Real Madrid boss Rafa Benitez has praised star striker Cristiano Ronaldo for his heading abilities.

The Portuguese scores a lot of goals from headers and Benitez says that it is time that the likes of Karim Benzema start to learn from the 30-year-old. Benzema’s future at the Santiago Bernebeu has been under speculation throughout the summer. He has been linked with the Premier League with Arsenal showing tremendous interest. The Frenchman was a marquee signing of current president Florentino Perez and he would not want to sell him at his prime

Benzema’s goals to game ratio has improved in recent seasons but it is still not to the level of Ronaldo.

Benitez has set a 20 goal figure for the striker in the upcoming season. Benzema has scored more than 20 league goals only once during a single campaign. This was achieved during the 2011-12 season when Madrid appeared almost unstoppable. Last season, the striker scored only 15 goals in the league from 29 appearances. The lack of goals to support those scored by Ronaldo was viewed as the main reason for Madrid not lifting any major honour towards the end of the campaign. The arrival of Benitez is expected to make Madrid challengers for the league title.

"Benzema is a top, top player, and one of my ideas is for him to break the 20-25 goal barrier this year.I have high hopes of that happening.As well as Benzema, we have the tools to attack in different ways and with other forwards.Ronaldo, for instance, is an extraordinary header of the ball,” said Benitez about his forwards. At 27 years of age, Benzema is at the prime of his career and can only improve from here on. If he does get sold, it would leave Real short of forwards.