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As the 2018-19 season reaches its halfway mark, the biggest problem that Real Madrid face right now is their inability to find a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Real Madrid are currently 5th in the LaLiga table, which is astonishingly low for a club of their stature. If Real Madrid are to guarantee a Top 4 spot, Santiago Solari has to look at possible reinforcements that can help his cause.
If anyone has watched Real Madrid play this season, they would find numerous problems starting from the back and up to the front. At the back, Madrid have been leaking goals season with Ramos and Varane looking a shadow of themselves. In the midfield, their creative department of Isco, Kroos and Ballon D'or winner Modric has been really poor so far.
With talks of Isco leaving, Solari needs midfielders he can bank on. Up front, Benzema and Bale have been inconsistent for the whole of the season, and there is no longer the 50 goal-a-season forward that the team had in Ronaldo.
Here are the 3 players that Real Madrid should look at in January according to me:
3) Kalidou Koulibaly
Koulibaly is currently playing for Napoli and is one of the best center backs in the world. Real Madrid's defense has been shambolic this season, and Koulibaly could be an instant fix for the Los Blancos.
Koulibaly has attracted a lot of attention from many clubs and wouldn't come cheaply for Real Madrid. He is strong, commanding, great at playing out from the back and is brilliant in the air.
The biggest concern here would be whether Real Madrid are willing to break the Ramos-Varane partnership at the back. But to my mind, it is a risk worth taking.
In Serie A this season, Koulibaly has 89% pass accuracy with 83% tackles won. He has made 25 interceptions with eight key passes and two assists.
2) Christian Eriksen
Christian Eriksen is currently playing for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, and he could provide that creative edge that Madrid have been missing this season.
Eriksen is a brilliant all round player, works hard defensively and is great on set pieces. Considering that Modric is coming to the end of his career, Eriksen could be a long term replacement for him at Real Madrid.
In terms of stats this season in the Premier League, Eriksen has scored 4 goals and assisted a further 7 with a pass accuracy of 84%. He averages 77 touches per game and has completed a total of 836 passes.
1) Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard is currently playing for Chelsea in the Premier League. He could be an instant fix for Los Blancos on the left wing spot as no player has really stepped up to take that position after Ronaldo's departure.
Hazard is a proven world-class left winger who is at his peak right now and has potentially 30 goals in him every season. Getting him won't be a easy job but saying no to Real Madrid would be hard.
In terms of stats this season in the Premier League, Hazard has scored 10 goals and assisted a further 9 with a shot accuracy of 78%. He has a pass accuracy of 84% and has completed 57 of his dribbles.
