Totally Bogus Rumor of the Day

By: Inara | December 16th, 2007

Sir Alex Ferguson is a huge fan of Karim Benzema (who isn’t?). If you believe English footie tabloids (because they never lie), Manchester United are apparently prepared to offer either a flat fee of €32m or €9m + Mikael Silvestre and Louis Saha for his signature.

Let’s all laugh together. Because we all know it’s Benzema’s dream to be the back up of Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez. Hey, do you think he’d be allowed to play in Carling Cup matches? And of course Lyon need rejects like Saha and Silvestre to get further in their Champions League campaign.

Listen Fergie, even if you offered €32 and Saha and Silvestre, you still wouldn’t get Benzema. I suggest you read the memo. And stop being so damn greedy. You have enough young super talents as it is.

Category: Player News and Rumors, Transfers

Tags: Karim Benzema, Lyon, Manchester United, Player News and Rumors, Transfers

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• Evilo |  December 16th, 2007 at 9:16 am

  
  
  

  Benzema is better than Rooney and Tevez. He wouldn’t be the backup.

  People should realize that save for Ibra and Drogba, possibly Ruud, Benzema would start over any striker in the world.

  He’s the closest thing to the prime Ronaldo (the brazilian one).

  Posted from United States

  

• Inara |  December 16th, 2007 at 9:23 am

  
  
  

  Benzema better than Rooney? I believe that you would be burned at the stake in England for that blasphemy. Though I do agree with you that in terms of talent (not “big league” experience), Benzema is a better long term prospect.

  In all honesty, no matter how talented Benzema is, I don’t see him dislodging Alex Ferguson’s pet striker. Maybe Tevez, but given the amount of money United spent on Tevez, I don’t see it happening either. Which is why I don’t really believe MU would attempt at getting Benzema. None of those players deserves to be benched.

  I could actually see Benzema at Milan though. What a coup that would be. Replace Ronaldo with a better version of himself. And Milan is one of three clubs who would spend that amount of money on such a young player (the other two being Real and MU). But again, I don’t want to see it happen for another two years or so.

  Posted from United States

  

• orlondow |  December 16th, 2007 at 10:09 am

  
  
  

  Too bad Benzema doesn’t want to play in England (cf. http://www.sofoot.com/article-101795-benzema-s-il-y-a-un-peu-de-suspense-tant-mieux-sofoot.html near the end)…

  Posted from United States

  

• Inara |  December 16th, 2007 at 12:14 pm

  
  
  

  Evilo, I was listening to the Guardian’s podcast, and Paul Doyle was raving about Benzema being the new Ronaldo. :O

  You’ve been saying Benzema is like a young Ronaldo for a long time now, I see others have caught on.

  Also, Paul Doyle HATES Vercoutre. Can’t blame him really.

  Posted from United States

  

• Marielle |  December 16th, 2007 at 12:21 pm

  
  
  

  Inara you will find this interesting. France Football just released voting for French Player of hte Year. Ribery won and Henry was runner up but look at who was #3!

  Le classement :
  1. Franck RIBÉRY (Bayern Munich) : 126 points
  2. Thierry HENRY (FC Barcelone) : 76 pts
  3. Karim BENZEMA (Lyon) : 63 pts
  4. Florent MALOUDA (Chelsea) : 60 pts
  5. Eric ABIDAL (FC Barcelone) : 47 pts
  6. Samir NASRI (Marseille) : 28 pts
  7. Claude MAKELELE (Chelsea) : 15 pts
  8. William GALLAS (Arsenal) : 12 pts
  9. Nicolas ANELKA (Bolton) : 10 pts
  Jérôme LEROY (Rennes)
  Philippe MEXÈS (AS Roma)
  12. Jérémy TOULALAN (Lyon) : 7 pts
  Lilian THURAM (FC Barcelone)
  14. Ulrich RAMÉ (Bordeaux) : 5 pts
  15. Hatem BEN ARFA (Lyon : 3 pts
  Julien ESCUDÉ (FC Séville)
  Sidney GOVOU (Lyon)
  David TREZEGUET (Juventus de Turin)
  19. Grégory COUPET (Lyon) : 2 pts
  Olivier DACOURT (Inter Milan)
  21. Patrice EVRA (Manchester United) : 1 pt
  Sébastien FREY (Fiorentina)
  Steve MANDANDA (Marseille)
  Robert PIRES (Villarreal)
  Sébastien PUYGRENIER (Nancy)

  Posted from United States

  

• Magnusson |  December 16th, 2007 at 2:34 pm

  
  
  

  I agree with Evilo, Benzema’s better than Rooney. In England? the kid would be playing with those guys.

  Posted from France

  

• Corey |  December 16th, 2007 at 2:55 pm

  
  
  

  Benzema is alot better then Rooney, but Benzema should never play in England, he would waste his talent

  Posted from United States

  

• Storm |  December 16th, 2007 at 3:03 pm

  
  
  

  Although a very talented player Rooney is a complete thug as a human being and absolutely not the type company we would want Benzema keeping. So no thank you very much Sir Alex you keep your cheque book. And Abidal 47 points?

