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Real Madrid have lost out on Kylian Mbappe after being strongly linked with him for over a year. The Frenchman was in the final months of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain and it looked for a very long time like he wouldn't renew.
Kylian Mbappe snubs Real Madrid to renew deal with PSG
However, PSG ramped up their efforts to tie Mbappe down to a new deal. Mbappe's mother and representative Fayza Lamari revealed in an interview with Kora Plus (via Marca) earlier this week that her son had similar contract offers from PSG and Real Madrid.
PSG confirmed on Saturday that Mbappe had put pen to paper on a new deal, much to the disappointment of Real Madrid. It's a big blow for Real Madrid, who now have to go back to the drawing board and look at their various options once again.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five superstars Real Madrid could target instead of Kylian Mbappe.
#5 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is prepared to leave the club this summer by his own admission. The Poland international has been heavily linked with Barcelona with Bild claiming that the Catalans have already tabled their first official bid of €32 million for Lewandowski.
The Bayern Munich marksman is unlikely to be a very exciting option for Real Madrid due to a few reasons. They already have one of the best strikers in the world, Karim Benzema, firing on all cylinders. On the other hand, Lewandowski 33 and is not much younger than the Frenchman.
Carlo Ancelotti will also need to find a way to play with two centre-forwards if they are to sign Lewandowski. But it's also not going to be too expensive a deal for Real Madrid and Lewandowski will add plenty of goals too.
#4 Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Raheem Sterling has been one of Manchester City's most important players under Pep Guardiola. The English winger has been a force to be reckoned with down the left wing for the Cityzens. However, he fell down the pecking order at the club following the arrival of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa last summer.
Sterling has previously flirted with Real Madrid. In an interview with AS in 2020, the Englishman called Real Madrid a 'fantastic club' and said that he enjoyed the fact that he was linked with Los Blancos.
Sterling's current contract with City expires next summer. With Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez set to arrive at the Etihad this summer, Sterling will find game time coming at a premium next season. Manchester City could be open to cashing in on him as well.
Sterling can play anywhere across the frontline and as such, he could be a welcome addition to this Real Madrid squad.
#3 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
Harry Kane is now 28 and is still in his prime years. He could yet leave Tottenham Hotspur and add some silverware to his cabinet. It has been an elite career at an individual level but he has won virtually nothing significant with Spurs.
Kane has been linked with Real Madrid in the past but unfortunately for him, Real Madrid are not exactly looking to sign another out-and-out striker. But they will need to replace Karim Benzema sooner or later and Kane could be a viable option.
#2 Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Sadio Mane has been in sensational form since the turn of the year. He had a rather forgettable end to 2021, going nine games without scoring a goal or providing an assist for Liverpool. When Luis Diaz was roped in from Benfica in January, it looked like Mane was entering the final chapter of his Liverpool stint.
However, the Senegal international has transformed into a centre-forward and has been thriving in his new role. Mane has been among the goals for Jurgen Klopp's side in recent months and his contributions have been critical as Mohamed Salah's form tailed off.
He has scored 14 goals in 25 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool in 2022.
Mane's current contract with Liverpool expires next summer. The Merseysiders do not offer long-term contracts to players who have crossed 30 and could be open to selling Mane this summer.
Mane can play anywhere across the frontline and could be a great short-term option for Real Madrid.
#1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah's contract standoff with Liverpool has already gained plenty of traction. The Egypt international is a modern day Liverpool legend but is out of contract in the summer of 2023.
Salah is a prolific goalscorer and one of the most effective wingers in all of Europe. He will turn 30 this June but has shown no signs of slowing down any time soon. If Salah wants to make one more 'big move' in his career, he is likely to find an offer from Real Madrid really hard to turn down.
Real Madrid have also been looking for a world-class right-winger for quite a while now and Salah could prove to be the perfect signing.
