With Karim Benzema nearing 35 years old, Carlo Ancelloti is on the lookout for a backup striker in the summer transfer window. While Juanmi Latasa may be promoted from Castilla, or Borja Mayoral recalled from Getafe, it is also likely that the club makes a new signing. The question on the lips of many fans is how else do Real Madrid plan to reinforce in the summer?
Popular names linked to Los Blancos include Raul de Tomas and Gabriel Jesus, prior to him joining Arsenal. It however seems unlikely for the club to pay between thirty to fifty million euros for a backup striker. Rather, it will prefer to purchase a young player good enough to serve as a replacement for Benzema and who can become a starter in the long run.
Madrid could also decide to wait before signing such a player and instead go for a main striker in their prime. This was the plan prior to Kylian Mbappe’s decision to stay at Paris Saint-Germain. We have listed five players to be on the lookout for long term replacements or if Mayoral or Latasa are chosen in the 2022/23 season.
Erling Haaland
Had Kylian Mbappe not used the club to bargain for a record-breaking deal at PSG, Haaland would have long settled as a Madridista. Odds on several online betting sites were already in favor of an Mbappe switch to the European champions. Very few saw the PSG coming for Kylian, but to help bettors, these sites give up-to-date news, provide unbiased reviews, better odds, and even give you a welcome bonus.
His recent signing at Manchester City does not affect the possibility of signing for Madrid in the coming years. He’s 21 and still has a lot of time to grace the beautiful game. If the marksman is still as good as he is in the next two years, there will be no issue investing 150 million euros in him.
Rayan Cherki
Cherki has a similar style of play to current Real Madrid stars, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga. Currently in League 1, he has been linked to Los Blancos for years and has also hinted at a future with the club.
While it might take a while for his development into a complete player, he’s already been ranked as a huge prospect. He was recently listed as one of the top-rated U21 players in Europe based on dribbles and key passes per game played.
Youssoufa Moukoko
The sort of high-upside player to closely observe, Moukoko already has several records in his name. He holds the record of the youngest goal scorer in the German Bundesliga. More popularly, at 16 years, 18 days, Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko set a new record as the youngest player in the Uefa Champions League.
It seemed as though Moukoko would leave Dortmund recently. The sacking of former BVB boss Marco Rose, however, means the striker is likely to stay on. Much to Los Blancos delight as the team would rather see him develop before any steps are taken in making him a Madridista.
Amine Gouiri
With a style of play similar to that of Benzema, Amine Gouiri is the ideal backup striker. If Madrid prefers a player who can seamlessly join the team without waiting extra years, then he is the obvious option. An all-rounder in terms of skill and ability, and arguably one the club can look to as a long-term replacement for Benzema. In the 2021/22 season, the 22-year-old had a total of 19 goal contributions as a striker at Nice.
Karim Adeyemi
Another player on our list is ex-RB Salzburg striker, Karim Adeyemi. Alongside Moukoko, he’s commonly regarded as the future of football in Germany. The youngster wisely decided to move to BVB in hopes of securing more game time and adding more experience to his portfolio.
Dortmund purchased him for over thirty million euros, and it won’t be a surprise to see him leave in the next two to three years for either double or triple the amount. By that period, Big Benz will most likely be marking his last season at the club, and Karim Adeyemi could learn a thing or two from the veteran striker.
