Real Madrid are ready to offer Arsenal and Chelsea target Karim Benzema a new contract, according to reports.
According to AS, the club want to “express their confidence” in the Frenchman by tying him down at the Bernabeu for the foreseeable future. They claim that Madrid are confident of securing him to a new contract by the end of this campaign, especially as there are no international tournaments this summer.
Benzema, who joined Real Madrid back in 2011 in a deal worth €35 million with the fee rising to as much as €41 million based on certain incentives, is currently under contract with Los Blancos until 2019.
This will be his second extension with the club, having signed a new deal in 2014. AS claim that the contract Madrid are willing to offer Benzema will see his wages rise to a significantly higher amount than the €8 million a year he is currently on.
The new deal will also include a 2 year extension to his current contract which means he will stay at the club until 2021 should he see it out, which will take him past a decade at the Bernabeu and towards the end of his playing career.
Benzema has scored 173 goals in 344 appearances for Real, and is currently the club’s 8th highest scorer of all time. This season, he has picked up 12 goals and 5 assists in 27 appearances but has recently come in for some criticism from the press and fans.
The Frenchman has been booed by his own fans recently and Zinedine Zidane was forced to defend his compatriot’s performance after he came under fire from the local press. Despite this, Madrid clearly value the striker and are keen to tie him down to a new contract.
Benzema has emerged as a target once again for Arsenal while Chelsea are also said to be monitoring his situation given their doubts over Diego Costa’s future at Stamford Bridge beyond this season.
Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian’s owner Shu Yuhui also confirmed that they had made a bid for the Frenchman’s services but the new rules regarding foreign players in the Chinese league meant they had to pull out of deals for him and several other players.
Arsenal were linked heavily with a move for Benzema last summer but the Frenchman himself insisted he was going nowhere and ended up staying at the Bernabeu. The Gunners were reportedly planning another bid for him this summer but it appears Madrid are intent on staving off any interest in the striker.
Chelsea would have no issue matching any fee that Madrid ask for but it all depends on whether or not Diego Costa leaves. If AS are to be believed, they will have to turn their attention elsewhere should Benzema agree a new deal with Los Blancos.