France striker Karim Benzema was presented as a Real Madrid player tonight after completing his €41 million transfer from Lyon.

The 21-year-old passed a medical this morning having already agreed a six-year deal with the Bernabeu club and was unveiled as Madrid's latest 'Galactico' tonight. Benzema, who landed in Madrid at around 11am local time this morning, successfully completed his medical at the Hospital Sanitas La Moraleja ahead of his presentation.

"I'm absolutely delighted to become a Real Madrid player, the best club in the world," Benzema said tonight. "I'm delighted to be able to play for the same club as two of my idols played for, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo. I consider Ronaldo the best player in the world, he is an inspiration for me. I don't know if some day I will get to his level, but I try to imitate what he does on the pitch."

I'm delighted to be able to play for the same club as two of my idols played for, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo,
Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.

Like Ronaldo, Zidane established himself as a Real Madrid legend during his time at the club before retiring from the game in 2006. The former FIFA World Player of the Year is now back at Madrid as an advisor to president Florentino Perez, but Benzema revealed it was not Zidane who played the biggest role in his "dream" move to Madrid, but rather Perez.

"Zidane did not play a key role in the signing, the most important person was Florentino Perez," said Benzema, who had been linked to the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Inter Milan before opting for Madrid. "Florentino spoke to me about the team and the project that he wanted to create. I wanted to play at Real Madrid anyway so he didn't have to convince me of hardly anything.

"Real Madrid are an excellent club. Since I was 14 or 15 my dream was to play at Real Madrid. The emotions that I had when I entered the dressing room were very strong and this is why I kissed the Madrid badge so many times (during his presentation)," he added.

The France international will cost Madrid an initial €35 million, rising to €41 million dependent on performances, and will be the fourth new arrival to be unveiled by the Spanish giants since Florentino Perez returned to the presidency at the start of June.

In good company
Kaka was the first to be presented last Tuesday following his move from AC Milan, then came former Valencia defender Raul Albiol last Thursday, before world-record signing Cristiano Ronaldo took centre stage on Monday evening in front of an estimated 90,000 fans at the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid's medical chief Carlos Diez told the club's official website this morning: "The player is in peak condition to play sport at the highest level. He has arrived in very good shape after the summer."

Benzema came through the ranks at Lyon and established himself as one of the hottest properties in Europe in the 2007/08 season with 31 goals in 51 games, a streak that saw him named Ligue 1 player of the year as well as topping the league's scoring charts.

The last campaign was less impressive for both club and player, as Lyon ended the season without the Ligue 1 title for the first time in eight years, but Benzema nevertheless scored 23 goals in all competitions - an average of a goal every other game.