Real Madrid: 3 attackers who will not be sold this summer
CF Karim Benzema
We’ve seen some fans lash out at Karim Benzema for a poor second half of the season. It’s true that Benzema’s output was not at the level required of a starting striker at Real Madrid, but the team’s best attacker in the first half of the season, who finished the campaign with 14 goals in 25 starts, is allowed to have a slump.
Benzema means so much to Madrid, as any of the young players will tell you. He helped Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes as much as he could in the 2019-2020 season, helping to get the most out of two of the best teenagers in world football.
Additionally, Benzema’s ability to create chances was crucial, especially since Isco and James Rodriguez struggled with injuries for much of the year. Benzema led all Real Madrid players with six assists in La Liga and was second behind Toni Kroos in key passes per game among players who appeared in at least 1,000 minutes, according to WhoScored.com.
The 32-year-old forward isn’t going anywhere any time soon, and he will snag an extension he deserves. Benzema had a poor final two months of the season, but he was the team’s best overall attacking player for a second year in a row. (That in itself is, of course, the issue.)