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Real Madrid topped the 200 million Euros mark in their summer spending with another big name purchase, Lyon’s striker, Karim Benzema. Lyon agreed to a 35 million Euro’s offer from Real with performance clauses in the deal that might bring it up to 41 million.
Benzema has yet to agree his terms but this will probably be settled in the next few days. Benzema joins Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Valencia’s Raul Albiol as Real’s new players for 2009-2010. Benzema’s arrival leaves Real with an overload of forwards, as Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Klaas Jan Huntelaar are mentioned as the players who will leave the team. Gonzalo Higuain and Raul will also battle for their place in Real’s attack, and Pellegrini will surely have a few headaches when he has to pick his lineup in the coming season.
Benzema played 112 league games for Lyon, scoring 43 goals, but has become a full time starter only in the past two seasons. He has scored 37 goals in 72 games these last two seasons which made him one of the most coveted players this summer in Europe before being snatched up by Real.