Benzema hints at Reds ambition

January 09, 2008

LYON'S rising star Karim Benzema has revealed he would relish a move to Manchester United.

The 20-year-old striker has scored 21 goals in 33 matches this season, including two for France - a return that has reportedly drawn firm interest from European champions AC Milan.

Benzema has attempted to play down suggestions of an imminent departure from Lyon as they seek a seventh consecutive French title.

He claimed previously that he would only leave after helping Les Gones to the Champions League title, but he has admitted his head would be turned by an offer from the likes of the Old Trafford club.

"Milan make me dream," he told Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello sport.

"Also because Ronaldo is there - he's my idol. He's from another planet.

"But I also love Juve, Inter and Manchester United - the big clubs. What's important is to win.

"I would leave Lyon only to continue to win and when I also feel ready mentally."

Would you like to see Benzema at United? Have your say.

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Billy S (09/01/2008 at 16:09)

If this is true save your money on berba and get this guy he is lightning, and different to rooney and tevez.

A Mancunian, Manchester (09/01/2008 at 16:27)

Come on Fergie, get your passport and chequebook out now before he heads elsewhere. This guy looks like a star in the making.

vij, london (09/01/2008 at 16:29)

GO GET HIM FERGIE HE LL MAKE THIS STAR STUDDED TEAM THE BEST IN EUROPE BIG,TALL FAST AND STRONG YOU NAME IT AND HES GOT ALL THE ATTRIBUTES OF A PROPER CENTRE FORWARD. HES OUR ANSWER TO TORRES BERBA AND DROGBA PLEASE PLEASE BUY HIM

Derby Red, Derby (09/01/2008 at 16:41)

This kid's special

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MJ_9YTcjxtk&feature=related

Abebe Hailu From Ethiopia!, NOC (09/01/2008 at 16:55)

He is brellian!

JP (09/01/2008 at 17:07)

He is having a great season no doubt about that but needs far more time before he is worth the silly money being talked about. Its also highly unlikely he'd be coming in January, maybe the summer but not before, particularly when you factor in the Champions League tie we have coming up.

I also like the way he name checks all of the big European clubs and professes love, admiration and the raging horn for each in turn. I wonder if he actually gave these quotes or if it was his spokesperson......

Red Lou, Malta (09/01/2008 at 17:39)

He said the same thing about his ambition to join Milan, Real and Juventus. But as he first wants to help Lyon win the Champions League, most probably he'll won't leave the French side for any team.

manu xpert (09/01/2008 at 17:48)

billy s] u r spot on this guy is pure class i have been singing his praise on these pages for a long time.he is the type of striker we need not berbertov and whats good about him also is his age so has time to adapt to our way of playing.i would rather see us buy benzema for 30m then berb at 20m.

Powerhouse, Norway (09/01/2008 at 17:50)

Yes yes yes!

I have a dream and hope the dream come true..

Benzema is the one player we are missing.

If we have 25 mill pounds available then use it on this guy. A lot better then spending it on a fading 27 year old Berbatov!!

Benzema will be a world class player.

Think about a forward line containing Rooney, Tevez, Benzema and Ronaldo for the next 5 years... :-)

I cross my fingers..

Redtothebones, Mauritius (09/01/2008 at 17:50)

I watch Lyon very often on French TV and there is no doubt that Benzema is a top drawer prospect. I say prospect because he's still only nineteen I think. He's got great ball skills, is a good dribbler, very good scorer with a good shot in either foot and a very hard worker as well. Having said that I do not think it will be easy to get him from Lyon because their president, Mr Aulas, can be a real b...... when it comes to selling his players. The famous Essien saga is but an example. Last summer a Brazilian footballer flatly refused to consider a move to Lyon because Mr Aulas " IS A BAD PRESIDENT WHO DOES NOT ALLOW HIS GOOD PLAYERS TO MOVE ON! " It would take a really good offer - beyond 25M - to make Mr Aulas do business.

p.j, coventry (09/01/2008 at 18:00)

would be a great addition to the squad and the age is perfect, ferge likes signing young players

cashonly, Nimes (09/01/2008 at 18:05)

Benzema is considered by the French to be the best player in the country at the moment. A young player with real star quality. He would be a fantastic addition to the Utd. squad.

Frank Old Trafford (09/01/2008 at 19:12)

We've had some debates on here recently about the quality of our academy and the quality of our scouts. Well, what about the Lyon academy?

They sell world class players every summer for pots of money and up pop more new stars from the reserves. Now that's what I call a good scouting system and academy.

