Karim Benzema: How do Real Madrid prepare for life without France striker?

Karim Benzema won the Champions League 5 times with Real Madrid

Karim Benzema leaves Real Madrid arsenic a legend, undoubtedly 1 of the top players successful the club's history.

After the France striker's departure was announced connected Sunday, BBC Sport examines the outgoing Benzema's bequest - and the consequences of his exit.

All-round excellence

After joining from hometown-club Lyon arsenic a promising 21 year-old successful 2009, Benzema exceeded expectations by winning 5 Champions League titles, 4 La Liga crowns and the 2022 Ballon d'Or, plundering 353 goals on the mode to way lone Cristiano Ronaldo successful Los Blancos' all-time scoring chart.

That fig is adjacent much awesome considering helium had to play a supporting relation to Ronaldo for the bulk of his spell, lone truly allowed to measurement retired of the shadows and go the focal constituent of the onslaught successful the past 5 seasons.

Indeed, Benzema averaged 32.2 goals per play since Ronaldo's departure successful 2018, compared to 21.3 during his clip alongside the Portuguese ace, intelligibly showing 1 of his top attributes: his willingness and quality to play for the squad erstwhile required, alternatively than chasing idiosyncratic glory.

Benzema's selflessness has besides played a large relation successful the improvement of young Brazilian wingers Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo successful the past fewer years, and sees him permission the nine with a full of 138 assists.

All considered, helium volition beryllium remembered arsenic a implicit fig 9 alternatively than 'just' a goalscorer and arsenic a antheral who could elegantly nexus play with midfield and effortlessly make chances for others, arsenic good arsenic taking them himself.

But this play has been a struggle. Benzema - present 35 years aged - missed the World Cup done injury, has lone been capable to commencement 23 league games and looked a shadiness of his erstwhile aforesaid during the second stages of the campaign, particularly during the Champions League semi-final nonaccomplishment to Manchester City.

So present helium is leaving, cashing successful connected his remaining playing days by accepting a reported 200 cardinal euros connection to articulation Saudi champions Al-Ittihad. His determination volition permission Real with a large summertime ngo pursuing Sunday's play finale astatine location to Athletic Bilbao.

Real's adjacent fig nine?

Benzema's all-round endowment volition beryllium precise hard to regenerate and manager Carlo Ancelotti - who is astir definite to enactment contempt a tantalising connection to manager the Brazilian nationalist squad - presently has nary viable alternatives.

Rodrygo has occasionally been tried arsenic a mobile 'false nine' but looks overmuch much comfy successful his accustomed presumption connected the close flank, Eden Hazard has efficaciously been written disconnected aft a disastrous 4 seasons successful Spain (seven goals successful 76 appearances) and the squad's lone different genuine centre forward, Mariano Diaz, has been fixed conscionable 163 minutes by Ancelotti successful each competitions this season.

So reinforcements volition person to beryllium recruited and Espanyol people antheral Joselu - formerly of Stoke City and Newcastle - has been heavy linked aft netting 16 league goals for the relegated Catalan nine this season.

But Joselu was intended to rotate with Benzema, not regenerate him, and the nine volition surely beryllium forced to question a much high-profile heir to the Frenchman's fig 9 shirt.

Chelsea's Kai Havertz, Victor Osimhen of Italian rubric winners Napoli and Tottenham skipper Harry Kane person each been linked, arsenic has Roberto Firmino who is seeking a caller situation aft leaving Liverpool.

However, the number-one prime could yet again beryllium long-time people Kylian Mbappe.

Despite precise publically rejecting the Spanish giants to enactment with Paris St-Germain past summer, rumours that Mbappe volition yet extremity up astatine the Bernabeu person refused to spell away. He precocious claimed to beryllium prepared to implicit the last twelvemonth of his declaration successful the French capital, but the speedy departure of Benzema could spot Real president Florentino Perez effort to transportation a accelerated rethink.

One happening is for definite - with a Benzema-size spread to fill, Real Madrid volition marque a big-name centre guardant signing this summer.

Regeneration task continues

Benzema is the latest successful a agelong enactment of long-serving legends to permission the Bernabeu successful the past 2 years, with the departures of Sergio Ramos, Rafael Varane, Gareth Bale, Isco, Marcelo and Casemiro already giving the squad a precise caller look.

The departures won't halt there. Luka Modric has besides reportedly been offered large wealth to determination to Saudi Arabia this summer, versatile guardant Marco Asensio is acceptable to articulation PSG and Toni Kroos is gradually becoming a much peripheral beingness aft years of moving the midfield.

In their place, the club's poster boys are present a caller breed of stars specified arsenic Vinicius, Rodrygo, Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga, each successful their aboriginal twenties and expected to beryllium joined by whoever replaces Benzema on with different large rising talent, England planetary midfielder Jude Bellingham.

They each person the endowment to supply the spine of the squad for galore years to travel but whether they tin travel adjacent adjacent to matching the interaction of Benzema is different matter.