Real Madrid set “to launch cash and swap deal” for Serie A striker in January

Real Madrid need a goalscorer.

Luka Modric and some cash in a swap deal for top Serie A striker? Stranger transfers have happened. Real Madrid certainly need a lift. It doesn't take much for a football club to be declared 'in crisis' anymore. At the very top, there is no room for error. A few weeks without a win and suddenly the pressure is on. Then, before you know it, the manager is sacked. That's just what happens when nothing but the best is acceptable. Real are in the midst of their own crisis at the moment, as they find themselves fifth in La Liga after nine matches. Saturday's defeat to Levante meant the European champions have now gone five matches in all competitions without a win, leaving manager Julen Lopetegui on the brink of being sacked. It is no surprise that such a poor run of form has come after the departures of Zinedine Zidane, who stepped down as manager after two and a half successful years, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who moved to Juventus in the summer. The club are now in transition, but cannot afford to slide down the table as Manchester United did post-Ferguson. Their form must improve immediately and most significantly, they must start scoring more goals. With Ronaldo leaving, many thought that Karim Benzema would finally be able to step into the goalscoring role he has always craved, but the Frenchman has not been as prolific as many had hoped. Madrid will, therefore, be in the winter market for a striker, according to reports. Inter Milan captain Mauro Icardi is their favoured target, according to Diario Gol, who claim that Madrid will offer Inter £40m plus Luka Modric for the Argentine striker. Modric reportedly came close to joining Inter in the summer, but stayed at the Bernabeu, dismissing such reports as rubbish. Icardi would certainly help fix Madrid's goalscoring problems, but persuading him to leave Inter - and for Inter to allow him to leave - will be difficult. He recently revealed that he could have left in the summer but reiterated "Inter is my home".