Berlin: Karim Benzema has no doubt Kylian Mbappe will play for Real Madrid and says he enjoys being part of a team trying to redevelop under Carlo Ancelotti.
Madrid reportedly saw three bids rejected by Paris Saint-Germain for the France star during the transfer window.
Yet with Mbappe’s contract expiring at the end of the season and no sign of an extension, the 22-year-old will be free to speak with foreign clubs over a possible free transfer from January onwards.
France team-mate Benzema says it is just a matter of time until Mbappe becomes a Madrid player, telling L’Equipe: “He said it himself. He wants something more. He will play at Real Madrid one day. I don’t know when, but he’ll come. It’s a question of time.”
Benzema believes Madrid are going through a transition under head coach Ancelotti, with established stars such as Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane having left while youngsters including Eduardo Camavinga and Vinicius Junior take on greater prominence in the first team.
“Real Madrid are still the best club in the world,” he said. “Reconstruction or not, it’s a new football, a new generation,new players. We have to invest in the youngsters so they become great players one day.
“I’m here to help them. I speak a lot with them. I want to improve them.”
It is Benzema, however, who remains the cornerstone of the side. With eight goals and seven assists in just seven La Liga games in 2021-22,the striker has more than double the direct goal involvements of any other player in the division.
His form in the past year has led to calls for him to win the Ballon d’Or, the award returning this year after being suspended for 2020,with former Madrid star Luis Figo this week backing the 33-year-oldfor the prize.
While he cannot deny it is on his mind, Benzema says it is important not to become too focused on personal goals at the expense of helping the team.
“We have to think about it when you have ambition, but it doesn’t have to be an obsession that makes you focus on yourself, telling yourself you have to shine individually,” he said.
“If you have to win it, it’s because of who you are, what you show on the pitch, what you do.” — dpa
