What’s the story?
With Karim Benzema being the subject of much derision from the Real Madrid faithful, under fire President Florentino Perez is all set to make a stunning swap deal with Bayern Munich. He is willing to let Benzema go to Bavaria, and pay out nearly €25 million, in exchange for the services of Polish hitman extraordinaire Robert Lewandowski as per our sources.
In case you didn’t know...
Karim Benzema has been in woeful form this season, and Madrid have had to depend on Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos (of all people) for goals in the crunch matches. The mercurial French striker has scored just 5 times in 15 La Liga appearances and has clocked up just the 2 assists. In an ever more demanding League, this is just not good enough to make the cut if you are playing for Real Madrid.
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Robert Lewandowski, meanwhile, has continued his stunning run of recent form, scoring 14 in 18 league games and 22 in 26 overall.
The heart of the matter
Benzema is one of Florentino Perez’s favourite players. The Madrid boss had signed him from Lyon when the Frenchman with twinkle-toed skills and ruthless finishing was slated to be the next big thing, but’s it not really worked that way. While Benzema has been crucial for Real Madrid, and the fulcrum around which the famed trio of ‘BBC’ (Bale Benzema Cristiano) has succeeded, his recent appalling lack of form has caused a lot of worry amongst Madrid fans. With Ronaldo under-performing too, Benzema has had nowhere to hide, and his faults are being highlighted in sharp relief.
Besides, for a season or two now, ‘BBC’ just haven’t had the allure of ‘MSN’ (Messi Suarez Neymar), and if there is one thing the Real Madrid board room hates, it’s losing bragging rights and superstar brand value to Barcelona.
Also, Read – Real Madrid set to make €70 mn. move for Manchester United's Anthony Martial, reports
What next?
Robert Lewandowski would remedy those worries – both on-field and off – and hence is seen as the perfect buy. At just 28, the Pole is hitting his prime as a striker and is arguably the coolest finisher in the business these days.
‘LBC’ may not have the same ring to it as ‘BBC’, but Lewa Bale Cristiano could work out to be a whole lot deadlier.
Sportskeeda’s Take
With Carlo Ancelotti having gotten the best out of Benzema when he was at Madrid, the Italian will be quietly confident he can make this work. It would also help assuage Bavarian icon Thomas Muller’s worries of not being able to get into the starting line-up. Losing the “personification of Bavaria” Muller is not ideal for the Bayern HQ, and this could just be a win-win for both teams
