Man United ‘REJECT the chance to sign Karim Benzema over extortionate wage demands’ – as the club fear breaching FFP rules by signing 36-year-old £86m-a-year striker
Man United have turned down the chance to sign Karim Benzema due to ‘exorbitant’ wage demands.
The Red Devils are eighth in the Premier League and have struggled to score goals so far this season.
Yesterday it was revealed that Anthony Martial has been ruled out for 10 weeks following groin surgery, leaving Rasmus Hojlund as their only fit recognized striker.
A possible option for Erik ten Hag was to sign French striker Benzema, who plays in the Saudi Pro League.
However, it has now been reported that United do not want to sign the 36-year-old, who is paid as much as £86 million a year, due to wage demands and fears of breaching FFP rules.
Man United have turned down the chance to sign French striker Karim Benzema this season
The takeover of Sir Jim Ratcliffe has led to a more active approach from United in the transfer window
Benzema switched from Real Madrid to the Saudi Al-Ittihad last summer.
Despite scoring twelve goals in twenty games, his team is in seventh place after poor form.
Earlier this week, Benzema was removed from the selection after returning from holiday seventeen days late.
The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner infuriated his current employers, who expected him to report on January 2 ahead of mid-season training camp. A source close to the club told France 24 that they had not been able to reach him for ten days.
According to Marca, Benzema has been left out of the trip to Dubai by manager Marcelo Gallardo as a result and continues to prepare on his own for the competition’s resumption on February 7.
Anthony Martial will miss ten weeks of action after undergoing surgery to fix a groin problem
News of Martial’s injury will be another concern for Ten Hag after United decided not to renew his £250,000-a-week contract.
This means the Frenchman can leave as a free agent nine years after signing for Monaco in a transfer that made him the most expensive teenager in world football.
Martial cost £36 million, but the deal was worth a whopping £58 million including add-ons. The erratic striker, who was loaned to Sevilla two years ago, scored 90 goals in 317 games in an injury-marred United career.
