Real Madrid’s summer rebuild after losing Benzema, Asensio

The final time Real Madrid had been this shocked by a departure they made a proper mess of dealing with it. And do not be beneath any phantasm, Madrid thought Karim Benzema, simply one of many prime three or 4 footballers ever to have worn Los Blancos’ world-famous shirt and badge, was staying with them for no less than one other season. This is not a departure they had been ready for.

Thursday morning’s Marca, Madrid’s soccer paper of selection, devoted its entrance web page, and 7 inside pages, to the truth that the person to whom they had been giving their “Legend” award, was positively staying.

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The Frenchman informed Marca, when requested about hypothesis that he would possibly transfer to Saudi Arabia: “The internet’s been talking about my future but the internet isn’t reality. I enjoy every single day at Madrid, every single training session. There’s no other club in the world like Madrid and no stadium like the Bernabeu.”

“The Legend Continues” was the massive, splash, headline. None of that occurred with out Madrid’s blessing. They, too, thought that this difficulty might be addressed in direction of the top of his contract — in a 12 months’s time.

So: the final time Los Blancos had been caught out this badly? Well, it was in 2018 when one other French legend, Zinedine Zidane, give up his place lower than every week after teaching Madrid to their thirteenth (and third consecutive) Champions League trophy — in Kiev with that 3-1 victory over Liverpool. Zidane mulled on his shock choice for a few days, informed Florentino Perez, refused to hearken to the usually persuasive Bernabeu president, they usually gave a joint information convention — the president failing to disguise his annoyance. His face seemed like he was chewing a wasp.

Faced with an surprising dilemma, they tapped the shoulder of Spain supervisor Julen Lopetegui, agreed a fast deal to start in late July, introduced it earlier than La Roja’s first World Cup 2018 recreation towards Portugal, and the Spanish FA sacked Lopetegui earlier than a ball was kicked in Russia.

Lopetegui — who was by no means the precise character for that membership, that president, that fan base or that deeply demanding media — lasted till October of his first season. Precisely 14 aggressive matches. He was changed by Santi Solari who lasted till March. Not till Zidane was persuaded to return in March 2019 was the ship pressured again on to the precise path.

But the price of being badly caught out, after which misjudging what to do, was excessive. Madrid had been crushed at residence 4-1 by Ajax within the Champions League spherical of 16, crushed 3-0 at residence by Barcelona within the Copa del Rey semifinal, and trailed residence third in LaLiga by a 19-point margin.

You’re proper — supervisor and principal striker aren’t an identical issues. There can solely be one of many former, the market is smaller and the latter’s departure may, feasibly, be compensated for by two or three signings. But the underlying menace is comparable. When Madrid are strategic, when they’re forward of the sport, they present brilliance of deal making — Vinicius, Rodrygo, Fede Valverde, Eder Militao, Eduardo Camavinga had been all shrewd signings, whereas Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba joined on frees from Chelsea and Bayern, respectively.

This time they do not have that benefit.

Nor is it irrelevant that Marco Asensio is leaving, without spending a dime, on the identical time. That these two prodigiously proficient males, plus Mariano and Eden Hazard, are all off the wage invoice is a €75m enhance for Madrid’s Financial Fair Play profile so far as LaLiga is worried. They have fiscal muscle — the facility to purchase, and wage, ambitiously. But the loss is big — within the final two seasons Asensio and Benzema contributed 139 targets and assists. So much to switch. And Madrid cannot afford to botch it up like they did when Zidane left all of the sudden.

We can take it that the smoke alerts indicating that striker Joselu will transfer from Espanyol to Madrid are true. And Los Blancos, nonetheless reigning world champions, will take pleasure in this intelligent skilled as a squad man. Joselu is 33 years outdated, has one European aim, two worldwide targets and simply registered his highest LaLiga whole –16. Good as he’s, his signing can’t be the answer to the issue all of the sudden staring Madrid within the face.

Partly, they’re in a bind due to two fabulous gamers and a few human sins — lust and the fury of rejection. The two gamers are Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. The former has turned Madrid down thrice now — the final being probably the most spectacular. It’s not solely Perez who has a tough time swallowing that behaviour. Los Blancos’ magnificent historical past implies that their followers, and media, are inside their rights to really feel a trifle haughty.

