Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has emerged as a top target for Chelsea, who could look to complete a deal for the Frenchman this month.
According to The Mirror, the Blues are odds-on favourites to land the 31-year-old’s signature during the January transfer window, as Maurizio Sarri looks to bring in attacking reinforcements.
Benzema has been one of the most lethal centre-forwards in Europe over the last decade at the Santiago Bernabeu and his record of 260 career goals is impressive, especially given the fact he has spent much of that period in the shadow of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese star left Madrid during the summer which has seen Benzema take up the role as the club’s main striker this season, but he has been unable to fill the boots of his former teammate, with only seven La Liga goals to his name.
That being said, the France international remains a world-class attacker with the experience and quality to add a new dimension to any team across European football, which is why Chelsea have expressed their interest.
At the moment Sarri has only Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata to call upon upfront and neither man has proved that they can lead the line for the Blues effectively, with Eden Hazard shouldering the goalscoring burden for the team over the first half of the 2018-19 campaign.
Benzema could slot into Chelsea’s starting XI seamlessly and the prospect of him linking up with Hazard in the attack is a tantalising one, but it remains to be seen whether or not Madrid will sell one of their most prized assets at this stage of the season.
However, with three weeks left for both clubs to do business in the winter market, this story could quickly develop, as Madrid also look to bring in reinforcements in their bid to salvage what has been a mediocre year for the club so far.
The Mirror reports that the bookies have suspended betting on Benzema being lured to Stamford Bridge and if the Blues can indeed pull off this stunning transfer it would represent a huge coup for the club as they bid for silverware over the next few months.
