Kane? Osimhen? Six players who could replace Benzema at Real Madrid

Benzema ended his 14-year association with Real Madrid this season. Who are the top strikers in Europe who could take his shirt next season?

Harry Kane scored 32 goals across competitions for Tottenham this season. | Photo Credit: ANDREW COULDRIDGE

Karim Benzema bid goodbye to Real Madrid on Sunday after a 14-year career at the Spanish capital, where he won trophies galore.

Benzema joined the club in 2009 and led the club to five Champions League, four La Liga, three Copa del Rey and five Club World Cup titles among other major honours.

The 35-year-old also scored 354 goals – second in Los Blancos’ all-time list – in 648 appearances before the Frenchman got the ultimate individual recognition last year with a Ballon d’Or award.

With Benzema’s departure, the club has the arduous task of replacing the number 9. Here, we take a look at a few options who could take up the role this summer.

Harry Kane

Kane remains the most obvious choice with a growing sense of frustration over Tottenham Hostpur’s inability to compete for trophies. After expressing his desire to leave the club in 2021, Kane remained for two more seasons and became the club’s all-time leading scorer (280 goals) this year.

With Spurs being reluctant to sell Kane to a rival club, a move to Madrid remains the ideal situation for the North London club. Despite a change in his playing style in recent years, the soon-to-be 30-year-old Kane is among the top strikers in the world with 92 goals and 32 assists across the last three seasons. Kane’s style of football would also likely get the best out of mercurial Vinicius Jr. and the rising star Rodrygo Goes.

Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe looked set to move to Real Madrid last summer before spuring its advances to sign a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain much to the displeasure of the Spanish club’s president Fiorentino Perez. Mbappe went on to bag the Golden Boot at the World Cup in Qatar and claimed another league title in France while adding a fifth successive Golden Boot in Ligue 1.

While he started his career as a winger, he has been leading the line for PSG for much of the last two seasons and the 24-year-old will be the crown jewel in Madrid’s attack for years to come. But unless Mbappe forces a move through, it’s unlikely that he will be seen in a Madrid shirt next season.

Victor Osimhen

Osimhen is among the hottest strikers in Europe after his goal-scoring exploits led Napoli to its first Serie A title in 33 years. In 39 matches, the Nigerian striker scored 31 goals and set up five for his teammates.

Napoli’s Victor Osimhen finished as Serie A top-scorer this season. | Photo Credit: CIRO DE LUCA/REUTERS

His injury history, however, since his move to Napoli in 2020 will be a potential concern for his suitors. The 24-year-old has missed 41 games in three seasons through injuries.

Lautaro Martinez

At 5’9”, Martinez doesn’t fit the bill of a conventional No. 9 but his goals and assists have marked him out as among the feared strikers at the moment. The 25-year-old had his best season in terms of output with 28 goals and 11 assists that enabled Inter to a Champions League final and two domestic trophies in Italy.

Inter Milan’s Argentinian forward Lautaro Martinez during the UEFA Champions League. | Photo Credit: GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP

Madrid has previously shown its interest in the Argentinian, however, Inter’s evaluation of a €100 million asking price could prove to be a stumbling block.

Marcus Rashford

Rashford had his best goal-scoring season at Manchester United with 30 goals which has reinvigorated his career after a lean 2021-22 season when he contributed just five. Normally deployed as a wide attacker, Rashford showed his capability to lead the line, too, throughout the season.

Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford reacts. | Photo Credit: TONY OBRIEN/REUTERS

With United not having won the Premier League title since 2013 and Rashford approaching the final year of his contract with the club, the player will have his doubts about the club’s challenge in the future.

While United hopes to tie down its academy graduate for a long time, Madrid will be hoping to lure him away from Manchester.

Rodrygo Goes

Real could look in-house to replace Benzema with Rodrygo finally making the step up from a backup role to become the club’s leading striker.

The Brazilian has truly arrived with his performances in the last two seasons, when he chipped in with crucial goals as a substitute in the 2022 Champions League win, before scoring 19 goals this season as a regular starter.