As the dust settled on the departure of star striker Karim Benzema, Real Madrid found themselves facing a significant task of rebuilding their attack.
After the end of the 2022/23 season, Real Madrid were left with just two first-team forwards; Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes. Four of their star forwards had left within the space of two days. Eden Hazard, Mariano Díaz, Karim Benzema, and Marco Asensio had all decided to part ways with the club. Their departures meant a new era is on the horizon and a rebuild needs to take place in the immediate future.
Mariano, Benzema and Asensio’s contracts had run out. Meanwhile, Eden Hazard and the club reached an agreement to mutually terminate his contract with a year still remaining on his deal. The former Chelsea star failed to live up to the expectations because of the infinite injuries that he suffered. And, since he was on lofty wages, it seems to be a great decision by both parties.
While Benzema and Asensio were expected to pen down a new deal, the duo ended up parting ways, and Real Madrid let them leave as a sign of respect for all that they had done for the club and the fans. The departure of the Frenchman came as the biggest blow as he was the focal point on the attack and the second-highest goal scorer in the history of the club.
Real Madrid had already planned regarding possible signings to cope with the loss of Diaz, Hazard and Asensio. But, Benzema’s departure changed everything and now they have been forced to rebuild from scratch.
The Brazilian Duo
Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes have been two of the best signings for Real Madrid over the past few seasons. Vinicius joined Los Blancos back in the summer of 2018, while Rodrygo arrived in 2019.
The duo has gone from strength to strength since joining the club. Real Madrid’s best decision was to trust them and slowly give them more and more first-team minutes. Both of them might be just 22, but they have established themselves as regulars in the Los Blancos’ first team.
They have the pace, the electrifying flair and the skillset that are needed to lead Real Madrid’s attack in the forthcoming season. The duo has already been handed new jersey numbers; Vinicius will wear the iconic number ‘7’, while Rodrygo will wear jersey number ’11’.
The former Flamengo winger has already established himself as their main left-winger and has averaged 40+ goals plus assists in the past two seasons. Meanwhile, Rodrygo has been given an extended run on the right in the 2022/23 season, and they have made it clear that he will be the first choice on the right.
The new look Real Madrid attack
Real Madrid have lost two strikers and a winger from either flank within two days. All of a sudden a lot needs to be taken care of. Luckily, Los Blancos always have a few options in their hand, and they have decided to act fast to make sure they have a base to work on.
With Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo already there, Real Madrid do have two quality wingers. And, as far as the strikers’ position is concerned, Alvaro Rodríguez is all set to be promoted to the first team.
The 18-year-old was on the pitch for 75 minutes in his six senior appearances and managed two goal contributions. His quality was pretty clear in the limited time itself, and even Carlo Ancelotti praise the teenager, who is now expected to be a regular feature on the bench.
Meanwhile, they have already called back Brahim Diaz, who was on loan at AC Milan, giving him a new contract. The 23-year-old who can play on either flank as well as an attacking midfielder will fill in for the likes of Eden Hazard and Marco Asensio.
Diaz has been doing wonders for AC Milan over the past two seasons and bringing him back is surely a great move from the club. The 23-year-old can provide cover to both Vinicius and Rodrygo and he can even start ahead of them.
His versatility will allow Carlo Ancelotti to switch to a 4-2-3-1 more often as he is an out-and-out attacking midfielder. With the Spanish international back and Alvaro promoted, Real Madrid now have three wingers and a striker.
The Change of Plans
The unplanned exit of Benzema has resulted in a change of plans. Real Madrid earlier wanted to sign a young forward who could help cover for Benzema in his absences, and they were awaiting the arrival of Endrick who will join the club in 2024 after turning 18.
However, his departure means they will now need to sign a proven goalscorer. Benzema was not just a goalscorer, he was their skipper and they did rely a lot on him throughout the past few seasons. While signing a star striker will fill the void left by him in terms of goals, it might not be able to fill the void left by Benzema the leader.
Post Benzema’s departure, the plan is to sign a proven world-class forward alongside another versatile winger to go past the 2023/24 season as they still dream of a move that will see PSG forward Kylian Mbappe join them.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid also have their eyes on Erling Haaland. And, as per reports, there is a release clause in his contract that will be active next summer. If there is a release clause in his contract, it will make perfect sense for them to go all out for the 22-year-old.
What should the plan be? Who should Real Madrid sign?
Let’s once again have a look at what Real Madrid already have:
Wingers: Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes & Brahim Diaz
Strikers: Alvaro Rodríguez
What do they need?
With Rodrygo having the ability to play as a striker when needed, Real Madrid only need to sign a world-class striker who can directly fill the void left by Benzema. Then the Merengues will have one star strikers who is yet to be signed, Rodrygo, and Alvaro Rodríguez as three striker options.
As far as the wing is concerned, they do not really need to make any further signings since Federico Valverde, the versatile midfielder, is capable enough to play on the right wing. He has over 20 appearances as a right-winger last season.
However, they will need to have an injury cover, despite having all the versatile attackers & midfielders in their squad. They do need to add a one-star striker along with a young versatile forward. So, who should Real Madrid sign, keeping in mind that they have spent quite a lot on Jude Bellingham and have an eye on Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland for the near future?
Real Madrid have been linked with Harry Kane, Kai Havertz and Lautaro Martínez. So, who should be the star striker?
Kane will cost a fortune and Spurs won’t let go of him with ease. Real Madrid will have to pay over £100 million to sign the soon-to-be 30-year-old striker. Having said that, Kane will be the perfect replacement for Benzema. He will bring in a lot of goals as well as leadership.
Apart from the goals, he is a complete forward whose overall game can be a great boost for Madrid. But, with Erling Haaland, a potential option in the near future, signing the England international for a fortune at that age doesn’t really make sense.
Meanwhile, Kai Havertz is another option that is really appreciated by Carlo Ancelotti. While the Chelsea forward is highly rated by a lot of critics, he hasn’t done enough to wear the number ‘9’ at Real Madrid. And, the high price that the Blues are looking for is something that Madrid won’t pay given his track record is not impressive enough.
Real Madrid have no intention to pay big fee for Kai Havertz. He’s appreciated by Ancelotti but no plans to spend €60m plus add-ons requested by Chelsea. ⚪️ #RealMadrid
Negotiations currently off, could only change if price tag will be lower later in the window. pic.twitter.com/qJ5BN1DiSJ
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 12, 2023
The only option Real Madrid are left with is that of Lautaro Martínez who was in sensational form in the 2022/23 season. He scored 28 goals and had 11 assists in a campaign where Inter Milan lost the Champions League final to Manchester City.
The 25-year-old World Cup winner has over 100 goals for Inter Milan and will surely cost less than £100 million. He is a proven goalscorer and will give Los Blancos quite a few years. Even if Real Madrid go on to sign Mbappe and Haaland in the near future, Martinez is someone that will have great re-sale value if they need to offload him.
Apart from the stars, Rayan Cherki is someone who has been on Real Madrid’s radar for a while now he could be a great addition to their ranks. The 19-year-old can play as an attacking midfielder as well as on either wing. And, he has 11 goal contributions in the 2022/23 season for Olympique Lyon.
The Lyon teenager is very highly rated by people at Lyon, and they even believe he is as good a talent as Benzema was when he first broke onto the scene.
What should the Real Madrid attack look like next season?
Wingers: Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, Brahim Diaz & Rayan Cherki
Strikers: Lautaro Martínez & Alvaro Rodríguez
