Real Madrid: Why pressure is on Karim Benzema after Cristiano Ronaldo exit

"Decent but not great" and "a tad over-rated".

That was Gary Lineker's verdict on Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema last October. And, although the former England captain's tweet - along with Benzema's angry response ("I'm embarrassed for him") - generated plenty of controversy, it was difficult to argue against Lineker's opinion.

Benzema was in distinctly underwhelming form, going through a run of one goal in 10 games. That drought lasted pretty much the whole season, which saw Benzema register a paltry tally of five league goals in 32 appearances.

Increasingly, Lineker's views were echoed by Real fans, with Benzema regularly subjected to jeers and whistles.

When the end of the season was followed by the departure of coach Zinedine Zidane, who had always been regarded as a zealous protector of his fellow Frenchman, Benzema's future was looking doubtful.

But the transfer window provided a double shock. Not only did Real fail to make a high-profile addition to their forward line despite being linked with Eden Hazard, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar among others, but they also waved goodbye to the iconic Cristiano Ronaldo.