According to a report by "Marca", Zidane is hunting for a striker who carries the qualities of Karim Benzema, a player he has long admired. He once called him the best striker in the history of French football, drawing on their years together at Real Madrid.
Zidane handed Benzema the Ballon d'Or in 2022 and told "L'Equipe": "I do not like to say he is the best, as everyone has their own choice. For me, it is Karim, because I worked with him and I know his value".
France have never been short of attacking talent down the years. Just Fontaine, Jean-Pierre Papin, Thierry Henry and David Trezeguet all starred up front. Yet Giroud's departure left a void nobody has convincingly filled.
Zidane angers Mbappe and searches for his replacement
Across the last two major tournaments under Didier Deschamps, Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup, the former boss was forced to push Kylian Mbappe into an out-and-out striker role, despite his natural home being on the left wing.
From his very first press conference as France manager, Zidane made it clear he prefers Mbappe on the left, the position he rates as his best. He said the same when naming his squad for the November international break, before the player picked up physical problems that will keep him out against Italy.
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French press reports claim the switch from striker to winger left the Real Madrid star unhappy, breeding a quiet tension between player and manager.
In that first squad, Zidane called up Esteban Lepaul, the only specialist out-and-out striker among his options. The reward came off the back of a standout campaign with Rennes, where he topped the Ligue 1 scoring charts with 21 goals.
Zidane said of the player: "He has different qualities from what we usually see. I like this type of player in tight spaces, and he can be useful against teams that defend in a compact block. He is a player who interests me and I want to follow him closely".
His movement, his link-up between the lines, his goalscoring instinct and his variety of finishes made Lepaul one of the closest fits to Benzema's style.
He started both matches against Belgium and came off the bench against Turkey. But he did not score and did not do enough to win Zidane over. The manager wanted to keep assessing him, only for an ankle injury to rule him out of the new squad.
Dembele and Marcus Thuram: options lost to injuries
Against Turkey and Italy, Zidane turned to Ousmane Dembele as a false nine, the role he also fills at Paris Saint-Germain under Luis Enrique.
The France manager explained his thinking: "He moves a lot and constantly leaves his position, and that is what we are looking for. Some people look a lot at goals, but I see things in a different way".
Injury struck again. Dembele missed the second squad, costing Zidane an attacking option built on movement and positional fluidity.
Marcus Thuram also returned to the fold, back after missing Deschamps' 2026 World Cup squad. Strong form with Inter Milan earned the recall, six goals and two assists late in the season while Lautaro Martinez was sidelined.
Thuram brings something different to Benzema, leaning on attacking transitions rather than build-up play, but Zidane wanted to track him closely. Then injury forced him out of the camp too.
Eli Junior Kroupi: the new arrival in Zidane's plans
With Thuram gone, Zidane turned to Eli Junior Kroupi, 20, promoting him from the France under-21s as the headline new face in his squad.
Kroupi had already turned down Portugal and Ivory Coast to commit his future to France, and he arrives off a striking season with Bournemouth in the Premier League, scoring 13 goals.
He often operates as a second striker behind Evanilson, standing out for his movement between the lines, his ability to drive past defenders and a fierce right foot.
Zidane weighed up his chances against Italy: "We will see whether he starts in one of the two matches. He is with us, and we know what he has been through, as he did not play his first match until 25 October due to a foot injury, but he is available now. We know his potential, and at this stage he is here with us and ready to play".
Some forecasts point to Bradley Barcola leading the line against Italy, while Zidane also waits on the return of Hugo Ekitike. The search goes on for the striker who delivers his attacking solution, the one who might just echo Benzema.
