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Real Madrid remain hopeful of signing Tottenham Hotspur superstar Harry Kane this summer, according to French outlet Foot Mercato.
Saudi Pro League giants Al-Ittihad announced the signing of Karim Benzema this week. The Frenchman has thus put an end to his 14-year stint with Los Blancos, leaving a gaping hole in the team's attack.
Real Madrid have begun the hunt for a striker to replace the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner. The Athletic recently claimed that Carlo Ancelotti has asked the club to sign Kane from Tottenham.
There are doubts about the England captain's future with Spurs as he is set to enter the final year of his contract. However, convincing Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to sell the striker remains an uphill task.
It has been claimed that Los Blancos hope to sign Kane for €80 million this summer. However, it emerged on Thursday (June 8) that they are considering signing Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe for free next year instead of roping in the Englishman.
However, those suggestions are wide of the mark, according to the aforementioned source. Kane remains Real Madrid's top priority to replace Benzema this summer.
The La Liga giants, though, are aware of the difficulties involved in convincing Tottenham to sell the striker. Hence, they have identified Inter Milan frontman Lautaro Martinez as an alternative, as per the report.
Martinez, 25, is contracted to the Serie A giants until 2026 but could be a cheaper alternative to Kane. He has been on Madrid's radar for years if the report is to be believed.
The striker has been a key player for Inter since joining them from Racing Club for €25 million in 2018. He has bagged 102 goals and 36 assists in 237 appearances across competitions for the Nerazzurri.
Martinez also helped Argentina win the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last December. He featured in all but one of their seven games and converted his penalty in the shootout win against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
Real Madrid target Harry Kane's 2022-23 season with Tottenham in numbers
Tottenham Hotspur had an underwhelming 2022-23 season as they finished eighth in the Premier League. They were also knocked out of both domestic cup competitions early on. Spurs crashed out of the UEFA Champions League after losing 1-0 on aggregate to AC Milan in the Round of 16.
Harry Kane, meanwhile, had an impressive campaign individually. He bagged 30 goals in 38 top-flight games and became the first player to achieve the tally twice in a 38-game Premier League season. He had another two goals and five assists to his name.
The Englishman is now only 47 goals behind Alan Shearer's record as the all-time top scorer in the Premier League. There is a feeling that he could prefer to stay in England to break the record. It thus remains to be seen if Real Madrid can convince him to move away from the country.