"Scouting" players that you have to pay 15 mill plus for is esay, that's called reading the Sun!

RANDYRED (09/01/2008 at 19:19)

benzema is on his way watch this space.
And citeh wanted to sign him ,not a chance.

Bigmouth strikes again, Manchester (09/01/2008 at 19:23)

This is the player we need, I hope we get him in the summer. If we do with a bit of luck plus a new right back, we will come really close to repeating our treble of 99. With Foster,Vidic,Evra,Hargreaves,Ronaldo,Anderson,Nani,Rooney and Tevez, Benzema would make a great bunch of players at a great age.

July (09/01/2008 at 19:26)

No really just let him go !! He is selfish and has got the "big head". I saw him playing yeah he has talent for football, but french football he is not ready for the great football of England.

de Meester, netherlands (09/01/2008 at 19:51)

The guy is SHARP!!!
His age is also a plus-factor!!!

Shaun McDougall, Glasgow (09/01/2008 at 21:17)

Would definately take Benzema over Berbatov any day of the week. I think he fits more into our fluid, fast game than Berbatov

RedGazza, London (10/01/2008 at 00:35)

30Mil for Berbatov when Benzema would cost us 20+ Saha... it would be a steal.

Roy (10/01/2008 at 08:44)

Milan looks like his first choice followed by three others. That's a sub-20% interest in Man U then and if it is a hint, it is subtle.

Will be interesting to see if in the next two CL matches he matches the reports.

choices_made, wokingham (10/01/2008 at 10:16)

i heard a rumour (tribal football, which i know is normally wrong), that utd have had a 20million bid turned down and they want nearer 25.
would be the same sort of cost as berbatov but in my eyes much more worth the money as he is younger, has a lot more pace and is an otu and out goal scorer, which is what we lack.

Roy (10/01/2008 at 10:46)

Frank, couldn't agree more. But why stop at Lyon, Sporting Lisbon is another example.

When was the last time Utd turned out a top class striker from the academy? Rossi comes to mind but have we benefited?

Liverpool used to be great: first it uncovered Rush and then Fowler. Now Wenger is the master. Just look at the latest crop of Nicklas Bentner and Emmanuel Adebayor. Ten years ago it was Anelka.

75m profit and 20-30m blown on a striker. In a language that Man U and its owners understand: it is not just satisfying to develop your own, it makes patent financial sense.

The Trawler, Stockport (10/01/2008 at 11:12)

Don't doubt that Benzema looks a very exciting prospect but whoever said Berbatov was 'fading' obviously didn't see Spurs v Arsenal last night. Granted, it wasn't the Arsenal first team but Berbatov's touch, vision, imagination and inventiveness is unreal. He sometimes comes across as surly, disinterested and unwilling to put the work in but I think it's his determination to play his own game at his own pace that gives him this image. Sheringham and Cantona didn't do a whole lot of running because they had other players to do that work for them, but they had that extra creativeness and guile that other forwards lack. Berbatov's in a similar mould, and I can't begin to imagine how many goals he'd create for us with the runs and movement Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez bring to the team. I'd be happy with Benzema, but there's no way we should let Berbatov slip for a second time. 27 or not, the guy is sheer class.

OohAah (10/01/2008 at 11:38)

Frank Old Trafford: "They sell world class players every summer for pots of money and up pop more new stars from the reserves. Now that's what I call a good scouting system and academy."

No, that's what I call spending pots of money each season on said academy, also investing lots of time and attention on their youth development. Same goes for Sporting Lisbon, they're doing a roaring trade out of it. In today's climate a youngster only needs a good season before the world and its dog think they're worth £10m+...just good business sense for these clubs really.

Our academy is pretty lacking at present, resting on the laurels of one great team. I think we need to start putting the same amount of attention to it as we used to because the current new-breeds rarely come up to scratch. When they do (Rossi), we never play them and then flog them for peanuts!

jerzy (10/01/2008 at 11:48)

looks a top class prospect but i think Berbatov is more the style of player we need and moreover its time to bring a little more experience into our forward line; we have youth, pace and power in abundance its the guile thats lacking.
Watched Berbatov play last night and imagined him combining with Rooney,Ronaldo and Tevez rather than his current 'mates' they would be unstoppable.
He,'s very much in the Cantona mould; the intelligence,touch,movement and arrogance that marks out a very special and typically Utd talent.

if he's not available Gudjonson would do a similar job at a budget price.

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