Real Madrid’s transfer plans were affected by Benzema’s exit, funds in place for Mbappe in 2024 | OneFootball

Spanish publication MARCA has reported that Karim Benzema ruined Real Madrid’s transfer plans by deciding to leave in the summer.

The outlet writes that the reason why Real Madrid did not sign a No. 9 for the 2023/24 season was because they were counting on Benzema.

The team from the Spanish capital have set aside funds for an outlay on a big player scheduled for 2024, who happens to be none other than Kylian Mbappe.

For that, Los Blancos were counting on Benzema to stay until 2024 but his sudden departure changed everything.

By the time he left, Real Madrid had already allotted most of their budget for Jude Bellingham, meaning that there was no way could have signed any striker, let alone Mbappe.

Real Madrid’s initial plan

Real Madrid had no intention of entering the season with only Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Joselu, and Brahim Diaz as their only forward options.

Their strategy, formulated in the months of March and April, prominently featured Karim Benzema as the linchpin of their offensive lineup.

The Merengues were resolute that this would constitute their attacking unit, with the marquee signing for the season being Bellingham. This acquisition had been in the works for over a year, necessitating a substantial financial commitment.

The decision was made by Real Madrid to select Bellingham this summer, with no additional funds available for further major acquisitions.

Real Madrid have set aside budget for Mbappe for 2024. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

This was primarily due to their significant financial commitment set aside for the summer of 2024, where they were targeting either Mbappe or Erling Haaland.

They had anticipated Benzema’s departure to occur in 2024 rather than in 2023, which led them to refrain from allocating a budget for the acquisition of a top-tier forward for the current season.

What happened next?

When Benzema bid farewell to Real Madrid, the spotlight shifted to discussions surrounding the finest forwards in the game. Leading the discourse was Harry Kane, a player who never truly found favour with Real Madrid’s sports management.

Their reservations rested on two crucial factors: the hefty price tag associated with the forward and the club’s different objectives for the summer of 2024.

Given the circumstances during the summer transfer window, the emergence of the second name this summer, Mbappe, failed to garner significant consideration as well.

This is because Florentino Perez and Jose Angel Sanchez minutely oversee the club’s finances, and they did not want to jeopardize the overall balance that could have hampered the club’s objectives for next year.

As for Mbappe, given that there was nothing spent on a new forward this summer, the funds are in place for his acquisition come 2024.