Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema will end all transfer speculation by signing a new contract with the club before the summer transfer deadline.
That’s according to French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche (via the Sunday Express’ Joe Short), which also linked the former Olympique Lyonnais man with longtime suitors Arsenal.
There has been little transfer chatter involving the 29-year-old this summer, unlike previous transfer windows. Catalan outlet Diario Gol did suggest he could be sold to fund a move for AS Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe in July (h/t The Sun’s Sam Morgan). But those rumours never amounted to anything.
It’s gone mostly quiet since then, and this latest report―and more importantly, the official announcement―should silence all chatter.
Le Journal du Dimanche reported that Benzema turned down a move to China in January in order to continue his long affiliation with Los Blancos. As shared by Fox Soccer, he has already started the 2017-18 season on the right foot:
Benzema has been Real’s main striker for years and has proved a perfect fit in the Spanish capital. Flanked by star scorers like Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, he has carved out a niche as a great passer, hold-up player and presence inside the box.
He can score goals if needed―and does so frequently―but provides a lot more value by creating for others with his ability to play with his back to goal.
Per Football Tweets, he has enjoyed quite the career:
Despite his excellent numbers coming off the bench, Alvaro Morata became the latest forward to fail at pushing Benzema out of the starting XI last year, and the Spaniard now plies his trade in England for Chelsea.
Mbappe is the flavour of the month, but the 18-year-old is far too inexperienced to be the first-choice striker for a club like Real. If the France international ends up making the move to Spain, it will likely be as an understudy to Benzema at first.
Even if Mbappe is brought in as the immediate starter, club president Florentino Perez would likely ask Benzema to stick around as an insurance policy and super-sub. Given his long career with the club already—he joined Real in 2009—there’s a good chance he’d accept such a role.
Either way, a transfer in the near future seems all but impossible, especially if Benzema puts pen to paper on a new deal.