Karim Benzema has no intention of joining Manchester City this summer and is reportedly set to extend his stay with Real Madrid.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Real Madrid have nothing to worry about when it comes to the recent links between Manchester City and Karim Benzema. The 33-year-old French forward does not intend to leave Real Madrid in the summer transfer window and is set to sign a renewal with Los Blancos.
Karim Benzema has spent over a decade at Real Madrid, having arrived from Lyon in the summer of 2009. Widely regarded as one of the most promising young forwards in the game at the time, the Frenchman has gone on to fulfil his potential and some at the Spanish club and is currently enjoying his best spell with the Merengues, having exploded since the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo.
To date, Benzema racked up a solid return of 279 goals and 144 assists in 559 appearances for Real Madrid and has been the top scorer for the club in each of the last three seasons. The 33-year-old even made a big return to the French national side and impressed a great deal at UEFA Euro 2020 despite an early exit for Les Bleus.
However, with his current deal with Real Madrid expiring in a little under a year’s time, speculation has been rife about Benzema’s future, especially in the wake of the departure of Sergio Ramos. The French international has even been linked with a big move to Premier League giants Manchester City.
The interest from Manchester City does make sense, considering they are in the market for a long-term replacement for Sergio Aguero. While Benzema would not be such a signing, his arrival and short-term stay could have enabled Pep Guardiola to give Gabriel Jesus even more time to blossom into the kind of world-beating striker that has been envisioned of him, although their top target is Harry Kane.
However, the pursuit of Kane is complicated owing to the astronomical price tag he comes with. As a result, the Premier League champions have had to compile a list of alternatives, which reportedly includes the likes of Joao Felix, Antoine Griezmann and even Real Madrid star Karim Benzema.
Benzema, though, has no intention of leaving Real Madrid anytime soon and is set to extend his stay at the club by a year till the summer of 2023. Furthermore, the veteran forward is also excited by the prospect of linking up with Kylian Mbappe, who has been heavily linked with Real Madrid for a long time. As for Manchester City, they much turn their attention elsewhere to bolster their attack.
