Carlo Ancelotti ‘makes PLEA to Real Madrid board to land Harry Kane this summer

Doubts over Karim Benzema’s future has seen Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti urge the board to go all out for Harry Kane, a new report has claimed.

Kane is entering the last year of his deal at Tottenham and is a primary target for Erik ten Hag and Manchester United.

But with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy eager not to sell to a Premier League rival, the door could swing open for Real Madrid – particularly with Ancelotti an admirer.

The Athletic claim that Ancelotti brought up Kane in a senior management meeting on Thursday with Real Madrid ‘accelerating’ plans for a new No 9.

Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema is currently playing coy with his future amid a monster £345million offer to follow in Cristiano Ronaldo’s footsteps and play in Saudi Arabia.

Mail Sport reported this week that Manchester United feel Tottenham’s price for Kane will be £100million – but Real Madrid could intervene to cause a bidding war.

With uncertainty surrounding Spurs’ immediate future and next boss, the Red Devils are not expecting under-pressure Tottenham chairman Levy to agree to sell easily and opportunity knocks if Madrid can convince Kane to follow England team-mate Jude Bellingham, who is close to sealing a switch to Spain.

Much depends on where Benzema decides his future lies.

Benzema is Madrid’s second top scorer of all-time with 353 goals in 647 games and he has said that he is staying and that suggestions he isn’t are simply rumours on the internet.

The Frenchman’s contract in Madrid runs until the summer of 2024 but there remains some talk internally at the prospect that he could pack up and head for the Saudi Pro League, such are the eye-watering sums involved in the offer.

Real Madrid’s summer transfer plans looked to have be thrown into chaos by suggestions emanating from Saudi Arabia that Benzema was leaving the club.

The 35-year-old striker had been expected to sign an automatic 12-month renewal on his contract worth around €24million (£20.6m) a season.

But the player, who has won 25 trophies at Real Madrid, had received a huge offer from Al Ittihad worth €200m (£171.5m) a season with add-ons for promotion the country’s 2030 World Cup bid.

The two-time Asian Champions League winners recently won the Pro League, finishing above Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, and are desperate to capture their own Ballon d’Or winner.