Benzema Will Partner New Signing Jovic Up Front Next Season

Luka Jovic's arrival will not be the end of Karim Benzema as Zinedine Zidane gets ready to go 4-4-2 at Real Madrid next season.

With Real Madrid paying more for Jovic than they have ever paid for a centre-forward in the club's history it could be interpreted as the final curtain for Benzema as he prepares for his 11th season at the club.

But Zidane loves his compatriot. And Florentino Perez, who signed him 10 years ago from Lyon as a 21-year-old, still looks back at that particular deal as one of his best

Last season was one of his most productive for Real Madrid. 'Everyone was below the best apart from Benzema,' said Perez in a radio interview last week.

With those two on his side and having scored 30 goals last season Benzema will survive the arrival of the 21-year-old Serbian international.

Nor is it the case that Madrid have spent £62million on someone who is only going to be on the bench. The club are not in a position to pay so much for substitutes.

The 4-3-3 that Madrid played almost without interruption since Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival in 2009 no longer fits the strengths of the squad and will be replaced next season by a combination of 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2.

There will be times when Benzema or Jovic lead the line in Zidane's new look 4-2-3-1 but there will also be plenty of occasions when the two play together in the 4-4-2.