Real Madrid have lost their captain, leader, and legend this summer as Karim Benzema chose to embark on a new journey with Al-Ittihad. This means that they’ve not only lost a massive personality off the pitch, but they’ve also lost someone who was consistently scoring 30-plus goals every season and beyond the statistics, a player who naturally makes them play better.
They have also lost Marco Asensio, who joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. Another player who guaranteed goals and assists when on the pitch.
If Real Madrid’s summer transfer window ended today, they would have brought in Fran Garcia, Brahim Diaz, Joselu, Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler. Without the context of the squad, that’s fantastic. Adding youthfulness along with proven quality and a desire to win.
However, if Real Madrid have aspirations of challenging for La Liga and the Champions League next season, they’ll need to sign a world-class striker to replace Benzema. Joselu and Alvaro are not enough to fill his void.
Who should Real Madrid sign if they miss out on Kylian Mbappe?
It’s known that Real Madrid have been huge admirers of Kylian Mbappe for years. Even after the transfer saga of 2022, the club continue to be linked with the Frenchman.
It has emerged this summer that Mbappe does not intend to renew his contract with PSG. Subsequently, the club have also made it clear that they do not want to let him leave on a free transfer next summer.
So, PSG want Mbappe to either extend his contract beyond the summer of 2024 or leave this time around. Let’s see how things play out.
This would be the perfect time for Mbappe to join Real Madrid. But as we know, in football, nothing is ever so simple. So what if the club fails to sign the Frenchman this summer? Should they go ahead with Joselu and Alvaro as their two options up top? Or should they sign someone like Lautaro Martinez or Randal Kolo Muani? Or, simply pursue Harry Kane.
In our opinion, there’s no room or time to overlook seasons at Real Madrid. You cannot simply go into a season with no striker when your direct competition for La Liga, Barcelona, and the Champions League, Manchester City, both have world-class strikers available to them.
It’s possible that Carlo Ancelotti could play a system without a natural striker, with goals coming in from all over the pitch. But you need a player who you look to in times of need. Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo have shown their quality on the big stage already but they need someone more centrally to partner with.
Many fans criticise Ancelotti for the tactical set up of his teams and claim that the Italian coach is heavily reliant on individual brilliance. While that may be true to some extent, one has to admit that he has not been deal the best of hands during his second stint at Real Madrid.
With that being said, Kane should be signed if Real Madrid fail to get Mbappe. His sheer quality is undeniable. Stylistically he is a very similar player to Benzema so it won’t be a major difference from a tactical standpoint.
If Real Madrid sign Kane, fans may fear losing out on Mbappe next summer, which is a valid thought. But we can’t imagine Los Blancos going into a season knowing that they are significantly weaker than the previous one, in which they were able to win only the Copa del Rey.