#3 Karim Benzema
Benzema’s presence in this list is a bit of a surprise – the Frenchman was a favourite of Florentino Perez and many previous Real Madrid managers, with Zinedine Zidane also favouring his fellow countryman. However, the incessant manner in which multiple news outlets in Spain are reporting a falling out between Benzema and Perez indicate that his time at Real Madrid is up.
The Real Madrid president won’t even have to placate fans were he to sell Benzema – the Frenchman is widely disliked among the Madridista fanbase, who view him as a sub-optimal centre-forward. That view is a bit harsh on Benzema, whose ‘sacrificial’ style of play allows the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale to flourish.
However, when 88% of 20,000 fans surveyed by AS want you to be dropped in favour of a younger, homegrown, Spanish replacement, Benzema has to surely realize that his time is up. The Frenchman is still a classy player – and Real Madrid could comfortably earn a sizable fee were they to sell him to one of the Premier League giants, with Chelsea and Arsenal both reportedly interested.
