Real Madrid: 3 stars to pair with Eden Hazard after Karim Benzema era

Real Madrid transfer target Kylian Mbappe

While Real Madrid may target Kylian Mbappe as a right winger to replace Gareth Bale and fill the team’s biggest weakness in the lineup, by the time Real make a real push to sign Mbappe, they may be thinking about replacing Karim Benzema.

Mbappe isn’t available in the 2020 summer transfer window, nor would Real Madrid have the funds to make a move. But if he isn’t available in 2021 when there’s one year left on his deal, Real could actually sign him for free in 2022.

Although Mbappe can play on the right, he’s at his best when he’s playing through the middle and prefers the left side to the right. Since Eden Hazard is Real’s starting left winger for the forseeable future after being purchased for 100 million euros, Mbappe could be the new center forward.

Like Benzema, Mbappe can do more than just score goals, but the 21-year-old is already a much better scorer than Benzema has ever been. Erling Haaland is in the discussion, but, as of right now, there isn’t a more dangerous goal-scorer in the world than Mbappe.

Technically prolific, unparalleled in his football IQ as a young player, and capable of accelerating in a way that embarrasses even the best of defenders, Mbappe is almost the perfect forward. Nobody would help Real Madrid more than Mbappe, and you can only imagine the fluid combinations an interplay between him and Hazard. Both men would complement each other perfectly.