"He is the Ballon d'Or holder and a great player" - Barcelona star claims Real Madrid will not be the same after Karim Benzema's departure

Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele recently claimed that Real Madrid won't be the same following Karim Benzema's departure from the club.

Benzema was expected to extend his contract with Los Blacos by one year. Instead, he shocked many by choosing to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad as a free agent. The France international will earn a reported £200 million per annum on a three-year deal with the Saudi champions.

Karim Benzema will leave Santiago Bernabeu as a legend. The 35-year-old scored 354 goals and provided 165 assists in 648 appearances, winning 24 major trophies with the side. He was also crowned the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner for his heriocs in Real Madrid's La Liga and Champions League triumphs in the 2021-22 season.

Replacing him will be a difficult task for Carlo Ancelotti and Co, with Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele certain that Los Blancos will suffer without Benzema. In an interview with MARCA, he said (via 90min):

"Without Benzema, Real Madrid loses a lot because he is the Ballon d'Or holder and a great player. Real Madrid without Benzema is not the same. It will be a very important loss."

He added:

"It will also be a big loss for La Liga, because he is a footballer who scores many goals and gives assists. He's a phenomenal player."

Barcelona won their first La Liga title in four years last season, finishing top of the table with 88 points, 10 ahead of Los Blancos. Karim Benzema made just 24 league appearances throughout the season, as he was unable to maintain his fitness, scoring 19 goals and providing three assists in those games.

Los Blancos will need to find a suitable replacement this summer for Benzema in order to challenge Barcelona for the La Liga crown next season.

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Barcelona linked with Liverpool legend who was previously expected to replace Karim Benzema at Real Madrid - Reports

According to El Nacional, Barcelona are interested in signing Liverpool legend Roberto Firmino this summer to ease the pressure on Robert Lewandowski in attack. The Brazil international was previously linked with Real Madrid as a replacement for Karim Benzema.

Xavi Hernandez reportedly wants a new forward who can contribute more goals. This is something that the likes of Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres, and Raphinha have struggled with this season.

Roberto Firmino will leave Liverpool as a free agent this summer and could be a good, economic option for Barcelona. Despite making most of his appearances last season from the bench, the 31-year-old still scored 13 assists and provided five assists in 35 appearances.

Firmino will likely have an abundance of options to choose from this summer. He will probably join the side that can offer him more game time, which is likely to be Los Blancos.