He may have celebrated his 33rd birthday in December, but the importance of Karim Benzema at Real Madrid is unquestionable.
The Frenchman has already netted 16 times this campaign while over his last two full seasons he scored 57 goals and is one of the most consistent elite forwards in football.
Real Madrid news in recent years has focused on more investment in forwards following Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit in 2018, but Benzema has stepped up to the plate in terms of his output.
A report in Marca has now given an update on his contractual situation in the Spanish capital, with his current deal set to expires in the summer of 2022.
It is said that the club have no doubts over a renewal but Benzema is waiting to see what his physical condition he is in nearer the time before putting pen to paper.
Benzema joined Los Blancos in the summer of 2009 from French club Lyon and he has been a fixture in the team over the years since and he has steered clear of injuries in that timeframe – playing over 30 matches in all 11 of his full seasons to date.
He has scored 265 goals and provided 141 assists for the club, whilst winning a total of 19 trophies with the club.