The future of several high-profile strikers in the summer transfer window, including Harry Kane, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, and Joselu, is centered around Real Madrid.
Benzema has been linked with a huge offer from a Saudi Arabian club, according to Spanish outlet Relevo. The reported offer is for a total of €200 million ($283.6 million) for two seasons, with all of Benzema’s likeness and advertising rights, as well as the creation of an educational institution in his name.
Benzema is still a world-class player, but he’s 36 years old. It was only in 2018 that Benzema began to move away from supporting Cristiano Ronaldo and take more of a lead role as Real’s leading star, and he had a tremendous 2021-2022 season with 27 league goals and 12 assists in the league and 15 goals and two assists in the UEFA Champions League (UCL), helping Real win both competitions. This season, however, he hasn’t been able to play as many games due to frequent injuries and has only managed 18 goals and three assists in the league and four goals and one assist in the UCL.
At his age, you never know when he’s going to drop off, and you never know when he’s going to suffer a long-term injury and suddenly lose form upon returning from injury. The possibility of Benzema’s departure is a big one.
Real were originally trying to find a quality backup for Benzema. The latest name to emerge was Joselu. 19th-placed Espanyol were already relegated before their final game. Espanyol’s star striker is third on the team in scoring with 16 goals this season, just two fewer than Benzema. His form this season earned him a late call-up to the Spain A squad in March, where he scored two goals on his debut. At 33, he’s a bit on the older side, but for a small transfer fee, he’s a good backup and short-term replacement for Benzema. The idea was to add a more reliable goalie in place of Mariano Diaz, who was also disappointing as a backup. After a brief spell at Real between 2009 and 2012, where he excelled in the second team but failed to break into the first team, Joselu’s chances of turning things around and returning to gold were increasing.
However, if Benzema does leave, the club will need to sign a world-class striker immediately. Harry Kane is once again being talked about. According to L’Equipe, Real will look for someone better than Joselu in the event of Benzema’s departure. Soon after, Cadena Ser reported that Real have begun to seriously consider signing Kane, and that they know they have to act quickly because they will have to compete with Manchester United.
From Kane’s point of view, Bayern Munich, his previous favorite, balked because of the high transfer fee and the ambiguous age of 30, and a move to Manchester United, while requiring no league adjustment and allowing him to continue his accumulated league record, would not guarantee trophies, Kane’s biggest dream. Real, on the other hand, have the status of one of the best clubs in the world, a step above Manchester United and Bayern, and could be the final piece of the puzzle if he were to join them.
Because of this, it’s unlikely that Roberto Firmino will join Real. Firmino’s departure from Liverpool was considered by Real because of his ability to play in multiple attacking positions, including up front, and because he would be a quality sub who wouldn’t cost a fortune. However, Real are now in need of a more specialized up front player. Additionally, Kane is English and will use up his non-EU quota after Brexit, so adding Firmino would mean using up two out of three quotas up front.먹튀검증
They are also targeting non-European Jude Bellingham this summer, so both quota management and transfer fees will have to be considered together. Real have been known to save their money for younger, arguably world-class players like Elling Holland and Kylian Mbappe, but it’s a different story if Kane is the only player available up front. Real have not been linked with other big names up front, Victor Osimhen (Napoli) and Randal Colomuani (Frankfurt).