Since the departure of the club’s all-time record goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo, they have inevitably struggled to find someone as effective in front of goal. Indeed, Benzema has stepped out of the shadow of Ronaldo and since become their chief goalscorer, netting 10 La Liga goals so far this season, although this is far from a great turnover for a club that should be winning the title. However, the demise of Gareth Bale’s career in Madrid, coupled with Hazard’s disastrous move from Chelsea has left the club feeling uncharacteristically thin on superstar quality.
With Benzema turning 34 this year, it is increasingly likely that Madrid may look to the summer as an opportunity to bolster their attack. The club are said to have been long admirers of Tottenham Hotspur's hotshot Harry Kane, who is enjoying one of his best all-round seasons with 20 goals and 14 assists in 30 games so far, and the England captain would certainly fit the profile of a like-for-like replacement for Benzema, who possesses both physicality and technical prowess.
However, as for a longer-term option, there are not many players who would better suit the system than Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Braut Haaland. The 20-year-old has fast become one of the most potent and sought after strikers in the world. His intelligent runs complement his other-worldly speed and technical ability, meaning that the tall Norwegian is notoriously difficult to stop.
22 goals in 21 games so far this season has seen his stock continue to rise, and come the summer there will certainly be a whole host of clubs desperate for his signature. If Madrid are to invest in a new Galactico, then there are few that come close to Haaland in terms of potential.
It's what the club have founded success on, even since the days of the 1950s where Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas took over Spain and Europe. Now, they can't let that historic truth slip and they simply must buy, buy and buy some more, because it's worked for 70 years.