Real Madrid’s pendulum is swinging towards Nigeria and Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen, Liverpool star Sadio Mane and three other players as options after missing out on Kylian Mbappe ‘s signing.
Real Madrid widely expected to sign Paris Saint-Germain attacker Mbappe on a free transfer this summer, but the Frenchman ultimately decided to pen a new deal with the Ligue 1 champions.
The 23-year-old is now committed to Mauricio Pochettino’s side until June 2025, and it remains to be seen whether Los Blancos go back in for the Frenchman in the future.
For now, the Champions League holders are now forced to look elsewhere in order to boost their attack for the 2022-23 campaign.
Osimhen’s future has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks, with a number of clubs believed to be interested in signing the Nigeria international this summer.
The 23-year-old ended the 2021-22 campaign with 18 goals and six assists in 32 appearances at club level, including 14 goals and five assists in 27 Serie A appearances.
Osimhen largely plays through the middle but is capable of operating in the wide positions, and he could potentially feature alongside Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema in the final third next term.
Napoli have the attacker on a contract until June 2025, though, and there have been claims that he is valued by his Italian side in the region of £80m, which might price Lose Blancos out of a deal.
Another player on the lips of Real Madrid’s officials is RB Leipsig star, Christopher Nkunku enjoyed an impressive 2021-22 campaign for the club, scoring 35 goals and registering 20 assists in 51 appearances in all competitions.
The 24-year-old only has little over two years left to run on his contract in Germany, which could lead to him leaving his Bundesliga club in the upcoming market.
The France international, who scored seven times in six Champions League appearances in 2021-22, has shown his versatility this season by operating in a number of different forward areas, and he would make Real Madrid an even
Also on the list is Serge Gnabry’s current deal at Bayern Munich is due to expire next June, and he is allegedly reluctant to sign a new contract at Allianz Arena, which could lead to him leaving this summer.
The 26-year-old was again in strong form for his German club last term, scoring 17 goals and registering 10 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions.
Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are both believed to be interested in the Germany international, but he would surely find it difficult to turn down a switch to the European champions.
Bayern would certainly be reluctant to sell the attacker this summer, though, if Robert Lewandowski moves on, with the Poland international being strongly linked with Barcelona.
Whether Real Madrid could convince Tottenham to let Son Heung-min leave is another issue, but there is no question that the 29-year-old is the type of player that Los Blancos would love to have.
Son had a terrific 2021-22 campaign for Spurs, scoring 24 goals and registering 10 assists in 45 appearances in all competitions, with 23 of those goals coming in the Premier League.
The South Korea international still has more than three years left to run on his current deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but his desire to win trophies could lead to him seeking a move away.
Sadio Mane has reportedly decided to leave Liverpool during this summer’s transfer window, with the Senegal international seeking a fresh challenge at this stage of his career.
The 30-year-old ended the 2021-22 campaign with 23 goals and registering five assists in 51 appearances, including 16 goals and four assists in 34 Premier League outings.
Mane’s contract at Anfield is due to expire next June, so Liverpool are not in a strong position to demand major money for the attacker.
Bayern, though, are thought to be in pole position for the former Metz youngster, with Real Madrid having ground to make up if they decide to move for him this summer.