5 replacements for Alvaro Morata at Real Madrid

Now that Real Madrid and Chelsea have confirmed the transfer of Alvaro Morata, (subject to a medical), Los Blancos will be keen on spending the eye-watering €80m they raised from the sale of the Spanish striker.

There are reports in the Spanish press that Zinedine Zidane is satisfied with rotating between Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in the central striker role, but that is surely a foolhardy prospect for a club like Real Madrid, especially in the case of a freak injury. Thus Madrid have to spend, and spend intelligently.

Here are the best replacements for Alvaro Morata at Real Madrid.

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#1 Borja Mayoral

It's now or never for Borja Mayoral

Borja Mayoral has spent half of his 20 years on planet Earth as a Real Madrid player. The Castilla product will be chomping at the bit with the news of Morata's sale, as this now leaves him third in the pecking order. If Real Madrid do not buy another striker, Borja can expect more than his fair share of minutes, especially if Los Blancos go far in the Copa del Rey.

Promoting a youth product may seem almost anathema to Florentino Perez, but Zinedine Zidane has a habit of getting his way as Real Madrid manager. The Frenchman has already worked with Mayoral at youth levels, and knows the youngster's style of play intimately, so as to be the best judge of whether Mayoral is good enough. Zidane's man-management may be perfect for a nervous young striker putting on the most famous white jersey in the world.

The Spanish youngster spent last season on loan at Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, who narrowly escaped relegation. He only managed 2 goals in 19 appearances, which out to temper any expectations that he can realistically replace Alvaro Morata's output last season, even if Zinedine Zidane is generous with the minutes afforded to Mayoral.

#2 Javier Hernandez - Bayer Leverkusen

Javier Hernandez has already had memorable moments in a Real Madrid shirt

Real Madrid will have to move especially quickly if they are to get this transfer over the line - according to Sky Sports, the former Manchester United striker is all set to return to the Premier League with West Ham, who are reportedly about to announce his signing in a matter of days.

Hernandez already knows what it takes to perform at the Santiago Bernabeu - in the 2014/15 season, he scored 9 goals in 33 appearances for Los Blancos, although most of those appearances were as a substitute. However, he did have a habit of scoring important goals:

Chicharito will be far more amenable to join Real Madrid at this stage of his career - being backup to Karim Benzema shouldn't be too much of an ask, and his place in the Mexico national side is not at risk, since El Tri don't really have a quality alternative to Little Pea. He can fit into both formations that Madrid employ - the standard 4-3-3 and the 4-4-2 diamond.

#3 Timo Werner - RB Leipzig

Timo Werner's star is only about to rise

When Real Madrid sold Alvaro Morata, the club lost a 24-year-old striker who was involved with 26 goals in 43 appearances for the club. If they sign Timo Werner, Real Madrid will get a 21-year-old striker who was involved in 28 goals in 32 appearances for his club. There's only an improvement in efficiency to be made here, all while generating a profit for Florentino Perez' outfit.

If Timo Werner were to move to Real Madrid, the German youngster would cost in the range of €45 million, although given that RB Leipzig are hardly a cash-strapped club, that fee could rise.

Werner would offer Real Madrid an exceptional Plan B - Ronaldo and Benzema are aging, and Gareth Bale remains the only pacy outlet up front. The German would be the perfect striker to play a counter-attacking style with, not to mention that Werner is at an age where he can afford to be patient, and potentially be a long-term replacement for Karim Benzema.

#4 Lucas Perez - Arsenal

Lucas Perez is angling for a move back to La Liga

This may be a bit of a left field move for Real Madrid - but there is more to Lucas Perez than meets the eye. The Arsenal man has endured a miserable season in London - through no fault of his own. Perez has impressed in the few chances he has been afforded by Arsene Wenger, but was curiously deemed unsuitable for the Premier League by the French boss.

Perez is already sorting out his future elsewhere, and will surely be unable to turn down a move to Real Madrid. Los Blancos would get a La Liga-proven striker for dirt cheap, in addition to the fact that he will be fine being backup to Karim Benzema and will not kick up a fuss, thus preserving squad harmony.

Just two seasons back, Perez scored 17 times for Deportivo la Coruna in La Liga - he knows how to find the back of the net in Spain. Perez would represent a clever stop-gap signing, thus allowing Real Madrid to keep their powder dry for certain more 'blockbuster' signings.

#5 Kylian Mbappe - AS Monaco

Kylian Mbappe is the most sought after teenager on the planet

The most obvious replacement, yet at the same time, the most improbable signing this summer. It seems like Kylian Mbappe is destined to sign for Real Madrid, whether that is this summer or in the future. He certainly won't come cheap - AS Monaco will demand the world (and more!) for arguably the most promising player to emerge since Neymar.

Take a look at the money Real Madrid have raised so far - Pepe and Coentrao have been taken off the wage books, while the loan and sales of James Rodriguez, Mariano Diaz, Diego Llorrente, Burgui and now Alvaro Morata have raised €106 million so far. With another €30-35 million expected from the sale of Danilo to Manchester City, Florentino Perez could have €140 million to work with.

This is not a man to leave money lying around - Florentino will go big - he's already copped plenty of criticism from the fanbase for the sale of Morata. The only way to appease them? Bring in a player who was involved in 44 goals in 59 appearances at the age of 18.