Karim Benzema has discussed the transfer rumours suggesting Erling Haaland could move to Real Madrid, insisting that a different striker gets linked with the club "every year".
Madrid are reportedly planning a big-money swoop for Haaland in the summer, with the Borussia Dortmund star also attracting attention from a number of other top European clubs after a stunning start to his career at Westfalenstadion.
Blancos captain Sergio Ramos welcomed the prospect of Haaland's arrival at Santiago Bernabeu last week, but Benzema gave a sharp response when asked if he shares his team-mate's opinion on the young forward.
What's been said?
"How am I going to talk about a player who is not at our club? What Sergio [Ramos] said the other day was Sergio’s thoughts," Benzema told a press conference ahead of Madrid's Champions League clash with Atalanta on Tuesday.
"I have been here for a long time and every year we talk about strikers who could score goals for Real Madrid.
"Haaland is a young player who scores a lot of goals at his club. That’s all. He has to work hard to help his team.
"And if one day he has the chance to come to Madrid, and if he does want to, he would join us. That’s it."
What did Ramos say about Haaland?
Ramos has expressed his belief that Haaland would be easier for Madrid to sign than Paris Saint-Germain talisman Kylian Mbappe, but also admits he would take both at the Bernabeu if it were financially possible.
"Haaland or Mbappe if I were a coach? I would like to have both of them, but a coach does not sign," the Madrid defender said on Twitch.
"Perhaps, due to the circumstances and the current situation, today I think it would be a little easier to sign Haaland.
"It would never be bad to reinforce Madrid with a 9 like Haaland, who has something that we do not have: speed, hunger, height ... Mbappe has it too, of course, but it would be much easier today to come to terms with Haaland."
Haaland's meteoric rise at Dortmund
Dortmund snapped Haaland up from Red Bull Salzburg for just €20 million (£17m/$24m) in January 2020, having seen him prove himself in the Champions League group stages for the Austrian club.
The 20-year-old has since taken his game to far greater heights, scoring 47 goals in his first 48 games for BVB to help the team compete for trophies on both domestic and European fronts.
It has been reported that Haaland is now being valued in excess of €80m (£69m/$95m), with the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, PSG, Juventus and Barcelona being credited with an interest in his services alongside Madrid.