The Most Important Player Needed By Real Madrid

Two Premier League clubs, Manchester United and Chelsea, have received contrasting news as Real Madrid are set to focus on one player over the other ahead of the summer transfer window according to polls from Spanish newspaper AS.

In an AS.com poll, readers were asked which of Eden Hazard, Paul Pogba, Luka Jovic, Christian Eriksen, Neymar and Tanguy Ndombélé would be Real Madrid’s most important signing. Chelsea’s Eden Hazard has comfortably come out on top of an AS.com poll asking Real Madrid fans which summer signing they think is most important to Los Blancos – with Manchester United’s Paul Pogba surprisingly finishing bottom of the pile.

160,000 readers took part in the’s survey, which sought to place transfer targets Hazard, Pogba, Luka Jovic, Christian Eriksen, Neymar and Tanguy Ndombélé in order of priority with the question: “Which signing do you think is most needed?”

Pogba picked up less than 10% of the votes cast – about a quarter of Hazard’s total.

Hazard, who is expected to fill Cristiano Ronaldo’s shoes as Madrid’s franchise player, was followed in the voting by Jovic, with the Eintracht Frankfurt striker seen as the solution to the goalscoring problems the side have had this season. Third-placed Eriksen is shaping up as the successor to 33-year-old Luka Modric in the midfield, while the supporters’ rejection of Pogba was accompanied by a similar lack of enthusiasm about the idea of Neymar arriving at the Bernabéu.

With less than a third of the votes accrued by Hazard, the Paris Saint-Germain forward only just edged out Ndombélé for fourth. The poll did not include Lyon’s Ferland Mendy, as news of Madrid’s pursuit of the left-back did not emerge in time.

Hazard (53,700 votes)

Chelsea want 100 million pounds (116 million euros) for Hazard, 28, who is out of contract in 2020.

However, with the player expected to apply pressure on the Blues to get a deal done once the Europa League final is out of the way at the end of May, Madrid are hopeful of bargaining them down then.

Jovic (34,700)

Jovic, 21, has scored 27 goals in 47 games for Frankfurt this term. Madrid are set to pay 60 million euros for the Serbia international, who will sign a five-year deal worth 10 million euros net per season.

Eriksen (25,300)

As was also the case with Modric and Gareth Bale, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is expected to take Madrid’s pursuit of Eriksen, 27, right down to the transfer-window wire. The Dane’s Spurs contract expires at the end of next season, but he is still likely to command a fee of around 60 to 70 million euros.

Neymar (16,900)

Neymar, 27, is a player who Madrid president Florentino Pérez has long wanted to take to the Spanish capital, but Los Blancos will not make their move for the Brazilian unless he agitates for a departure from PSG.

Ndombélé (16,400)

Lyon will part with Ndombélé, 22, in exchange for a fee of around 50 million euros. He is a player expressly requested by Zinedine Zidane, with the Madrid coach keen to add extra steel to his midfield.

Pogba (13,800)

Pogba, 26, is a signing that won’t be easy to get over the line. His United contract doesn’t expire until 2021, and the Red Devils can unilaterally extend it for another year. Madrid won’t get him for anything less than 160 million euros.