Real Madrid Prepare for the Day After Tomorrow by Drawing Up 3-Man Shortlist for CR7 Successor

Real Madrid have identified two upcoming football stars and one established striker as the Spanish giants begin looking for the long-term replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Los Blancos have drawn up shortlist of the trio that they want to bring in to learn from, and eventually replace the superstar forward when he either hangs up his boots or departs Santiago Bernabeu.

Diario Gol has reported that those three players are Gremio starlet Lincoln, Paris Saint-Germain recruit Goncalo Guedes and Juventus hitman Paulo Dybala, and club president Florentino Perez is thought to favour the former two over the Argentina international.

Buda Mendes/GettyImages

Perez wants Ronaldo's successor to be a "rough diamond" that can be moulded in the club's image and become their next huge household name - criteria that both Guedes and Lincoln would fit perfectly.

Lincoln, who is in the midst of a season-long loan deal with Turkish outfit Caykur Rizespor, is considered to be one of the biggest talents to emerge out of Brazil since the legendary Ronaldinho.

The 18-year-old attacker made his senior bow for parent club Gremio at 16-years of age, and had already amassed five goals in 24 appearances for the Brazilian club before his switch to Europe.

Primarily a left winger, Lincoln is also adept at playing anywhere across the forward line and would be a huge coup for Real if they were to land him.

Guedes, meanwhile, is another player currently on loan away from his current side. The PSG starlet is enjoying a 12-month stint in La Liga of all places with Valencia and already has three goals and five assists from 10 outings.

The right winger only joined PSG from Benfica for £27m in January, and made 13 appearances for the French heavyweights before being shipped out temporarily.

Tullio M. Puglia/GettyImages

Guedes, 20, did rack up a decent haul of 11 goals and 16 assists for Benfica before his departure, and would be another scoop for Zinedine Zidane's team if he moved to Madrid.

Dybala's stature in world football has increased dramatically in the past year in Serie A and, if Real pipped apparent suitors Barcelona to his signature, would cause waves across Spain's top flight.

With a record of 55 goals in just 109 games for I Bianconeri, the 23-year-old would not come cheap - his reported release clause fee is an apparent £142m.

Let's block ads! (Why?)