Transfer Rumours Unfair on in-Form Real Madrid Striker Karim Benzema

Poor old Karim Benzema can't seem to wriggle out of the gossip columns.

Whatever the French striker does, he continues to be linked with an exit from Real Madrid.

And he's done a lot lately.

There's an argument to be made that, since the beginning of October, he has been Los Blancos' outstanding player, which is quite something considering the form Cristiano Ronaldo has been in this season.

OK, that might be taking it a bit far, but they've been close.

In his last 11 appearances for Real Madrid, Benzema has found the back of the net 11 times, including a brace at Anfield and the winner in the return fixture against Liverpool at the Bernabeu.

Surprisingly, he didn't score in the Copa del Rey match against UE Cornella, nor in the Champions League fixture with Basel—although his assist for Ronaldo in Switzerland was worthy of a goal.

During his current purple patch he was named La Liga's Player of the Month for October, per Marca, and he has been rightly praised by Carlo Ancelotti.

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"Benzema is enjoying a good run of form, I don't know if it's the best of his career, but it is his best since I have been here," the Italian said in November in quotes carried on Real Madrid's official website.

"I really like how he works for the team; he is a really important player for us."

Ronaldo has scored 13 in his last 11 Madrid appearances, two more than Benzema, although the Portuguese forward has complemented those goals with eight assists.

Perhaps the man who is the favourite to pick up the Ballon d'Or next month edges this battle with the Frenchman, but only just.

Still, the point stands that it is surprising to see Madrid's No. 9 continually linked with a move away from the Spanish capital.

Anthony Chapman of The Express said Manchester United have received a HUGE—yes, huge in capital letters—boost in their pursuit of Benzema, with the article suggesting Madrid want to replace him with Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller, freeing up Louis van Gaal’s side to make a bid.

Following suit, the Daily Star's Bruce Archer claimed Liverpool and Arsenal are also keen on him—who wouldn't be?

Elsewhere, the Liverpool Echo and the Manchester Evening News have also dedicated some time to tracking the story.

There was a time when Benzema stories may have carried credibility.

For several years he was in and out of the Madrid side because there wasn't enough room for him and Gonzalo Higuain to be paired together.

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However, with Higuain shipped off to Napoli, Benzema has established himself as a regular in a Madrid side which has just recorded 16 wins in a row—breaking a club record in the win over Malaga on Saturday.

With Javier Hernandez at the club on loan from Manchester United acting as back-up, there's now a clear hierarchy among Madrid's two strikers.

Besides, Benzema is not just about goals, either.

He only scored twice in his first nine matches this season, but while there were small amounts of fan unrest with his lack of goal scoring, he was still working well for the team.

Unselfish at times, he plays a key role in allowing the likes of Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and, more recently, James Rodriguez to find space in the final third and score goals.

When Real Madrid played Cornella in the Copa del Rey at the end of October, Benzema was one of the few regulars to start the match.

On Tuesday night, in the return leg, he'll be one of several players wrapped in cotton wool.

And not because Madrid are planning to sell him; because he's vital to their plans to dominate the world this season.