Real Madrid Transfer News: Major Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema Rumours

Real Madrid are reportedly ready to part ways with Karim Benzema and will chase Bayern Munich man Robert Lewandowski as a replacement. 

That’s according to Harry Pratt of the Daily Star on Sunday, who has stated Real have joined Manchester United and Manchester City in the race for the forward, valued at around £80 million. “The Spanish giants have decided to get rid of [Benzema] this summer,” he added.
The interest from Real will reportedly end the chances of United or City landing the striker, despite Bayern boss Pep Guardiola joining the latter for next season. Here is a look at why Los Blancos are said to see the Poland international as the right man to lead the line:

In front of goal there are few who can match the striker. Since moving to Bayern from Borussia Dortmund he’s taken his play up a notch and now, whether on his left foot, right foot or in the air, Lewandowski is capable of scoring so many different kinds of goals.
As WhoScored.com note here, in the Bundesliga there’s no player as sharp as the Bayern man in front of goal:
In La Liga there are plenty of players matching this kind of haul, and it’d be fascinating to see how Lewandowski slotted into a Real attack that already has Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale demanding a lot of the ball.

 

 

To lead the line flanked by those two requires a variety of attributes. Selfless runs need to be made, work rate needs to be unrelenting and hold-up play must be refined in order to bring Ronaldo and Bale into the game high up the pitch. It’s a duty Benzema has carried out with distinction down the years.
Still, as we can see here, despite the unique demands of the role he plays, Benzema is certainly no slouch in front of goal, per the Champions League Twitter feed:
Here is a look at how Benzema and Lewandowski fare in comparison in a variety of categories in league matches this season:

Forward Comparison: Benzema, Lewandowski

	Benzema	Lewandowski
Apps (Sub)	24 (1)	28 (3)
Goals	23	29
Assists	6	2
Shots per game	3.6	4.8
Key passes per game	1.5	0.7
Dribbles per game	0.6	1.2

WhoScored.com

Lewandowski certainly has the technical skill set and awareness to lead the line for Real. His ability to trap the ball at the point of the attack has made him a key man for Guardiola at Bayern, allowing the team to be adaptable in their playing style. His aerial strength, in particular, means the team can be direct when needed.

 

 

Benzema does a superb job for the team with Real.

But he’s a player who is at his best when the attacking play goes through him. At Real, with two other attacking juggernauts alongside him, that wouldn’t be the case, with so much geared towards getting the best from Ronaldo. Regardless of how much he’d cost, Lewandowski would be playing a supplementary role.
Granted, he has shown he can thrive in partnership with another forward, linking up well with Thomas Muller this term, per Squawka Football:

But Los Blancos' current No. 9 is the best man for the job. Real would miss Benzema more than many anticipate. There have been signs this season of the team not looking quite as functional going forward without the Frenchman, including the two semi-final clashes against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League.
So while the capture of a player like Lewandowski would be a big statement from Real Madrid and met with a lot of fanfare, it’s tough to see him performing any better than Benzema, unless Los Blancos are going to take some of the responsibility from Bale or Ronaldo. Given how effective those two have been, that seems unlikely at this juncture.