The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner continues to produce match-winning displays, but injury concerns are also catching up with the 35-year-old
Karim Benzema refused to acknowledge Carlo Ancelotti when the manager substituted him in the second leg of Real Madrid's Champions League quarter-final clash with Chelsea.
The game was, at the time of Benzema's removal, over. Madrid had a convincing aggregate lead, and although they hadn't dominated on the night, were cruising towards yet another semi-final appearance.
Benzema, having taken a heavy knock from a challenge in the first half, probably needed a rest, too. But the striker wanted to stay on the pitch all the same, and sulked as he watched his side run out 4-0 aggregate winners.
Since that contest, Benzema endured a miserable 90 minutes against Celta Vigo, and was forced to sit out Madrid's loss to Girona on Tuesday due to the lasting effects of the same issue that had led to him limping off in west London.
This is not the first time, though, that the striker has had to deal with injury. Benzema, when fit, is still one of the best strikers in the world. The Ballon d'Or winning player of 2022 is certainly still there. But the fitness issues continue to add up for the 35-year-old, and he can no longer be relied on to play every game.
And when he's not around, Los Blancos have struggled. Their other attacking players look lost, while the myriad of solutions in his position — usually Rodrygo as an awkward No.9 — don't quite offer the same bite.
And with no clear solution having yet emerged from the academy or alternative system to fix things, Real Madrid need to add another striker this summer.
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An admirable season
Let's be clear: Benzema does not need replacing. Madrid, in handing him a new one-year contract, have made it clear that they don't want him to leave, either. But he does need protecting.
Benzema's ageing legs are not as reliable as they used to be, while the striker has at times clearly played through injuries this season. Neither Ancelotti nor Madrid can be blamed for wanting to get their best player on the pitch, even if he is not always firing at 100 percent
Still, there should be a more obvious, reliable solution that allows the manager to feel comfortable in allowing Benzema observe from the sidelines in less important games.
It's easy to see why Ancelotti want him to play, though. While Benzema hasn't replicated his Ballon d'Or-winning form of last season on a consistent basis, there is still enough of that striker about to make him one of the best in the world.
He is averaging 0.9 goals + assists per 90 minutes, the third highest in La Liga, per A return of 14 goals in 20 starts isn't bad at all.
He is also doing all of the signature Benzema things that make him so valuable. He drops deep to link play; he makes those ghostly runs to the back post; he carves chances out of limited space; and he still makes defenders back away when he has the ball.
And even when he's not directly contributing, Benzema expertly moves in and out of space, opening room for others. There is, indeed, a reason why Vinicius Jr is a more impactful goal-scoring threat when Benzema is on the pitch.
Benzema is still showing up when it really matters, too. He scored two and assisted against Liverpool at Anfield. He bagged a hat-trick against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-final. The big-game player that battered Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City in last year's Champions League is very much there.
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Not the same without him
After Benzema was sidelined as Real endured an infamous 4-0 loss to Barcelona last April, Ancelotti offered a grim assessment of the situation: "Without Benzema, we had no chance."
Real haven't been quite so resigned to their fate when the star striker has been out this season, but they are a far different side without him.
In recent weeks, results have improved when Benzema has sat out, but it was in his absence earlier in the season that Madrid truly fell behind in the title race. Losses to bottom half sides Mallorca and Rayo Vallecano came without Benzema.
And while this week's 4-2 drubbing at the hands of Girona perhaps cannot be pinned on Real's lack of attacking quality, a fit Benzema surely would have given Madrid a chance — despite their shambolic defending at the other end.
There have, admittedly, been some good moments. Benzema's absence has freed up a spot for a revitalised Marco Asensio to get back in the line up, and the Spain international has taken his chance, with 14 goal contributions in La Liga. Rodrygo has also certainly improved as a central striker and is now a more viable goal threat.
But these are all minute benefits, vague positives to take from a clear problem. Ancelotti, then, was right. Without Benzema, Real are not the same team.
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What do Madrid need?
It is not easy to replace one of the best strikers in the world, and Madrid would be foolish to try. There are a handful of goalscorers comparable to or better than Benzema, and none of them are attainable — at least, not immediately.
What Madrid are after, then, is a viable back up, the kind of player who can slot into the No.9 spot when Benzema is out or in need of a rest.
The good news in all of this is Ancelotti has enough attacking options at his disposal that he does not need another all-round virtuoso. Wingers Vinicius and Rodygo are excellent creative players, while Luka Modric has made a career off of creating for deadly No.9s.
Instead, they crave a more natural striker, someone content to hold down a central position and let the wingers around him do the technical bits in between. Benzema's extra qualities — the ability to drift, pass, and open space — are what make him elite. But reserve strikers simply shouldn't be replicas of the starter.
Divock Origi, during his best days at Liverpool, for example, was effective because he was more direct than Mohamed Salah or Roberto Firmino. Javier Hernandez excelled coming off the bench for Manchester United because he could time his runs so perfectly.
In effect, Madrid need to find the player that infamous transfer flop Luka Jovic should have been, but spectacularly never was.
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A difficult window
But this is a difficult transfer window for Madrid. It is entirely possible, if not likely, that president Florentino Perez never thought he would find himself in this situation.
Madrid were supposed to sign Kylian Mbappe last summer, which would have eased the transition at the end of the Benzema era and set Los Blancos up for the foreseeable future.
Instead, they have an awkward gap to bridge. Mbappe, who eventually re-signed for PSG, has assured Parisian fans that he does not want to leave the club this summer.
Meanwhile, the other big names on the transfer market seem likely to be heading elsewhere. Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and even PSG all have a more pressing need for a striker — and the financial resources to go for top targets such as Victor Osimhen, Harry Kane or Randal Kolo Muani.
Madrid, too, have their eyes elsewhere. Liverpool, presumptive frontrunners in the race to sign Jude Bellingham, made it known that they have been priced out of his signature this summer. Real are reportedly reluctant to pay the massive €150 million (£132m/$165m) price that Borussia Dortmund have set, too. But he is still their top target for the next few months, and would likely exhaust Madrid's traditionally deep pockets.
Money for a new forward, then, will be hard to come by.
There is a striker incoming, but not for two years. Brazilian teenager Endrick will join Los Blancos in 2024, but he will only be 18 when he walks into Santiago Bernabeu, and despite his immense potential, is unlikely to be ready to lead the line by then.
Madrid may well be banking on an Mbappe change of heart in a year or two. But unless they invest now, they will likely face a repeat problem next year, and without the guarantee of Benzema staying for another season afterwards.