FINALLY DONE: Karim Benzema finally parted ways with Al-Ittihad to sign 2yr deal with Man united on a late transfer deal, Official ongoing now
Karim Benzema has been given a major transfer verdict on Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, with his Al-Ittihad future firmly up in the air. The France international made the switch to Saudi Arabia from Real Madrid in the summer of 2023, joining the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Sadio Mane in making the move to the Middle East.
The 36-year-old has already scored 12 goals for his new club, but he is said to already be looking at an exit after just six months. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Benzema would be omitted from Al-Ittihad’s pre-season training camp in Dubai after already missing a number of sessions.
This sparked a transfer frenzy among a number of clubs in need of a striker, with Benzema seeming available in January as a short-term option. Chelsea are expected to be without Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson for the next few weeks and are therefore searching for a quick fix in the winter window, with Benzema as an option.
Despite welcoming Rasmus Hojlund at the start of the 2023/24 season, United are also on the lookout for an experienced striker to take some weight off his shoulders. Arsenal, meanwhile, have been after a prolific goal scorer since the summer, with the need for one significantly exposed by their last three games, which were all defeats with only one goal being scored.
Therefore, Benzema is certainly an option for all three, with former United and Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov offering his views on each club linked to Benzema. “I’ve seen that Man United may be in the picture for Benzema as well,” he told Betfair. “Someone has told me that maybe they’ll try to see what the situation is. I think Benzema will be an interesting addition to any team. He brings a team goals.
“Let’s see what Man United do in January, but why shouldn’t Man United sign him? He brings experience and goals. He’s been at Real Madrid before so maybe he’s talking to Raphael Varane right now. Asking how training is, how Ten Hag is and what Manchester is like.
“Benzema isn’t happy where he is from what we’ve all read and he just wants to play football. He doesn’t play for the money anymore, he has all the money already so he is an option for Man United. Benzema will want to play in the Champions League and I think he still wants to play regularly. He’s very similar to Cristiano Ronaldo in that respect. He wants to win trophies too.
