Borja Mayoral is set to be Real Madrid's second first-team striker for the up-coming season.

Real Madrid have ruled out bringing in another striker to deputise for and compete with Benzema.

The Bernabéu club maintains that competition does not improve the Frenchman's game. In fact, it actually heaps too much pressure on him and makes him play worse. That is why they are keen to learn from their Higuaín-Benzema experience and to that end the club scoured the market in search of another Chicharito, but they failed to find a suitable candidate.

That lack of suitable alternatives in the transfer market led Real Madrid to look to its academy, and it was at Valdebebas where they came across a goalscoring talent named Borja Mayoral. His performances towards the end of last season saw him promoted to Zidane's Castilla before going on to lift the European Under-19 Championship with Spain.

"Mayoral is better than Chicharito", say those who have followed his rise through the ranks at Real Madrid's youth set-up. Borja is one of Los Blancos' most-promising young players and the club does not want to jeopardise the promising young 18 year old's development.

With Rafa Benítez's blessing, the club intends to offer Mayoral a contract at Castilla, but allow him to train with the first-team, and call him up to play whenever Benítez needs him. The situation is similar to that of Morata during his first season under Mourinho, when he alternated between the first team and Toril's Castilla side which won promotion to the Second Division.

With Benzema as their undisputed first-choice striker and Mayoral as back-up, Real Madrid have ruled out dipping into the transfer market for another centre-forward, especially given that players like Cristiano, Bale or even Jesé could deputise up front in the Frenchman's absence.