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After months of interminable speculation, Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Juventus for a fee in the region of £99.2 million has been confirmed.
The much-awaited transfer was announced by Real Madrid's official website and generated headlines across the globe like no other.
In consequence, the Portuguese megastar has put an end to his nine-year successful stint at Real Madrid over the course of which he broke a host of records. Cristiano Ronaldo racked up 451 goals in 438 appearances for Los Blancos and also inspired them to innumerable titles in the process.
The news of a potential transfer was gaining serious traction after Ronaldo dropped a bombshell post Real Madrid's Champions League three-peat.
It was very nice to be in Madrid. In the next few days, I will give an answer to the fans who have always been by my side.
Having said that, the all-important FIFA World Cup 2018 is also in full swing with the semi-finals of the tournament yet to be played.
Real Madrid's president - Florentino Pérez, has a penchant for signing World Cup standouts as evidenced by the acquisitions of Mesut Ozil and James Rodriguez in 2010 and 2014 respectively.
On that note, here are 5 World Cup stars who boast the potential to step into Cristiano Ronaldo's massive shoes at Real Madrid.
#5 Hirving Lozano
Even though Mexico failed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the tournament, they did produce one of the biggest breakout stars of the tournament - Hirving Lozano. The 22-year-old starlet was an instrumental figure in Mexico's qualification from Group F, which comprised the likes of Germany, Sweden and South Korea apart from El Tri.
Lozano not only scored his career-defining winner against Germany but also set up Javier Hernández's decisive goal against South Korea. With his back-to-back sensational performances in the World Cup, the PSV Eindhoven star has emerged as a hot property in the ongoing transfer window.
Lozano is a player who has got all the tools to be counted as a classic inverted winger. He is a fleet-footed forward possessing great power in his right foot, enabling him to leather the ball into the back of the net after cutting in from the left flank. On top of that, he can also feed neat assists to center-forwards, a quality substantiated by his assist against South Korea.
#4 Eden Hazard
Before the commencement of the World Cup, Eden Hazard stated that his future at Stamford Bridge pivots on The Pensioners' activity in the transfer market which has been all but zilch thus far.
Therefore, the 27-year-old is expected to make a move away from Chelsea. As things stand, Real Madrid appears to be the ideal option for the Belgian.
With the ball at his feet, Eden Hazard is a menacing sight for the defenders as it is a five-finger exercise for him to slalom past the opposition effortlessly. His creativity, speed and technical intelligence will surely bring out the best in Real Madrid players.
#3 Harry Kane
Leading the Golden Boot race with 6 goals, Harry Kane has led his side by example in the World Cup 2018.
By virtue of his stellar season with Tottenham in which he scored 41 goals in 48 outings, falling just short of the Premier League Golden Boot, the England skipper has merchandised himself as one of the most lethal finishers in the footballing world.
As a result, Spurs will find it hard to hold onto their linchpin with several reports linking him with a potential move to The Santiago Bernabeu.
Harry Kane is a prolific goalscorer and one of the few players who perfectly fits into Cristiano Ronaldo's personality. Apart from his propensity for belting the ball past the goalkeeper, he also likes taking away credit from his teammates!
#2 Kylian Mbappe
With his peach of a performance against Argentina in the Round of 16, Kylian Mbappe has thrust himself into the list of World Cup 2018 standouts and has also found a special place on Florentino Perez's radar. Via his procurement, Real Madrid would secure a long-term replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the 2017-18 season, the French starlet managed 21 goals in 44 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain and played a vital role in their title-winning run.
With Real Madrid's top-notch midfield consisting of the likes of Modric, Kroos, Casemiro and Isco - Mbappe would have the luxury of making marauding runs into the opposition box more often.
#1 Neymar
Presently, Neymar appears to be the ultimate backstop for Real Madrid after Cristiano Ronaldo's shock move to the Serie A Champions - Juventus.
The Brazilian has long been rumored to make a switch to Real Madrid following his eye-watering transfer to PSG, and the reports seem to be more convincing at the moment.
With a transfer to Los Blancos, Neymar will have the chance to form a deadly partnership on the left flank with his Brazilian counterpart Marcelo. Besides, a return to La Liga will also increase his chances of winning the award he apparently lives for - the much coveted Ballon d'Or.
