Ousmane Dembele insists Real Madrid will not 'be the same' without Karim Benzema
By Sean Walsh
Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele believes that rivals Real Madrid will be weaker following Karim Benzema's sudden departure.
The reigning Ballon d'Or holder was long expected to sign a new contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, but changed his mind to complete a lucrative move to Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad instead.
After Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus in 2018, Benzema shouldered Los Blancos' scoring load and redefined his selfless style during the latter part of his career.
He leaves Real Madrid as the club's second all-time leading scorer with 354 goals, a tally that is only bettered by Ronaldo's 450.
In an interview with MARCA, Benzema's France teammate Dembele insisted that Real Madrid are going to suffer due to the striker's departure.
"Without Benzema, Real Madrid loses a lot because he is the Ballon d'Or holder and a great player. Real Madrid without Benzema is not the same. It will be a very important loss," Dembele said.
"It will also be a big loss for La Liga, because he is a footballer who scores many goals and gives assists. He's a phenomenal player."
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Benzema was beaten to La Liga's Pichichi Trophy by Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski in his final season in Spain.
Dembele was asked about his relationship with the Polish striker, who only arrived at Barcelona last summer from Bayern Munich.
"He is a great player, he scores many goals. We already knew it from his stage at Bayern. I have a good relationship with him, both on and off the pitch. He is a good person and a phenomenal player," Dembele added.
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