United hit double transfer trouble

Stuart Mathieson

June 15, 2009

Karim Benzema

UNITED'S efforts to splash the £80m Cristiano Ronaldo cash have suffered a double blow.

Lyon's Karim Benzema and David Villa of Valencia are on the Premier League champion's radar but the Reds look to be heading up a cul-de-sac with both strikers.

Villa is now on the verge of becoming Ronaldo's new Real Madrid team-mate at the Bernabeu, although rivals Barcelona claim to be holding "open talks" with the talented striker too.

While pursuit of the prolific Spanish hitman looks dead for both United and Chelsea, Sir Alex Ferguson may have to wait to land 21-year-old French scorer Benzema.

Both Lyon and the player's agent say the striker will remain at the Stade Gerland, his hometown club, until next summer.

However, the French club haven't shut the door completely with Bernard Lacombe, Lyon's transfers advisor, saying: "We want to keep Karim for another season.

"Although you can never say never in football, there is a lot of talk about nothing at the moment.

"Lyon's fax machine is certainly not overheating at the moment."

Benzema's agent Karim Djaziri says the young hitman, who scored 23 goals in all competitions this season, wants to remain in France until after next summer's World Cup in South Africa.

"Lyon don't need liquid assets and Karim wants to stay until the 2010 World Cup. A departure is not on the agenda," he said.

United will have more luck locally. The Reds' most likely first import of the summer transfer window will be Wigan's Antonio Valencia.

Having made a verbal £16m bid for the Ecuadorian winger, United this week will pursue the capture officially.

Who should United go for? Have your say.

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I SAW JORDI CRUYFF PLAY, ANYWHERE BUT MANCHESTER (15/06/2009 at 09:00)

No one want to go to the self-professed 'biggest club in the world'? And now, the end is near...

seasider, blackpool (15/06/2009 at 09:02)

Villa will stay in Spain.
And it'll take a huge bid to prise Benzema away from Lyon. SAF should bite the bullet though. He's perfect for United, and perfect for the PL.
A bit of cover for Hargreaves wouldn't go amiss either.

One of the "Paranoid supporters", Essex (15/06/2009 at 09:08)

Yes-these are the players we want to see at the Theatre of dreams!We simply MUST land one of the two of them-we need to be able to show Madrid that as the biggest club in the world we can compete with them and that they aren't the only team who can buy big and land the best players!!
I'm getting fed up of us being linked with Valencia for 16/17 million-crazy money for a Wigan player!No-one else is interested in him-why are we paying this type of money?
The bitters just got an established England international in Barry for £12m!!!Madness!!

Tom Erik Andersen (15/06/2009 at 09:20)

United will get neither Villa nor Benzema. The obviously don´t want to come here, and I personally think we should go for players who really get a buzz when United are calling. And I am a bit worried over Valencia. A good player, but international matches for Ecuador on the other side of the globe is not what we need when the schedule is tight. Look for brits, at least europeans. Personally I would like to see Huntelaar coming.

tooth&claw, manchester (15/06/2009 at 09:20)

Well, you say that Benzema and Villa are targets but you don't actually know that. Same with Ribery. So, rather than just giving us regurgitated speculation from the United-hating London press, could we actually have some news? Is it too much to ask that the Manchester Evening News gather some actual news about the club that makes Manchester famous?

tooth&claw, manchester (15/06/2009 at 09:23)

Paranoid, as you seem to be a City fan, what do you think of City's purchase of Barry? I think it's short sighted and you are paying way over the odds, particularly in his salary package. For billionaires you don't seem very good at buying players.

Gilly, Belgium (15/06/2009 at 09:41)

Trouble is neither want to move to the uk !

Giggsy's chest rug! (15/06/2009 at 10:06)

its very difficult to decide which players Sir Alex is actually looking to bring to the club, but i do have confidence that he has a few targets in mind.

Alexis Sanchez: Excellent young prospect, wouldnt cost silly money and someone who would most certainly wear the NO.7 shirt. Sergio Augero would be the better option but will we pay 40Mill for a player who is unproven in the Prem?

