da doce： Florentino Perez was not expecting to have to sign a new No.9 this summer, so the Frenchman's shock switch has caused chaos at the Bernabeu

da luck： When Real Madrid announced Karim Benzema's departure on Sunday, it was, in a strange way, both unsurprising and shocking. Rumours had been swirling for days that the French forward had accepted a money-spinning offer from Al-Ittihad, and yet it was still a stunning development.

And not just because the current Ballon d'Or holder is set to join former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia this summer. Benzema has effectively dropped a bombshell on Santiago Bernabeu and left the club's transfer plans in tatters.

The fallout from this particular deal is likely to be colossal, with the potential to significantly alter the shape of the European landscape.

Getty Images'It was really unexpected'

Madrid were rightly quick to lavish praise on one of the greatest players ever to wear their famous white shirt. "Karim Benzema's career at Real Madrid has been a shining example of conduct and professionalism, and he has represented the values of our club," Sunday's official statement read. "Karim Benzema has earned the right to decide his future."

Nobody connected with the club with dispute that latter claim, but there's no denying that Benzema has put Madrid in a rather awkward – and wholly unexpected – position. "Benzema told us about his decision to leave the club this morning (Sunday)," coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters. "It was really unexpected. We cannot be happy but we must respect him."

And they always will. As the club said, the Bernabeu will forever be Benzema's "home". However, they're obviously a little peeved by the nature of his departure. Real fully expected Benzema to extend his stay for a further season, thus giving them ample time to line up a replacement.

AdvertisementGettyBring forward the Mbappe move?

Madrid were, of course, already meant to have brought in another superstar French forward by this point. Benzema's compatriot Kylian Mbappe was supposed to arrive in the Spanish capital last year, but instead performed a dramatic U-turn and elected to remain at Paris Saint-Germain.

To say that Florentino Perez & Co. were taken aback by that decision would be an understatement, but so strong remains their desire to sign the World Cup winner that they are willing to forgive and forget that very public humiliation and welcome him to the Bernabeu with open arms. The feeling was that they would sign at least one Benzema understudy this summer before going all out to finally land Mbappe in 2024. Benzema's sudden exit, though, has changed everything.

There is already talk that Perez could now try to sign Mbappe this summer, and one can understand why. Benzema's goals will need to be replaced if they are to have any chance of reclaiming either the Liga or Champions League title next season, and they presently don't have anyone on their books capable of filling that void.

It's not like they can just go out and sign the most prolific No.9 on the planet. Erling Haaland may yet end up at the Bernabeu at some point in the future but he's certainly not going anywhere this summer and Manchester City are trying to tie him down to a new deal anyway.

In that sense, targeting Mbappe makes more sense. He is a very different player, of course, a winger rather than a striker, but he is one of the greatest goalscorers in the game today. He's proven that at every level. As Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone pointed out in an interview with, "Real Madrid always signs the best." And they have undeniably developed a useful habit of getting their way, sooner or later, one way or another.

Getty'I will honour my contract'

However, signing Mbappe this summer looks complicated in the extreme. If he'd joined Madrid last year, he would have done so on a free transfer; this time around, though, they would have to pay a record-breaking fee for his services, given he still has one year left on his PSG contract.

And that's presuming that the French club's Qatari owners could somehow be persuaded to part company with a player that is even more important to their brand than ever before, with Lionel Messi having already left Paris, and Neymar tipped to follow him out the door.

The will of the player will be key, though. High-profile players have a way of getting what they want these days, so if Mbappe pushes for a move, he could well make it happen. However, after picking up a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 Player of the Year award last week, he insisted that he will "honour" his contract with PSG.

So, it's by no means a given that Mbappe will want to throw his hometown club into total disarray by demanding a move this summer.

Getty Images'We will sign strikers'

An even greater obstacle to any proposed deal is Madrid's budget. The feeling was that the club would spend around €200 million (£172m/$214m) in this summer's transfer window, the majority of which would go on Jude Bellingham. The most in-demand midfielder on the market is set to arrive for approximately €120m (£106/$132m) and it presently appears unlikely that Madrid would be able to sign Mbappe in the same window from a purely financial perspective.

It's not as if they're getting any money for Benzema, after all, while the club has also just made a monumental loss on Eden Hazard, with the Belgian's contract cancelled by mutual consent four years after being bought from Chelsea for €100m (£88m/$110m).

Marco Asensio and Mariano are also leaving, of course, but while the wage bill will be greatly reduced by the exodus of forwards, Madrid are seriously short on numbers in attack. They won't only need a guaranteed goalscorer this summer, they'll require some strength in depth, quality players capable of filling in for Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.

"We will sign strikers," Ancelotti vowed after Sunday evening's 1-1 draw with Athletic Club. "We have time to think about what we should do." But not that much, truth be told. Most clubs draw up their list of transfer targets well before the end of the season. The very best actually have some deals finalised by the time the window opens.

Madrid, though, are going to be playing catch-up, facing a race against time to both find and sign a worthy heir to Benzema's throne.