Real Madrid have made a flying start to their transfer business this summer. Fran Garcia, Brahim Diaz and Joselu Mato have joined from Rayo Vallecano, AC Milan and Espanyol respectively, which Jude Bellingham made the big-money move from Borussia Dortmund.
Despite these signings, Real Madrid still have a big problem that needs to be addressed: a star striker. Karim Benzema’s departure at the end of last season has left a big void in Carlo Ancelotti, one that will surely need to be filled this summer.
However, Real Madrid’s pursuit of a new number nine has been pretty luckless so far, with club officials pessimistic over their ability to recruit during the remainder of the summer.
Kylian Mbappe is Florentino Perez’s first choice to fill Benzema’s void, although he may be forced to wait until next summer in order to get his hands on the 24-year-old. Mbappe is likely to be a free agent then, and Paris Saint-Germain will demand a huge fee to sell him this summer.
However, Ancelotti is not keen to wait that long before signing a new striker. The Italian wants one to be signed this summer, and Cadena SER’s Pacojo (via Diario AS) has suggested their alternate options to Mbappe: Harry Kane, Dusan Vlahovic and Victor Osimhen.
Real Madrid have been linked to all three at various stages of the last few weeks, Kane especially, but how suitable would each player be in terms of a signing?
Harry Kane
Kane is certainly the most proven goalscorer of the trio. The 29-year-old has been one of the best strikers on the planet for many years now, despite having played in a Tottenham Hotspur side that has seen very little success.
Like Mbappe, Kane’s contract expires next summer, but unfortunately for Real Madrid, Spurs have taken a similar hard-line stance to the one taken by PSG, which means that he is unlikely to be available for under €100m.
Ultimately, Real Madrid must decide whether this is worth it for a guy that will almost certainly guarantee lots of goals. Considering he’s still fairly young, there is a justifiable reason to splash out. However, they will need to be quick, with Bayern Munich already making their move on Kane.
Victor Osimhen
Osimhen was outstanding for Napoli last season. The Nigerian has been in excellent form for the last few seasons, dating back to his time at Lille, but he had his best year to date in 2022-23, scoring 31 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions.
Osimhen is another that would be an outstanding signing for Real Madrid. He’s not as well-proven as Kane over a number of years, but he has an excellent knack for scoring goals. Aged 24, he still has plenty of room to improve too.
Napoli are likely to demand well over €100m in order to sell Osimhen this summer, which has reportedly put Real Madrid off. However, for a player still so young, it could be an excellent piece of business.
Dusan Vlahovic
Vlahovic is very much the lesser of the three options in terms of proven quality. He has struggled at Juventus, although he previously had an outstanding spell at Fiorentina, so he has shown his ability in spades before.
Vlahovic will be less expensive than the aforementioned two, with a fee of €70-80m likely to be enough to sign him. However, there is much more risk involved, although Real Madrid could certainly provide an environment for him to thrive in.
He’s still very young, with lots of potential to improve, but Vlahovic could be a very good signing for Real Madrid, although a deal would be much more risky compared to the possible signing of Kane or Osimhen.