Real Madrid president draws up 7-man shortlist of strikers he can sign for less than €20 million: Reports

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has shortlisted seven sub-€20 million strikers to provide cover to Karim Benzema, El Nacional has claimed. The seven strikers are: Youssoufa Moukoko, Marcus Thuram, Ben Brereton Diaz, Jose Juan Macias, Tim Lemperle, Alessio Besio, and Matheus Nascimento.

With Ballon d’Or favorite Benzema out with a knee injury, Los Blancos started with Eden Hazard as a false nine against Mallorca on Sunday (September 11). The reigning champions secured a 4-1 win over Mallorca in the La Liga clash, but Perez was reportedly not convinced.

The Real Madrid president has supposedly drawn up a seven-man shortlist of strikers to provide sufficient cover for Benzema. Borussia Dortmund’s Moukoko is the first name on the shortlist. The 17-year-old striker has reportedly decided against renewing his contract, which expires in June 2023.

Then there is Lillian Thuram’s son Marcus, whom the club could sign from Borussia Monchengladbach for €19 million. Blackburn Rovers man Diaz would reportedly come in a little cheaper at €16 million. He is currently a regular with the Chilean national team.

Former Getafe striker Macias is fourth on the list. Following an unsuccessful spell in Spain, he returned to Chivas de Guadalajara and regained his confidence. The 22-year-old could cost the club €7 million. Lemperle and Besio are the next two names on the shortlist.

Koln’s Lemperle is a strong, powerful, no. 9, who feels more comfortable inside the box than outside of it. FC St. Gallen’s Besio is even lesser known but is reportedly being courted by many top clubs.

Finally, there is Botafogo’s 18-year-old striker Nascimento, who has reportedly been recommended to the Real Madrid president by Chief Scout Juni Calafat. He famously scouted both Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, two of Madrid’s most celebrated young footballers.

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Antonio Rudiger scores his first Real Madrid goal in Mallorca victory

Coach Carlo Ancelotti named Antonio Rudiger in his starting XI for the La Liga clash against Mallorca at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Sunday. The German center-back, who joined the club as a free agent earlier this summer, was solid at the back and proved to be decisive in the opposition box as well.

Rudiger went up for a 93rd-minute Real Madrid free kick. Kick taker Toni Kroos delivered an inch-perfect cross at the far post and Rudiger was there to volley it home. There was a VAR check for offside, but the goal ultimately stood, marking the former Chelsea man’s first goal for his new employers.