Even although Mbappe is scheduled to be a free agent in a 12 months and is somebody Real Madrid have coveted since he was a child, it is not a easy course of for Perez to recover from the concept he constantly selected the massive bucks at PSG during the last two invites he needed to come and be part of the world’s most profitable membership. Madrid know he is proper for them, in soccer phrases. But ought to they swallow their satisfaction? Should they (may they?) wait a 12 months for him?

Then there’s the opposite object of their fascination, Haaland. Someone able of affect at Madrid has constantly been briefing the town’s two large soccer newspapers that they anticipate to steer the astonishing 22-year-old Norwegian to hitch them quickly. It could also be a figment of Madrid’s creativeness. They could also be misinformed. But they suppose they’re going to be capable to winkle him out of Manchester City.

Honestly, I doubt that is occurring any time quickly — however it’s my job to inform you how Madrid have a look at issues. What they suppose their choices are. And, frankly, if Madrid have shocked us in a single specific manner through the entirety of Perez’s close to quarter-century reign, it has been in concluding switch offers which no one else thought had been possible.

Bringing us to Harry Kane. Yes, you are proper, Madrid may attempt to scratch a special itch (than Mbappe) and make PSG a suggestion for Neymar. Like Mbappe, Madrid so practically had Neymar on their books — solely to be controversially thwarted by Barcelona. Although Neymar hasn’t seemed after himself significantly effectively, his time at PSG has introduced 145 targets in fewer than 170 matches. The candle’s flame could dim ahead of it ought to with Neymar however, proper now, he is nonetheless an distinctive expertise, and partnering him with Vinicius and Rodrygo should have some attraction for Perez.

Kane, although, is one which Madrid have studied lengthy and onerous. Not many individuals checklist this as one of many England captain’s badges of honour — however he isn’t not like Benzema.

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Moreno: Only Harry Kane can exchange Karim Benzema at Real Madrid

Alejandro Moreno explains why he believes Harry Kane is the one candidate to switch Karim Benzema at Real Madrid.

Okay, the Frenchman has received infinitely extra in his profession — for membership and nation. But one of many issues Madrid are losing is his beautiful means to play both as a intelligent, hard-to-pin down, ingenious, artistic and sublimely expert No. 10 or as an out-and-out, old-style No. 9. They typically name him a “nine-and-a-half” in Spain for that very motive.

Kane has a few of these magic beans. While the 29-year-old, who’s out of contract in a 12 months, is healthier identified for his marvellous aim stats, one a part of his terrific partnership with Son Heung-Min stems from Kane’s means to drop deep, right into a No. 10-style place, and hyperlink play brilliantly.

The Londoner, who has 350 targets for membership and nation, is blessed with super method, imaginative and prescient and soccer intelligence. It can be childish to say he is a Benzema duplicate — we’re speaking about one of many all-time European greats. But Kane has been drawing the admiring gaze of Perez for a lot of months. The query now could be whether or not the Spanish billionaire fancies entering into one other tortuous spherical of negotiations along with his Spurs counterpart, Daniel Levy.

He swore he would not. After the blood, sweat and tears it price him to prise Luka Modric, after which Gareth Bale, out of Spurs, the Madrid president vowed to not get round a negotiating desk with Levy once more. Might be time for a change of coronary heart?

People can throw in candidates reminiscent of Kai Havertz (a classy participant with a highest league return of 17 targets, 4 years in the past, and a better of eight in a season since shifting to Chelsea), Romelu Lukaku or the prolific Victor Osimhen. Madrid may even make a cheeky provide to Lionel Messi — they’ve made a number of earlier than!

But the actual fact stays: Benzema, following the essential lack of Casemiro final season, is a departure that Madrid aren’t geared up to take care of. The warmth is on, they usually must react with brilliance and intelligence relatively than pure velocity. An outline which inserts the departing French magician relatively effectively too. Brilliance and intelligence, relatively than pure velocity, every time the warmth was on.