Karim Benzema: Fergie should pull out all the stops to sign this lad, he is exactly the type of striker we require. Would cost 40Mill + but we need to re-place Ronaldo's goals somewhere!

Luis Valencia: Not a bad player, but in terms of quality not much better than Park or Nani (who although has had a bad season, i expect him to do the business this year!) Think this is pretty much a done deal.

David Villa: Madrid Bound!

David Silva: Sign him up! Excellent player, the type that fits well with our style of play, would also be nice to sign a player the bin dippers are after!

Free Red, Manchester (15/06/2009 at 10:28)

One of the "Paranoid supporters", Essex. What you have to keep in mind is that the bar has been raised on transfer fees. The increased revenue clubs now get has made £16/17million a good premiership price for a good player. You could double or even treble that for an excellent player. Real Madrid make more money than United due to United having to service the glazers debt. They could spend £200million on players knowing that ticket and Merchandise sales plus TV revenue will more than cover the cost over the next few years. In comparison United have to sink that much money into the glazers debt repayments. It's alright them saying they are comfortable withy the debt but it is a ball and chain that will continue to weigh on the clubs finances whilst ever the glazers are in control. There were no sound footballing reasons why Ronaldo left, just financial ones. All Real Madrid are doing is what United fans would want United to do if it wasn't for the glazer debt. The sooner they sell up and go the better for all of us.

salfordite, Salford (15/06/2009 at 10:44)

I thought the most interesting quote in the article was " Although you can never say never in football, there is a lot of talk about nothing at the moment. Says it all really!

Jack Thorley Trafford, Timperley (15/06/2009 at 10:48)

When a club sells its best player it sends out the wrong message to would be transfer targets!

Is It Me? (15/06/2009 at 10:50)

Why buy anybody? We still have plenty of players to go at and still do well.If need be,have a year out while we bring the youngsters through,as they will never learn how to fit in if they never get a game!It must be very depressing being a young player at United knowing they are going to splash out a fortune to fill YOUR position with a name player who is not much better than you! Good job Ferguson didn't take this attitude in the 90's when Beckham and Co.broke through!

reddevil4ever, India (15/06/2009 at 11:06)

One of the "Paranoid supporters", Essex..........
You are not a United supporter...period....we dont care a damn for what you think.

bobbydazzler (15/06/2009 at 11:13)

Free red i am sure you are aware of my anti glazier feeling but should they go then they will be replaced by something similar .

manc abroad, OT (15/06/2009 at 11:14)

United are going to be linked to every high profile player, even if they have no desire to join United.

Looks like Carlos is off to City, because of the usual dithering by Gill, i.e. paid too much for Berba as he tried to get the price down and now Carlos. City are reportedly going to pay him 140k per week. A lot more than he is on at OT.

So we could have to replace two outstanding talents with the 80 million.

How much of the 80 million will United get after all costs and agents fees ?

joey (15/06/2009 at 11:27)

Free Red : There's a fine line between sense and nonsense, and you seem to cross it time and time again. You say "There were no sound footballing reasons why Ronaldo left, just financial ones" . Where have you been for the last three years? Ronaldo has been plotting his own exit since 2006, and the club has been doing all it can to keep him. What else could one do apart from try and get the best fee for him possible? We did this to Tottenham last season, Westham, Bayern, Porto and Sporting the season before that, Tottenham the season preceding that, Everton, Leeds, Fulham etc. How you can still find a way to blame the Glazers for Ronaldo's families' two decade old allegiance to Madrid amazes me.

And then there are a whole load of fans stating that the club should put out statements saying SAF has £100 million to spend over the next two months. How ludicrous is that? We consistently overpay for our targets, doing so would only exacerbate this problem. That said, I've noticed so many vocal posters here who only seem to have emerged on the news of Ronaldo's sale. I'll disregard their comments on that basis.

