Real Madrid Transfer News: Karim Benzema Linked to Alvaro Morata Rumours

Juventus could reportedly look to sign Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema if Los Blancos decide to exercise their buyback clause on Alvaro Morata. 

Real can buy the Spanish striker back from Juventus for €30 million (£23.7 million) this summer having sold him to the Italian giants for €20 million (£15.8 million) back in July 2014, per the Sun's Duncan Wright.

Juve are clearly not eager to let Morata, 23, go back to the Bernabeu as he is a very valuable part of their squad, and club CEO Giuseppe Marotta recently admitted as much, via GianlucaDiMarzio.com's David Amoyal: "His buyback is a sword of Damocles that we must deal with."

Alessandro Di Marco/Associated Press

However, per the Di Marzio report, Real are keen to sign him back for €30 million (£23.7 million) as they believe they could then sell him on for €50 million (£39.5 million), with Arsenal one of the key clubs interested in the striker.

If such a move does indeed go ahead, Juve would reportedly then make a move for Benzema.

Real, though, would surely be unlikely to sell Benzema, 28, especially if they are simply planning to buy Morata back to move him on and are not looking to him as a long-term replacement for the Frenchman.

Benzema remains a vital part of manager Zinedine Zidane's squad, an essential cog in Real's attacking machine, per football writer Graham Ruthven:

Though arguably less talented than the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, Benzema's impact is valuable for the fact that he makes those around him play better.

Equally, he is still one of the most effective genuine strikers in Europe and has netted 20 times in 21 La Liga appearances this season, per WhoScored.com. 

A Benzema departure to Juve might make sense if Real were planning to keep Morata, and there is certainly an argument that he would be an excellent purchase for his former club.

He has made major strides at Juve over the last two seasons and was a key part of their run to the Champions League final last season—scoring five times in the knockout stages.

He also showed against Bayern Munich recently in Europe that he is more than just a goalscorer as he surged through the Bundesliga giants' defence to set up Juan Cuadrado, per BT Sport Football:

Morata could become a superstar back at his former club, but it seems they do not see him as a long-term Benzema replacement, nor does he want to leave the Old Lady, per Di Marzio's Nima Tavallaey: "I would like to stay with Juventus for many many years, I would really like it. I can only say that I enjoy Turin as if it were my own home, but these are choices that aren't only up to me."

Real face the prospect of a two-window transfer ban in the near future, and the upcoming summer is likely to be one of major upheaval at the Bernabeu—with Bleacher Report's Dean Jones indicating even Ronaldo could be on the move:

If they can pull off their proposed plan of making a major profit on Morata, then it will represent a smart piece of business on their part.

But it seems unlikely Real could then also be tempted to sell Benzema given his importance at the club.