potential to replace Modric. Unfortunately, Ceballos is having lack of game time and has played 821 fewer minutes in La Liga than the Croatian this season.
Now Madrid are facing the huge task of replacing their most prized midfielder. Still, some experienced players have what it takes to take the Ballon d’Or winner’s post at Bernabeu. We will analyse some of those players who Madrid should consider to become their next star midfielder.
#1 Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba is currently having a stellar season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Even when the Frenchman was heavily criticised in Mourinho’s era, he was still linked with a move to Madrid. Judging from his abilities, the Manchester United man shares some similarities with Modric such as being able to create a decent amount of key passes and excellent dribbling abilities.
Pogba is a very technical player, and his excellent agility makes it easier for him to find his teammates for a pass. He also has eight assists in the league this season, much better than Modric’s four.
Apart from his playmaking abilities, Pogba is known for his long shots and is sharper than Modric in terms of goalscoring. This ability will help Madrid in a situation when the opposition defends deep or when Los Blancos desperately need a goal. In terms of productivity, it is safe to say that Pogba could serve as an upgrade to Modric.
#2 Miralem Pjanic
Miralem Pjanic is regarded by many as one of the best midfielders in Serie A. His hugely successful season at AS Roma eventually made Juventus sign him for a reasonably high price. Now Pjanic seems to be worth every penny for Juventus as he has become Allegri’s main man for three seasons already.
The 28-year-old is perhaps not as technical as Modric, nevertheless, he can equally match or even serve as an upgrade to the Croatian in terms of creating many chances and assisting his teammates.
This season, Pjanic already created twice as many key passes as Modric on average, and this will help struggling forward Gareth Bale to produce more goals. The Bosnian midfielder is also known for his excellent passing accuracy. This season, Pjanic completed an average of 92.1 per cent of his passes in Serie A, slightly better than Modric’s 89.4 and this could help smoothen Madrid's attack when they dominate the possession.
#3 Christian Eriksen
Christian Eriksen is a versatile player who could play equally well as a central, attacking midfielder, or even as a winger. This will enable him to help Madrid by more than just replacing Modric in central midfield as he could also play a more attacking role following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure and Gareth Bale's dip in performance this season.
Arsenal's former manager, Arsene Wenger stated that Eriksen even got more goals compared to Modric besides both players' similarities in other aspects like final ball-delivery and set pieces. The Dane became an instant revelation when he joined Tottenham Hotspur from Ajax in 2013, scoring 7 league goals and playing as a regular for the North London club in his debut season.
The 27-year-old is already becoming one of the Premier League’s top playmakers, and he is still on fire this season, netting five goals and assisting nine in 23 league appearances.
Also see : Copa America Standings, Fantasy Premier League , Fantasy Premier League Tips
