The main debate around Real Madrid this summer has been whether they need another striker to back up Karim Benzema, but so far Carlo Ancelotti seems unmoved by the suggestion.
Since the beginning of their summer, Luka Jovic and Borja Mayoral have both left the club but without a replacement forward coming through the door. In preseason, Ancelotti opted to use Eden Hazard as an unconventional centre-forward.
Speaking ahead of their European Super Cup final with Eintracht Frankfurt, Ancelotti explained that he was happy with their depth. Sport carried his comments.
“We have many forwards, a good list with Benzema, Mariano, Asensio, Rodrygo, Vinicius, Asensio… When you miss the best forward in the world, it affects the team.”
“Alternatives we have, but replacing Benzema is impossible, there is not one player in the world that can substitute him. If he is constipated, we will adapt.”
They find themselves in a not dissimilar situation to the one that Barcelona struggled to broach in recent years. In the same way that the Blaugrana could not to find an alternative to Lionel Messi, Real Madrid are now almost as dependent on Benzema. Ancelotti appears to be rejecting the idea that single forward can help to make up for his contribution and prefers to use a different system or figure altogether when Benzema is not around.
