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Experiencing a very poor outing in this 2018/19 season, Real Madrid are finally willing to fill the gap that the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo left in the side. While Vinicius Jr is already doing a great job there, Florentino Perez and Zinedine Zidane are equally looking forward to getting a new star winger to the Spanish capital. While both, the links to Eden Hazard and Sadio Mané increased over the past few weeks, this article tries to compare the two attackers and declare who would be a better fit for Real.
The financial aspect of a transfer usually plays a big aspect in Madrid's player recruitment. This may also be the reason why the links to the Belgian international are so persistent, as his contract is running out in 2020. He is hesitating to so sign a new deal and therefore leaves Chelsea in a tricky situation: sell their star player for a reduced amount of money or try to get a new agreement over the next 12 months, risking to see him leave on a free.
A new deal would probably cost any club a fortune. He right now earns around £14 million a year without any bonuses. This already immense sum would probably rise, as I could see him demanding Bale-esque wage, at £18 million. The CIES values him at £100 to £110 million. This amount could still drop to £80 to £90 million due to his contract situation and the blues panicking at the end of the window.
In total, this would add up to £85 million + 6 times £18 million (Average stay at Real Madrid is 6 years) and we would get a total outlay of £193 million.
The Liverpool star, on the other hand, renewed his contract in November of 2018. A new deal until 2023 was signed and it does not seem like Liverpool would voluntarily let their starter leave. The contract contains that the player earns around £8.5 million a year. With this amount, he only falls short to Salah in the shirt of the Reds and definitely will be happy as his wage renewed with this agreement.
The Senegalese would definitely benefit from another pay rise at Madrid. A weekly wage of £270’000 seems realistic (£100’000 more than right now), which would result in a yearly income of £14 million. Mané is getting valued by the CIES at £121 million, which probably rises to £130 or £140 million, as the player is in his prime and Liverpool do not need to sell their player.
In total, this would add up to £135 million + 6 times £14 million (Average stay at Real Madrid is 6 years) and we would get a total outlay of £219 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo is a magnificent player: tall, fast, strong and of the best in both dribbling and finishing. While off the ball, he often places himself on level of the defensive line, from where he can sprint to the end of a through ball or even beat the center-backs in aerial duels, just to score an amazing header. He was the definition of an inside forward, a goal getter, who also is able to open up room for his fullback.
Real's new possible poster boy should have similar qualities. Mané for one is equipped with blistering pace. He is very dangerous on the counter and therefore attracts the attention of at least one defender, even when off the ball. Mané often stays on the line with the last defender; there he is clinical when a through ball cuts behind the defense. He likes to cut inside and take a shot, rather than giving an assist. This makes him more of a goal-scoring winger than a creator.
The Chelsea player biggest strength is opening up to play. Starting from his left side, he drops deep to get the ball from a defender or the central-midfielder. From this position, he progresses the ball or gives a smart pass. It is very hard to get him off the ball due to his size, agility, and great technic. Hazard often opens up space for other payers, with his dribbling ability and game understanding. He always got a goal in him, but the Premier League forward is more of a creator and often makes the best out of every situation.
As Real Madrid want to buy a total world beater, it is quite good to see that Hazards statistics proof: He is a top-class player. The attacker is very consistent, scoring at least 10 goals per season since his breakthrough year in 2011. Eden also got a quality assist record, creating 71 goals during this period. You also got to bear in mind that most of the time, he played under a rather defensive coach like Mourinho or Conte.
However, Mane swapped the Austrian Bundesliga for the Premier League in 2014. After the transfer, he adapted very fast to the Premier League, shooting 10 goals a year on minimum. While his scoring numbers seem to go up, already having 17 goals at the time writing, his assists go down. Which also solidifies my theory of Mané getting into the goal-scoring role at Liverpool.
Such a big transfer should definitely suit Real, not only on but also off the field. Mané's social media numbers look less impressive than some of the other players. He developed himself from an underrated Premier League winger to one of the best attackers in the world. He is a goal-scorer and if Zidane decides to play in the same fashion as before his first “retirement”, Mané definitely would fit the bill.
Hazard, on the other hand, is a very big name in international football. As he got many fans to his name, a transfer would increase the ticket sales in the Bernabeu a lot. Not only of the pitch but also on the pitch, Hazard seems to be a decent fit for Real. If the Champions League winner from the last three seasons should replace Benzema with a poacher, another creative option upfront is needed. He can open up the play and lance dangerous passes to the other two offensive options.
Verdict: Even though Mané is a very good player, buying Hazard would make more sense for Real Madrid. He is the better option financially and more consistent than his counterpart. While Mané seems to suit the last season Real more, there will probably be a big rebuild in the Bernabeu and Eden seems like the better option to build this around.
