Coming from Fabrizio Romano this morning One time Ballon D’or winner Karim Benzema has finally signed a 6 Months loan contract with this shocking Premier League Club
Karim Benzema is ready to put Manchester United and Chelsea on alert as he considers abandoning his disappointing spell in the Saudi Pro League.
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Benzema reportedly battled with his now-former manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, who was fired in November.
The 2022 Ballon d’Or is, understandably, receiving interest from a number of high-profile Premier League clubs looking to recruit a striker during the remaining days of the January transfer window.
United used the loan market 12 months ago, when Erik ten Hag recruited Wout Weghorst to fill the vacuum left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure.
Despite the increased funding supplied by new minority stakeholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, United have limited cash again this month, and a move for Benzema has been considered.
Ten Hag’s team has scored only 24 goals in 21 games this season, and with Anthony Martial banned by his manager, finding a new forward is becoming a more important issue.
Karim Benzema scored 15 goals in 24 appearances for Al Ittihad.
Karim Benzema scored 15 goals in 24 appearances for Al Ittihad. (Image: Getty)
The situation is similar at Chelsea, where, after spending more than £1 billion on new players over the last 18 months, Mauricio Pochettino has yet to be presented with a prolific forward.
Summer signings Christopher Nkunku had to wait until last month to make his Premier League debut and has already suffered a fitness setback, while Nicolas Jackson’s play has been inconsistent since joining from Villarreal.
The Senegalese international is currently on AFCON duty, while the club’s only other registered striker, Armando Broja, will be free to depart if Chelsea can find a replacement and meet their £50 million valuation.
Arsenal, too, is looking for a new striker, and a loan transfer for Benzema could be appealing, considering that Ivan Toney is unlikely to leave Brentford until the summer, after making an apparent U-turn on Wednesday.
For their side, Al Ittihad are unwilling to lose their premium asset, who has two and a half years left on his present deal, this month.
However, Jordan Henderson’s victory in his battle of wills with Al Ettifaq ahead of his upcoming move to Ajax is likely to persuade Benzema that he can force a return to a top European club within the next two weeks.
