With Karim Benzema seemingly destined to leave Real Madrid in the coming days, Los Blancos have reportedly found a superstar who could be the Frenchman's successor.
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It seems the Santiago Bernabeu will soon be bidding farewell to a legend of the club, with the reigning Ballon d'Or winner looking set to accept a lucrative contract to become Al Ittihad's marquee signing.
The Lyon native was expected to sign a one-year extension in the Spanish capital, but in recent days news has emerged suggesting that his destiny now lies in the Middle East.
Should that transfer be confirmed, Los Blancos manager Carlo Ancelotti will only have the likes of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Eden Hazard at his attacking disposal for the 2023/24 season as things stand.
The club will need to back the Italian if they are to return to the summit of Spanish and European football, and according to The Athletic, Los Merengues have now identified Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez as a striker who could potentially replace the Real captain.
The 25-year-old has been immense for Italian football's only ever treble winners. The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner's 28 goals and 11 assists this season have helped the Nerazzurri finish in Serie A's top four, as well as reach a UEFA Champions League final against Manchester City, and it looks as though Martinez could possibly be calling Madrid his new home soon.
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Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen are also believed to be on Real's radar but given their exorbitant prices, it seems unlikely the record European champions will shell out more than €100 million (R2.1 billion) for a forward.
The Italian giants are rumoured to have placed a £70 million (R1.7 billion) price tag on their clinical marksman, which is deemed a much more realistic figure for the LaLiga giants.
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