Will Harry Kane replace Karim Benzema at Real Madrid?

Well, there's big news this morning and Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema will leave Real Madrid this summer after spending an incredible 14 seasons at the club. Well, let's go live to Spanish football expert Alvaro Montero. Good afternoon to you Alvaro. What's the feeling in Madrid over his departure? Hi, good afternoon everybody. Well, the feeling is that it's a pity for Real Madrid. As you say, 14 seasons, 25 titles, five World Cup Champions League, now Ballon d'Or last year. But as Real Madrid said in that statement, in that open letter, he had earned the possibility, he said, or the right to decide. And that is what Karim Benzema has said or has decided. Last Thursday, the feeling is that he was going to stay, but Real Madrid noticed last day, last night, so a few hours ago. And today, against Atletico, in more than four hours, four hours and a half, he's going to say goodbye to Real Madrid fans in the Bernabéu Stadium. And next Tuesday, with the press in Valdebebas at midday, so 12 in the noon, he's going to say publicly bye-bye to Real Madrid after 14 seasons. It's obviously a massive story, but it leaves a massive hole in the forward line at Real Madrid. Who do you think that the club and the fans want to replace him with? Well, if you ask me about the fans, I would say Kylian Mbappé, but everybody knows here in Madrid that it's going to be impossible. Now, in the last hours, everybody, press, fans, and inside the club, they're speaking about Harry Kane, Tottenham striker, and everybody believes it can be target and option number one for this summer. You know, Jose Luis is about to arrive, but after, in a few hours, Real Madrid has lost or said goodbye to Hazard, Asensio, Mariano, and now Karim Benzema. In Relevo, Marca, and us, Spanish important newspapers, they believe it's option number one for the club, and also for Carlo Ancelotti. Why? Because he's almost a 30-year-old striker, very well known all around the world. They don't believe he will need time to play for Real Madrid and to adapt, because he's very well known, and he's one of those players that can fit perfectly in the very first moment. They believe it's not a bet, or it's a safe bet, and they think it can play perfectly well at Real Madrid number nine from the very first game. So, not always, but usually, when Real Madrid want a player, and the manager, Carlo Ancelotti, wants that player, they get that player. Do you expect this one to go through? I cannot speak under Real Madrid words, but in the press, the feeling is that Daniel Levy and Florentino Perez have got a good relationship. They believe, I mean, the press, that if Levy lets the player get out, he's to get out of the Premier League, so it's easier for Real Madrid to sign Harry Kendall for another Premier League team. It's the feeling inside the press here in Spain, especially in Madrid, but everybody's speaking about 100 million euros, at least, and that's a lot of money. So, if you ask me if Real Madrid is going to do it because Carlo Ancelotti or Florentino Perez want it, I'm not sure, but Real Madrid, in the last years, has seen everything in a kind of economical point of view. You know, they're about to present the new Bernabeu Stadium after four or five years in reconstruction, and they know they have to spend not so much money, like in 2009, for instance, where they bought or they signed nine players, ten players, I believe, and they have to think about next year, and as I said before, next year, target number one, and it's going to be really expensive, is Kylian Mbappé. So, I mean, Benzema has gone, that's a lot of wages gone, but also Eden Hazard has left Real Madrid too, which you mentioned earlier on. How would the fans sum up his time there? At 32, what happens next for Hazard? If you're asking about the future of Eden Hazard, I'm not pretty sure because even here in Mario Kortegaan, Athletic has said that there was a huge possibility of Hazard not only to leave the club, he said that yesterday, but to stop playing football. The problem with Eden Hazard was his injuries. In Real Madrid, they believe he was an amazing player, one of the top players in the world four or five years ago. It could have been future Ballon d'Or in that moment when he arrived to Real Madrid, and the feeling is that it was a pity because his injury made him not have a good performance, and he couldn't play as good as we saw him in Chelsea. So, let's see what happened with Eden Hazard, but yes, economically for Real Madrid, with no Hazard, no Benzema, it can be helpful because we are speaking about two of the players which had wagers or salaries in the top of the squad. Eden Hazard, for instance, was the one who earned more money per year. How are the club looking back on the season in general? Because for Real Madrid, no La Liga and no Champions League. Well, it hasn't been a bad season. They've been World Champions. They've won the Super Cup, the European one. They've won Copa del Rey, which is always an important title, and they're about to be, well, second or third in La Liga, but it has not been an amazing performance, but it's been a good season for Real Madrid, I believe. The feeling is that right now, they're living like a transition from the past. You know, in the last few years, everybody knew Real Madrid had Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale, that famous BBC, and now no one is over that. So the feeling right now is that it's going to be a summer of change. Not pretty sure about that, but it could be. Like it happened, as I said before, in 2009, when Real Madrid signed 10 players. In that moment, Florentino Perez believed that Real Madrid needed players like Xabi Alonso, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká or Karim Benzema, and now, here in Madrid, the press is speaking about Kai Havertz or Harry Kane, looking forward for next year with Kylian Mbappé. So yes, of course, Real Madrid needs to do things. It's going to be a long summer for them, and let's see what happens, because the economical problem, or the economical point of view, I believe is going to be important in this summer, in this transfer market for them. So that's Real Madrid and the men's team. Let's talk about Barcelona and the women's team. They won the Champions League final, an incredible comeback from them as well. What's the reaction been like over where you are in Spain? Well, the feeling is that FC Barcelona is now making history. As you said, it was an amazing comeback. For those ones who haven't watched it, Volvo was winning 0-2 in the first 45 minutes, and then with two goals from Patrick Guijarro, FC Barcelona finally, and we've also made the 3-2. It's the second title for them. They're making history. They're becoming probably the best team in the world right now, and with Alexi Aputeia as leader, captain, and the best footballer in the world. Let's see what happens, but it seems that they're starting an amazing era for them. Great to speak to you, Alvaro. Thank you. Bye-bye. Have a good one.