After 14 years in the Spanish capital, Real Madrid have announced legendary striker Karim Benzema will leave the club this summer.
The Frenchman's contract expires at the end of the month and it's being widely reported that he will join Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad. The 35-year-old, who has made 657 appearances for the La Liga giants, has scored 353 goals during his Madrid career, meaning they face a difficult task to try and source a suitable replacement.
Inevitably, Madrid are almost certain to be linked with Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, who has already been identified as Erik ten Hag's top target to strengthen Manchester United's forward options ahead of the summer transfer window. The England captain has established himself as one of the best strikers on the planet in recent years and is not short on suitors.
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His Spurs contract is due to expire in 12 months time, meaning there is a chance they could choose to cash in on the 29-year-old and avoid running the risk of losing him for free in a year's time. But at the same time United are operating under the assumption that the Londoners will not let him leave this summer.
United, by all accounts, are the only English club likely to be capable of signing Kane this summer. They are desperate to recruit a world-class striker and they would be able to offer him Champions League football - something that Spurs have been unable to secure for next season.
However, confirmation of Benzema's impending departure from the Bernabeu means Madrid are almost certain to be on the hunt for a new goal-getter to replace him and Kane is certain to be linked with a move to the European heavyweights. They are, of course, capable of attracting the game's biggest stars and the prospect of playing for Madrid is a hard opportunity for anyone to turn down.
Kane, though, has the all-time Premier League goals record in his sights. The Spurs ace, who plundered 30 league goals this season, has scored 213 times in the division in his career, meaning he is just 47 goals away from equalling Alan Shearer's long-standing record of 260.
It is a record that will likely be playing on Kane's mind and one he will have ambitions of surpassing. Almost two years ago, the striker was the subject of transfer interest from Manchester City and, for a time, looked set to make the move, only to remain in north London.
At the time, he was quizzed about his future by Gary Neville in a special episode of The Overlap, in which the latter asked Kane if he had any intentions of testing himself abroad.
Kane said: "Of course there's always the option of maybe moving abroad one day but I don't think that really interests me in the near future. I'd be lying if I said I didn't (want the Premier League record).
"I think if I get to the end and I haven't broken that record and the Wayne Rooney England record then I'd probably be a little disappointed in myself."
Having moved even closer to matching Shearer's record since making that admission, Kane is perhaps even more unlikely to be interested in making the switch to Spain or anywhere else in Europe. Though he turns 30 next month, Kane is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net, highlighted by his tally of 32 goals in all competitions this season in a Spurs side that consistently underperformed.
With all of that in mind United should still fancy their chances of getting a deal done, even if Spurs are almost certain to play hardball. You can never say never in football, but Kane may have already quashed any hopes Madrid might have.
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