Ticked: Sports Events Summary Clip, 4.6 (Sports1)
Karim Benzema and Real Madrid have announced their farewell to the French striker after 14 years at the Spanish club. The Ballon d'Or winner wore the Blancos uniform 647 times, scored 353 goals and cooked 165 with 5 Champions League titles, 4 Spanish championships and 3 Copa del Rey wins. Benzema is expected to leave for Al Ittihad of the Saudi league, where he is set to earn an unprecedented €200 million per season.
Florentino Pérez has already begun working behind the scenes on a replacement for the French goal machine, with big names making headlines around the world, with the big question being who will be alongside Vinicius and Rodrigo in Real Madrid's attack next season?
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It looks like it's on the way to happening. Havertz (Photo: Reuters)
The Reali - Kai Havertz
The German striker is already on his way to the Blancos, according to Bild, for a fee that could range from €70 million to €80 million. The scorer of the winning goal in the Champions League final in 2021 was a big promise as a youth player at Bayer Leverkusen, and the big move to Chelsea in the summer of 2020 for €80 million did not deliver the results the Blues had hoped for. So yes, Havertz is single-handedly responsible for the goal that brought the European Championship to London, but the disappointment of the German with 32 goals and 15 assists in 139 appearances for the blue has created the impression that he may be in the position of natural striker, preferring to play as a "fake" striker. For Real Madrid's line-up with Vinicius and Rodrigo on the wings, it might fit in great.
Will celebrate in white at the Bernabeu? Kane (Photo: Reuters)
Suitable - Harry Kane
The England captain and Tottenham's all-time top scorer is crying out for a first career title, and a move to the Spanish capital could give him that in his first season in Real's white uniform. This is probably the striker whose Champions League record holder knows exactly what they will pay for if they acquire him - a lethal attacking player with 280 goals for the Roosters, one who knows how to step back and build attacks with a great partnership with Young-Min Son (64 career assists in London) and especially a combination of experience and passion for team success. Kane has also been linked with a move to Bayern Munich, Manchester United or in general loyalty and staying at Tottenham. It looks like it will be difficult for Pérez to convince the England striker to leave the kingdom.
Will the lethal striker leave Napoli? Osiman (Photo: Reuters)
The Exhilarating - Victor Osimhen
Perhaps Europe's hottest striker is on the books of all the continental lions after an outstanding season that ended in a stunning championship for Napoli. The 24-year-old Nigerian scored 30 goals and cooked 5 in the southern Italian Blues' historic season and has become one of the most sought-after attacking players, with clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid coveting his services. There is no doubt that Osimhen will provide goals if he stays at the Italian champions or joins the Blancos, but the price tag that Aurelio De Laurentiis is expected to put on the lethal striker could exceed €150 million, which would significantly deter Pérez from investing in one player, especially after Jude Bellingham's expected arrival.
The perfect replacement for Benzema's replacement. Firmino (Photo: Reuters)
Rotation - Roberto Firmino
Like Kane, Firmino is a striker who mainly knows how to go backwards, function as a "fake", motivate the wingers and especially adapt himself superbly to the formation. Jurgen Klopp called him saying goodbye to him at Liverpool "a player every manager would want in the squad and every team would want in the dressing room". Along with a pair of Brazilian wingers, a free arrival and especially the completion of the departure of three other attacking players besides Benzema in the form of Mariano Diaz, Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio, Firmino may be the perfect replacement, but probably only the real replacement for Benzema. The Brazilian is already 31 years old, and despite a relatively good season in terms of goals (13 goals and 5 assists), Bobby is destined to be a rotation player for a striker who will come in for a lot of money.
Slated to replace next summer? Haaland and Mbappé (Photo: Reuters)
And what will happen in the future?
Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are some of the best attacking players in the world and the Real Madrid president's biggest dream. The Frenchman has been linked with the Blancos for 4 years, and each time the transfer was postponed, cancelled or replaced with another signing of the Spanish club. Pérez has said in the past that he would like to see Haaland in his team's uniform, but the Norwegian, who only signed last summer for his father's club, still looks far from leaving the team with which he could win a historic treble this weekend. The management in the Spanish capital may have to wait another summer before bringing in one of the young superstars, but already in the coming months they want to see Real as a backup for the French star who left for Saudi Arabia, and not just Joselo as a player coming off the bench.
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Tags
- Karim Benzema
- Roberto Firmino
- Victor Osimhen
- Harry Kane
- Kai Havertz
- Real Madrid
