Liverpool Transfer News: Karim Benzema Indicates Plan to Stay at Real Madrid

Karim Benzema has revealed he intends to remain at Real Madrid, halting an audacious bid from Liverpool, according to reports.

The French international spoke to French station Telefoot in an interview that was publicised by AS, as reported by Dermot Corrigan of ESPNFC.com: "I am here for the moment. We will see if I stay for my whole career but, for me, Madrid is the best club in the world. There is nothing higher. I have been playing at Madrid for five years, which shows that I am not bad as a footballer."

Liverpool were linked with Benzema in February, per Metro, and were said to be readying a bid "if the club qualify for the Champions League at the end of the season."

This achievement is looking a minimum for Brendan Rodgers' team after the Reds battered Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford and Tottenham suffered defeat to Arsenal. Liverpool are now nine points clear of Spurs having played a game less, but they will drop a place from second if Manchester City manage to win their two games in hand.

Rodgers' strikers have emerged as a key reason for the team's success. Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge have notched 43 goals between them this season, but the manager will need to add further out-and-out goalscorers if the squad qualifies for the Champions League.

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Someone of Benzema's ilk is likely to alter the way Liverpool play and could see the so-called "SAS" broken up. The Madrid forward is a proven entity at all levels of the game and is currently enjoying a run of four goals in six European matches this season, per WhoScored.com.

He acts as the spearhead in an attacking lineup that consists of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, ensuring Benzema is never short of service. His 15 goals in 27 La Liga displays are evidence that he has settled at the Bernabeu, perhaps due to the influence of Zinedine Zidane, as noted by Benzema in Corrigan's report: "Zidane makes me progress every day in every way, We talk about how to approach the games, about concentration… Against Atletico (Madrid), for example, he showed me videos of goals against (Thibaut) Courtois."

Carlo Ancelotti's attacking 4-3-3 formation is dependent on Benzema's size and physicality. His ability to hold the ball, spray it wide and slot passes through to his overlapping colleagues ensures Madrid play with pace across the pitch. As noted by Corrigan after the forward's recent injury, Los Blancos may find it hard to replace his output:

Liverpool's success is best summed up by their link to Benzema. Rodgers could easily facilitate the player in a 4-3-3 formation, although this would see Suarez and Sturridge pushed out wide and Raheem Sterling dropped. As an alternative at the onset of next year's busy schedule, it could prove an extremely shrewd move.

Champions League football will underline Liverpool's ability to lure such players, and it is sure to make them one of the Premier League's most attractive clubs. Rodgers' fast-paced, attacking football is already well on its way to achieving this, suggesting players with the reputation of Benzema will be interested in a move to Merseyside before long.

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