According to The Guardian journalist Ed Aarons, Chelsea are starting to show an interest in signing Al-Ittihad striker Karim Benzema during the winter transfer window.
Benzema is keen on returning to European football in the current window and Aarons reveals that his former club Lyon are trying to structure a deal to reunite with him.
However, the Ligue 1 outfit are not alone in the transfer pursuit and Chelsea are now showing an interest in bringing the world-class striker to the Premier League.
Loan deal
Chelsea have lacked the presence of a genuine goalscoring striker in the squad since Diego Costa. They have signed plenty of centre-forwards over the last few years, but none of them have been consistent. It has been a similar theme this campaign with Nicolas Jackson being guilty of squandering several clear-cut chances.
The Blues are currently on the look out for a young striker with huge potential, but they may not afford one this winter due to Financial Fair Play restrictions. This could urge them to consider a loan deal for Benzema if he is prepared to accept a huge pay-cut of almost 90% on his annual wages of £86 million in Saudi Arabia.
Benzema is a proven world-class striker. He scored a stunning 31 times for Real Madrid last season before his unexpected move to Saudi. He has added another 12 goals for Al-Ittihad, but the team have been disappointing with their results and are currently 25 points behind Al-Hilal, who are cruising at the top of the league.
This could be a part of the reason before Benzema’s growing unhappiness at Al-Ittihad. Chelsea are not doing much better either, but they would be a lucrative destination for him compared to Lyon, who are surprisingly in the relegation zone in Ligue 1. Benzema would be a clear upgrade on Jackson and Armando Broja, and could help Chelsea at least qualify for Europe next season. London rivals Arsenal could be Chelsea’s main competitors for Benzema if they enter the race.
