Official: Karim Benzema leaves Real Madrid at the end of 22/23

Real Madrid have officially announced that Karim Benzema will be leaving the club after their final game of the season against Athletic Club. The striker will say goodbye to the fans of the club, and will then move on. 

The likely destination for him is Saudi Arabia, with a €100 million per season offer recently tabled for the reigning Ballon d’Or winner. And now, it seems he has decided to leave Spain after spending 14 years with them and becoming their second top scorer of all-time, behind Cristiano Ronaldo. 

In spite of the Frenchman recently saying that his future lies in Real Madrid, the opposite has now come to be true. And he will be leaving as a legend of the club, truly marking the end of an era for the Spanish giants. 

Benzema joins Eden Hazard, Mariano Diaz and Marco Asensio as the players to leave at the end of the season. His next club should be announced in the next few days once the formal agreement is completed and finalised. 

Karim Benzema leaves Real Madrid as a legend

Karim Benzema’s stats for Real Madrid:

“Real Madrid C.F. and our captain Karim Benzema have agreed to put an end to his brilliant and unforgettable stage as a player for our club.

Real Madrid wants to show its gratitude “and all its affection for who is already one of our greatest legends.

“Madridistas and all the fans around the world have enjoyed his magical and unique football, which has made him one of the great myths of our club and one of the great legends of world football,” the official statement posted on the club’s website read. 

“Real Madrid is and will always be his home, and he wishes him and all his family the best in this new phase of his life.” 

The number 9 really stepped up to the task after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018. And since then, he has been their number one attacker, finally lifting the Ballon d’Or trophy this past year. Since the 2018/19 season, he has provided 213 goals and assists in 226 starts, which is simply incredible. And not to forget, it was his hat-tricks in the Champions League that helped them win the title for the 14th time last year. 

Will Real Madrid replace Karim Benzema? 

The likelihood of Los Blancos signing someone like Harry Kane, Kai Havertz or Roberto Firmino looks much more real now that their star striker will be leaving. The profile of Kane is similar to that of Benzema in that both of them have a key part to play in build up and they are both very clinical finishers. 

However, Spurs are tough negotiators and it could be some time before the transfer negotiations progress. Firmino is available on a free transfer, and also has the Brazilian link with the likes of Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo. 

Chelsea’s Kai Havertz has also been rumoured as a possible option, but the Premier League club want to sell him for a sizable fee. And it remains to be seen whether Madrid will go for him at this stage.