Real Madrid could sell Karim Benzema to complete double swoop for superstar attackers - Reports

Real Madrid are reportedly open to selling Karim Benzema if it helps them land Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland next summer.

Los Blancos were linked with Kylian Mbappe all summer and had multiple bids rejected by Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the Frenchman's current employers. The offers included an opening €160 million bid and a €200m deadline-day bid.

Eventually, Mbappe decided to stay in France for the final year of his contract. As things stand, the 22-year-old could reach an agreement with Real Madrid as early as January 2022 to move to the Spanish capital for free next summer.

Real Madrid have also been consistently linked with Erling Haaland in recent months. Haaland, who has set the European stage ablaze with Borussia Dortmund, is a much trickier signing. Los Blancos are likely to face stiff competition from the likes of PSG, Manchester City, Manchester United and Bayern Munich for his signature.

Negotiations with Haaland's agent, Mino Raiola, could also prove to be difficult for Real Madrid, according to reports from El Nacional (via Caught Offside). This is due to rumors that Raiola could look to have his client join arch-rivals Barcelona if Mbappe moves to the Santiago Bernabeu.

The reports also added an interesting development to this saga. They suggested that Los Blancos president Florentino Perez could be open to selling Karim Benzema if it allows the club to sign both Mbappe and Haaland.

This is a new development as Real Madrid have largely been intent on hanging on to Benzema. The Frenchman has been their best player in recent years and has shown no signs of slowing down. He has 11 goals and eight assists in 13 appearances for Real Madrid across all competitions this season. The striker has been touted by many to win the Ballon d'Or.

It seems quite unlikely that Los Blancos will offload the forward next summer.

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Karim Benzema has had a tremendous career at Real Madrid

Karim Benzema joined Real Madrid from Lyon for £30 million (€35m) in the summer of 2009. He returned decent numbers in his first season at the club, registering nine goals and six assists in 33 matches across all competitions.

Over the next two seasons, Benzema blossomed into one of the most well-rounded forwards in the world. Across the 2010-11 and 2011-12 campaigns, the Frenchman recorded 58 goals and 28 assists in 100 matches in all competitions.

Overall, Benzema has scored 290 goals and provided 152 assists in 572 matches for Real Madrid. He is the third-highest goal scorer for the club behind legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Raul.

The 33-year-old also has an incredibly stacked trophy cabinet. He has four Champions Leagues, three La Ligas, two Copa del Reys and four Club World Cups, among other honors.

Benzema also recently won his first international trophy, securing the 2021 UEFA Nations League with France last month. He scored in the semi-final against Belgium and in the final against Spain.