Real Madrid to replace Ronaldo with PSG star

Real Madrid have sounded out their interest in Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, according to AS.

Ronaldo left the Bernabeu for Juventus on a £100million transfer earlier this summer, leaving a vacuum in Julen Lopetegui’s attack.

The club’s president, Florentino Perez – who now has to fill a 50 goals per season gap – could look to Cavani as a cheaper alternative to PSG team mates Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

The 31-year-old outshone Ronaldo as he scored Uruguay’s two goals against Portugal to put them into the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

He limped off at the end of the match with a suspected calf injury and didn’t make the quarter-final against subsequent tournament winners, France.

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Cavani has been one of PSG’s most popular players since joining from Napoli in 2013 and continues to average around 34 goals a season. During PSG’s last campaign he netted 40 goals in all competitions.

Contracted in the French capital until 2020, Cavani has had to delicately raise the topic of a transfer to PSG chairman, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, with whom he has built a good relationship.

Nonetheless, the French champions have decided that they would be willing to let him go for less than £89million, but it remains unclear as to whether Real Madrid would be able to meet his contract demands.

Meanwhile, Thibaut Courtois could be the newest arrival at the Bernabeu after terms were agreed.