According to Eldesmarque, Tottenham Hotspur are in advanced talks with Real Madrid regarding the potential swap deal involving Harry Kane and Karim Benzema. The Lilywhites have asked the Spanish giants to pay €120 million-plus Benzema to sign top target Kane. However, the Frenchman’s extravagant wage demands could potentially tip the transfer off.
That’s where Chelsea should come into the fray. The Blues could be an excellent suitor for Benzema next summer, and in this article, we will discuss why Frank Lampard should look to hijack Spurs’ move for Benzema.
A reliable goalscorer
Chelsea have appeared lucky with the emergence of Tammy Abraham. The English international looks like the real deal at the moment, having already netted ten goals in twelve matches. However, aside from him, Chelsea lack the presence of a reliable goalscorer, with both Michy Batshuayi and Olivier Giroud struggling with lack of game-time.
Benzema, therefore, would appear as an excellent replacement for both these strikers. The Real Madrid star has shown time and again that he is a reliable goal-scorer during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu. Indeed, Benzema has scored a whopping 230 goals during his ongoing ten-year spell at the club.
More than just a striker
Unlike Giroud, Benzema isn’t just a target-man. As a matter of fact, the Frenchman is one of the most industrious centre forwards in Europe. His excellent work-rate, coupled with his technical prowess helps him play a crucial role in the build-up. He is quite familiar with one-touch football and is capable of rotating possession at a quick rate.
Hence, Benzema, in many ways, can be deemed as a modern number nine. He is, therefore, more likely to fit in with the technically gifted players like Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi at Chelsea.
The experience could be key
One of the biggest assets for Benzema is his vast experience at the highest level of football. As iterated earlier, he has spent more than ten years at Real Madrid, which is quite a difficult thing to do for any professional footballer. He has featured in almost 500 competitive matches for Los Blancos while also winning 81 caps for the French national side.
This rich experience could be key, especially in guiding youngsters Mount, Pulisic and Abraham. Not to mention, Benzema’s extensive experience in the Champions League would improve Chelsea’s chances of doing well in the competition.
A serial winner
Speaking of Champions League, Benzema has won the coveted tournament four times with Real Madrid. He also won La Liga twice and was voted Madrid’s footballer of the year thrice. Additionally, the Frenchman had won four Ligue 1 titles during his time at Olympique Lyonnais. Not to mention, he was France’s footballer of the year, thrice.
So it goes without saying that Benzema is quite familiar with success – something that is synonymous in Chelsea’s motto under Roman Abramovich.
