According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Manchester United could make a surprise loan approach for Al-Ittihad striker Karim Benzema in the current transfer window.
The Frenchman is one of the best strikers in history and he is currently contemplating a return to European football. Benzema has missed recent training sessions for Al-Ittihad and Fichajes claim that he could be on the move with Man United and former clubs Lyon and Real Madrid interested in signing him on a short-term loan.
United are looking for a new centre-forward this month and Ten Hag believes Benzema would be a valuable reinforcement to bolster the first-team squad and provide internal competition to Rasmus Hojlund for the remainder of the campaign.
World-class star
Benzema is undoubtedly a world-class striker. He netted 31 times for Madrid in the previous season and had the opportunity to continue with them by signing a new contract. However, he decided to move to the Saudi Pro League last summer after being handed a staggering salary of £86 million per season at Al-Ittihad.
The former Lyon graduate has been impressive for the Saudi giants with 12 goals and 3 assists in all competitions, but the results have not gone in their favour. The league holders are currently 7th in the table, already 25 points behind current leaders Al-Hilal. Hence, we are not surprised that Benzema is unhappy at the club.
Benzema is now eyeing a return to European football and he could be tempted to join United, who remain an attractive destination despite their inconsistent league form. Hojlund has started to find his feet in the Premier League lately, but having Benzema in their ranks could improve their chances of making the top 4.
The club are currently 8 points behind the final Champions League qualification spot, but they have another 17 games in the season to make up ground. Bringing in Benzema could improve their chances of scoring more regularly. United are currently one of the lowest scorers in the division. A loan deal may rely on Benzema accepting a huge salary reduction of almost 90%.
