Report: Real Madrid Aware They Need To Sign A Striker, But No Player Attracts Them

Real Madrid’s 0-4 defeat at the hands of Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg exposed their shortcomings.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men were far from convincing and it can be understood by the fact that they attempted a mere seven shots, out of which only three were on target.

Last year, in the same round, the story was entirely different. Back then, veteran forward Karim Benzema chipped in with three goals across both legs to assert his dominance.

But this year, the Frenchman looked far from his usual self. And this is the reason why Madrid are exploring the market to sign an out-and-out No. 9 who can seamlessly replace Benzema in the team.

In that context, Onda Cero (h/t Madrid Xtra) has claimed that Real Madrid are well aware of the problem at hand. They understand they need to sign a forward for the next season but the issue is, no player on the market attracts them.

One might argue about Erling Haaland, but it must be noted that while the Manchester City forward is indeed on Madrid’s agenda, his acquisition is planned for the summer of 2024 when a certain clause gets activated in his contract.

Until then, Real Madrid will have to find a way mostly because Benzema is not getting any younger and he has also struggled with fitness this season. In his absence, Rodrygo has led the charge as false 9, but the manager just cannot afford to spend the entirety of the season like this.

Furthermore, Kylian Mbappe is another option the team might consider, but it must be noted that if Paris Saint-Germain lose both Lionel Messi and Neymar in the summer, there is absolutely no chance that they will allow the French forward to leave.

All this leaves Real Madrid in a rather difficult state as they simply cannot continue to rely solely on Benzema for another season.