What’s the story?
Real Madrid are willing to offer Karim Benzema to AS Monaco as part of an incredible swap deal to bring Kylian Mbappe to the Santiago Bernabeu. According to a report in the Daily Star, Florentino Perez has grown weary of Benzema’s off-field issues and is willing to let the French striker leave for the Monaco’s teenage sensation, who has set alight the world of football this season.
Previously...
Real Madrid already missed out on Mbappe previously, when the French striker was 17 years old. Zinedine Zidane met with the youngster to tempt him to move, but Mbappe turned down Madrid’s offer, later explaining, "I experienced that like a child who sees the greatest French player in history talk to him. He was really honest with me. It was a great moment. In the end, I didn't join Real Madrid because I wanted to stay in my country, I didn't want to leave so early. It wouldn't have worked. I chose to come to Monaco and I made the right choice.”
Also Read: 5 young forwards who broke through this season
The heart of the matter
Despite Mbappe’s earlier rejection, Real Madrid are desperate to land the youngster, who is seen within the club as a future Ballon d’Or winner. The youngster has been breaking all sorts of records as his 26 goals and 14 assists for Monaco propelled them to the Ligue 1 title and the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League.
In stark contrast, Benzema has struggled for goals this season, although he has experienced a resurgence of late. The report does claim that Florentino Perez wants to get rid of the 29-year-old in favour of Mbappe, as Zinedine Zidane favours an approach of two strikers up-front – pairing the speedy Mbappe with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Benzema himself has advised Mbappe to keep his feet on the ground, saying “He is a phenomenon for his age, but he needs to establish himself in the long term.” AS Monaco have resisted all attempts to let Mbappe go so far, and offering Benzema in exchange could offset their short-term fears, as he would comfortably dominate Ligue 1’s defences.
Also Read: The delicate brilliance of Kylian Mbappe
What’s next?
AS Monaco would perhaps be tempted to exploit Real Madrid’s deep coffers and demand a player+cash exchange deal for Mbappe, and knowing Florentino Perez, he would probably oblige.
Author’s Take
There have been many cases of players being hyped to the rafters, but Mbappe is the real deal – he’s already proven that in the UEFA Champions League, scoring against Juventus’ famed defence – a feat that eluded the likes of Lionel Messi and Neymar this season. Real Madrid would be clever to let an aging Benzema leave for Mbappe, although the possibility of that transpiring seems barely believable, at best.