  Posted from France

  

• Inara |  December 16th, 2007 at 4:21 pm

  
  
  

  I don’t want Benzema in England, ever. Players over there are always drinking and getting caught at strip clubs. In fact, I don’t want him in Italy either since all the footballers over there date nude models. He can go to Spain as long as he doesn’t party with Robinho.

  Not that I’m trying to control Benzema’s personal life or anything…

  Posted from United States

  

• Ara |  December 16th, 2007 at 5:34 pm

  
  
  

  HERE IS THE THING WITH ENGLAND, CAN ANY OF YOU PICTURE ZIDANE (ARGUABLY THE BEST PLAYER IN RECENT TIMES) PLAYING IN THE PREMIERE LEAGUE…………….. NO. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A WASTE. THERE IS NO STYLE OR FINESSE IN THE EPL. GIRRARD, LAMPARD, ANY OTHER OF THE EPL’S TOP ENGLISH PLAYERS MOST LIKELY WOULD NOT LAST OUTSIDE OF THE LEAGUE (IN SPAIN, OR ITALY)

  Posted from United States

  

• Francis |  December 16th, 2007 at 10:10 pm

  
  
  

  French players have a tendancy to adapt very well to the EPL, because French Football is fairly physical. More then SerieA or La Liga, but definitely not as much as the Premiership.

  Still, i don’t see Benzema going anywhere in England, except Arsenal because Arsenal is a French magnet(go Arsene!)

  Posted from Canada

  

• jaxx |  December 17th, 2007 at 12:33 am

  
  
  

  Mercedes Benz is better than Renault Roo.

  Posted from United States

  

• Evilo |  December 17th, 2007 at 2:20 am

  
  
  

  Yes Benzema is better than Rooney. By a fair margin. And not only in the future, but right now.

  Rooney is so overrated. He doesn’t score much, he gets more red cards than trophies each season and is among the main reasons why England fail.

  Posted from France

  

• Magnusson |  December 17th, 2007 at 3:17 pm

  
  
  

  The thing is all english players are overrated. The only one that had the guts to get out of his home was beckham and he proved everybody wrong. They’re all overpriced and overrated. Do you think Jermaine Defoe could play at Lyon? Hell no.
  And Inara don’t worry for Karim, he’s a muslim who doesn’t drink and dates one of his sister’s friends. He ain’t gonna go with the nude model type. French football hasn’t gone the WAG way yet. They still date women who can be mothers and stuff, not just shopaholic sluts, no offense to the WAg fans out there.

  Posted from France

  

• Inara |  December 17th, 2007 at 6:40 pm

  
  
  

  That’s just a relief to know all that. Benzema dating his sister’s friend? Too cute!

  Is he a practicing Muslim like Nasri or a nonpracticing one like Zidane? I’ve never seen Benzema raise his hands to pray, though I’ve seen others like Abidal, Ribery, Nasri, Ziani, etc do it.

  Posted from United States

  

• Evilo |  December 17th, 2007 at 11:40 pm

  
  
  

  Magnusson : the 98 generation was full of WAGs though remember.

  Posted from United States

  

• Magnusson |  December 18th, 2007 at 3:09 am

  
  
  

  Yeah they had Wags ans stuff. But still not to the level of the english ones. I mean they had the good taste of not seeking the limelight.
  And Inara, I don’t know if he’s practicing but he lives with his parents who practice so I don’t think he’s be coming home drunk and stuff

  Posted from France

  

• Inara |  December 18th, 2007 at 7:34 pm

  
  
  

  I don’t know where I read this, but apparently Benzema’s closest friends in football are Wiltord, Govou, Abidal, and Lamine Diatta! Besides Diatta, the other players are a lot older, and judging from his comments, he’s not into crazy socializing in his free time either.

  I love it when super talents are level headed. Same with Nasri, he seems like such a calm, super nice guy. But I don’t get that feeling with Ben Arfa for some reason.

  Posted from United States

  

• guignol |  December 19th, 2007 at 2:29 am

  
  
  

  in the latest paper issue of “lyon people” they interviewed HBA and he seemed very nice, mature, levelheaded. unfortunately the interview’s not on their online version, even though the lead story about the wives of the present candidates for mayor is… but google “barthologue” and you’ll get a good list of personal interest interviews.

  Posted from France

  

• Inara |  December 19th, 2007 at 7:02 am

  
  
  

  I’m glad to hear that about Ben Arfa. He hasn’t been portrayed in the best way by the media (it doesn’t help that his Clairefontaine documentary made him seem really spoiled). For all of Houllier’s meddling, I think putting Ben Arfa in the reserves really did put some humility in him.

  Posted from United States

  

• ronan |  December 20th, 2007 at 10:07 am

  
  
  

  rooney and benzema in the same team with juninho playing behind them-heaven

  Posted from United States

  

• Marcel |  January 7th, 2008 at 6:36 am

  
  
  

  Hmm… while i agree Benzema may be the better goalscorer overall, Rooney has an all-round game, his passing is alot sharper and ambitious for example. That said, they’re both quite similar players, strong players able to run with the ball and sccare defenders. I pick Rooney on the basis of his passing and link-up play. It will be interesting to see them come head to head in CL though, for sure.

  Posted from United Kingdom

  

Comments are closed