Benzema is a 'mix of Ronaldo & Zidane' & Ballon d'Or win was overdue, says Real Madrid president Perez

• Benzema wins first Ballon d'Or
• Perez believes the striker deserves award
• Ignores Mbappe transfer debate

WHAT HAPPENED? The Real Madrid president shared his thoughts on Benzema winning the Ballon d'Or for the first time after scoring 44 goals in 46 games for Real Madrid last season. Perez believes the French striker has similar attributes to Zidane and Ronaldo, both of whom were signed by him during the first Galacticos era at Santiago Bernabeu.

WHAT THEY SAID: "I'm happy because at last Karim Benzema has his due as the best player in the world, which is what he has been for a few years. He has deserved it for a long time because he has been the best for three or four years," Perez told Cadena Ser after the ceremony in Paris.

The Madrid chief added: "He's a 9 that's a mix of Ronaldo Nazario and Zinedine Zidane. He's a 9 that does those two jobs at the same time. He moves forward like Zidane did and shoots on goal like Ronaldo did.''

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Perez was also quizzed about a possible transfer for Kylian Mbappe once again amid fresh reports that he wants to leave Paris Saint-Germain in January. "I didn't even read it. We already had a good summer so that's out of the question,'' he said. ''Real Madrid only looks at the players they have and we are delighted with them. We are not doing badly with the number of young players we have. We have a very promising future.''

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR BENZEMA? After picking up his first Ballon d'Or, Benzema will look to add to his tally of goals in La Liga when Real Madrid face Elche on Wednesday.