IS IT REALLY 33 YEARS, TAMESIDE (15/06/2009 at 11:30)

what has this story got to do with free red.

boyfromburrenway, exile czech republic (15/06/2009 at 11:30)

villa has no intrest in leaving spain, he said it so many times...benzema has said countless times he doesnt fancy england....not so sure if he still feels that way but recently said he wont move for 12 months...

im saying ETO+TOURE + SANCHESZ+ VALENCIA

swap NANI for VELOSSO

kitkat, gibson park campbell manucho all out

giggs , scholes nev.....carling cup

macheda de laet , well beck tosis prmoted to regular first team squad

re discover the real ANDERSON and BERBA and were 90% there

BALL AND BAT, ALL OVER (15/06/2009 at 11:38)

Ive said it once and ill say it again luca toni from bayern,even arry redknapp is casing him at spuds quality striker 31 but quality through and through.....knows the game only too we and stands at 6 foot 5.

tooth&claw, manchester (15/06/2009 at 11:45)

Manc abroad, as we didn't initiate the transfer we shouldn't need to pay any agents. We may have to pay SCP a 'development fee' as seems to be the norm these days. I doubt whether Ronaldo or his agents will get any money from us as they asked for the transfer. So, I'd say we'd get maybe £77m onto the books.

As for Tevez being worth £140K, he isn't and it would be stupid to pay someone at United that amount because all of the better players would immediately ask for a payrise.

Pedro Lupu (15/06/2009 at 11:46)

So what about looking to Real Madrid and players like Mohammed Diarra, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben?
Diarra is a massive and powerful midfielder, Sneijder is the best offensive midfielder from Holland and can play both on the left and behind the striker(s) and even though Robben has been a bit injury prone he is proven as a top PL winger.
Also if Yaya Toure is available he could be a very good alternative to Diarra.
Let Tevez go, he will never be satified with the role he will be given at United.
And bring in Valencia who I think will be a hit.
Benzema could be difficult to land until next summer, but it could also be just tactics from Aulas to rise the bids from rich clubs...

skh,pj, Malaysia (15/06/2009 at 11:52)

Let us buy van Nistelrooy,Forlan or Rossi or all three!

edinburgh red, edinburgh (15/06/2009 at 11:55)

Mohammed Diarra was a player that intrested us a while ago, does he still get a game at real or has he been injured, schneider is agood player also, toure from barca is stalling on his contract also a decent player and can play in tha back 4 if needed

mufcmart55, UK (15/06/2009 at 12:11)

Here we go then, my summer 09 prediction at Old Trafford:-

Valencia will come in, probably by the end of the week. This will be followed by someone who nobody will want like another third choice young goalkeeper to replace Kuszcak. The summer will tick on with Fergie trying his best to get Benzema in again, the striker he has wanted for a couple of years now but who refuses to move until after the world cup. This will mean we end the summer with Valencia arriving, a new "hot prospect" goalkeeper, and Tevez signing on a permanent deal which will give us enough to get through next season and still challenge for the league and Champions league. At the end of August, fans will grow angry with the Glazers, believing they are being greedy with their money etc, etc. Fergie will respond to this with the classic comments "Hargreaves is back and Wes Brown is back so they are like two new signings for us".

Next summer Fergie will get his man in Benzema, and will then have a decision to make as to who will be sold eventually out of Tevez and Berbatov. By this time Anderson, Nani, Evans, Rafael, Macheda and Possebon will begin to mature into the players everyone hoped they would become and all will be looking well again.

You heard it here first, lol, watch we will sign Ribery next week and my theory goes down the pan. To be honest i really want to see Benzema at Old Trafford, he is the perfect goalscoring striker we so desperately need and the closest thing out there to Torres. If we get him this season i will be over the moon, anyone else will simply not be good enough i.e Valencia, or what we need i.e Ribery.

Steve, Glossop (15/06/2009 at 12:32)

Everyone should keep the faith. In lieu of Ronaldo's inevitable move our Chief Euro Scout Martin Ferguson will have spent the last 12months creating dossiers on targets which Fergie & Gill will have reached decisions on & initiated moves. Haven't they?!!

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