Watch out Mbappe! PSG man not Real Madrid's only Benzema alternative

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 14 Mar 2023 15:58 GMT
• 3 min read

Kylian Mbappe continues to flirt with Real Madrid, who's resident French superstar striker Karim Benzema is coming towards the end. But Real Madrid have alternatives to the PSG striker.

Mbappe U-turned on a transfer to Real Madrid last May, signing a two-year contract extension at Paris Saint-Germain that made him the highest paid player of all-time before Cristiano Ronaldo's €200 million-a-year deal with Al-Nassr.

But he has cut a frustrated figure since, despite his 30 goals in 31 games this season, publicly lashing out at having to lead the line and appearing to take aim at Neymar with regards to the Brazilian's off-field behaviour.

READ: Mbappe 'called Real Madrid to ask for transfer' after PSG regrets

Benzema won the Ballon d'Or in October, meanwhile, but at 35 he has never looked so fragile, missing 12 games with injury so far this season.

Real have secured a €72m transfer for Brazilian prodigy Endrick for the summer of 2024 when the Palmeiras striker turns 18, but there could be a fix needed sooner, and Mbappe still has another year on his deal after this season.

Madrid are aware of this difficulty, and have reportedly targeted Tottenham Hotspur's Brazil No.9 Richarlison as well as nascent Benfica and Portugal attacker Goncalo Ramos.

READ: Man Utd told Richarlison would be 'ideal' signing

Richarlison and Ramos, Plans B and C

"[Richarlison] is unhappy with his manager's decisions and it has led him to rethink his future to the point he is back on Real Madrid's radar," Mundo Deportivo report of the Brazilian's recent public criticism of Antonio Conte.

"Thus, his name is now alongside Kylian Mbappe's and Goncalo Ramos' on Real's wish list, the latter, who, since his World Cup performances, looks more and more like a Madrid player."

Richarlison played his best football under Ancelotti at Everton, while Ramos has his 15 goals in 19 Primeira Liga games since his hat-trick, in Cristiano Ronaldo's stead, against Switzerland at the World Cup.

Both would cost significantly less than Mbappe, who, at €143.6m, is the highest-valued player per FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm.