Is Eden Hazard a Legitimate Replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo?

Cristiano Ronaldo turns 31 next week. Long past the stage of potential, closing the chapter on his prime and entering the final act of an illustrious career, Real Madrid must begin looking elsewhere for their next talisman—as the Portuguese forward cannot sustain his blistering pace for too much longer.

Being generous, within five seasons the Santiago Bernabeu will have a new leader with new qualities leading them forward.

Perhaps Ronaldo's replacement is already in-house. Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez appear the likely front-runners for such responsibility. The respective 26- and 24-year-olds cost the club upwards of £155 million—they were (and are) earmarked for massive roles in the absence of Ronaldo, and some of those processes have already begun.

If one marquee name goes out, however, another marquee name must arrive—that is how this particular game is played. Once Ronaldo is either sold, released, phased out or retires, Madrid must find their list of assorted wingers scattered across the European continent and choose one. 

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Chelsea's Eden Hazard is the name frequently linked with Los Blancos, and were Ronaldo to find himself on the outskirts of relevance in Madrid, west London—specifically Stamford Bridge—is the first place many believe Florentino Perez would begin his recruiting process.

The reigning Premier League Player of the Season, FWA Footballer of the Year, PFA Players' Player of the Year and Chelsea Player of the Year, per the Sun's Andrew Dillion, will not be allowed to leave west London for less than £80 million. That fee could make Hazard football's second-most expensive player—joint with Ronaldo.

Placing money aside, one must investigate whether Hazard is a legitimate replacement.

The notion of replacing a club legend is difficult. No matter what Ronaldo's replacement does, there's every possibility their statistical output will never eclipse (nor come close to) what the Portuguese attacker was able to compile during his gaudy Real Madrid reign. Bale, Rodriguez, Hazard or whoever is burdened with the label should not be envied.

While acknowledging that finding/creating a forward of Ronaldo's quality is near impossible, investigating the idiosyncrasies of a footballer's game provides indications to their suitability.

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"

Zidane said in November: 'After Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Hazard is my favourite player. It is spectacular to see him play.'

— Abiram J (@aj_cfc2) January 7, 2016"

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For all intents and purposes, Ronaldo is a goalscorer. His athleticism, tenacity and acumen are honed to place footballs past goalkeepers. For Hazard's brilliant combination of balance, dribbling and vision, the Belgian should never be confused with an outright goalscorer.

This glaring omission from the 25-year-old's footballing repertoire—that is his distinct, possibly even conscious lack of greed—makes him almost the complete opposite of Ronaldo.

Could Hazard be considered a "replacement?" Yes, of sorts, meaning he should occupy similar positions on the pitch. Would Hazard be a like-for-like replacement, though? Not a chance.

It is conceivable under the management of Real manager Zinedine Zidane that the French legend wants something different. Madrid's new boss could desire a more possession-oriented, technical brand of football—an arena where Hazard flourishes but only when surrounded with goalscoring talent.

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Hazard needs ideal conditions in which to play at his best. His comportment does not suggest a fireball of energy, a la Alexis Sanchez or Luis Suarez; rather, his laid-back approach provides the coolness to slow the game down and ghost past players.

Depending on management, Hazard could flourish in La Liga, but Perez has shown a lack of patience with his managers—meaning the Belgian could step into another managerial merry-go-round, similar to the situation at Chelsea.

Hazard would have the better part of the next 10 years to evolve and learn a new role, but as the adage goes: "A zebra cannot change its stripes." What Hazard is, he is: a great passer, dribbler and a wonderful footballer to play with as a striker, but you cannot rely on him to come close to Ronaldo's level of goal production.

If £80 million is being spent on Hazard, it must be matched with a clinical, world-class centre-forward (e.g., Robert Lewandowski, Sergio Aguero), lest you have paid a king's ransom for 15 goals and 15 assists a season. Those are great numbers for an everyman, admittedly, but not production commensurate with the second-most expensive footballer of all time.

Follow @danieltiluk

*Stats via WhoScored.com; transfer fees via Soccerbase where not noted.