Real Madrid will begin a new season without Karim Benzema in their ranks for the first time in 15 years. The Frenchman left earlier this summer to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad, and so far, he has yet to be replaced by Florentino Perez.
Speaking to TLN TV, Los Blancos goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who is a big figure in the dressing room, broke down the current striker situation at Real Madrid, following Benzema’s departure.
“Benzema scored a lot of goals for us, but we have other players that has score, like Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo. All of the team has to step up, including guys like Federico Valverde. He scored 12, 13, 14 goals last season, now he can try to score 20!”
Joselu Mato has joined on a season-long loan deal from Espanyol, although he is not expected to be a first-choice starter for Carlo Ancelotti, but rather a backup option. Still, Courtois believes that the veteran forward can be a valuable player for Real Madrid.
“Joselu is a really good striker for us. He is a profile that we didn’t have before, sometimes you need a guy that can hold onto the ball, and he can also score from crosses.”
There will certainly be pressure on the Real Madrid frontline to step up in the wake of Benzema’s departure, but Courtois has faith that they can do exactly that.
