Manchester United Transfer News: Karim Benzema Reportedly Made Top Target

Jose Mourinho will reportedly make Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema his “priority target” in the transfer window when he takes over at Manchester United.  

Mark Ogden of the Independent has stated that Mourinho’s appointment to replace former manager Louis van Gaal will be confirmed soon and that he thinks the French forward is the perfect man to bring goals to the sharp end of the pitch for the Red Devils.

“The France international could line up alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is understood to be close to a move,” added Ogden, who also suggested Benzema is ahead of Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the shortlist of options. Everton’s John Stones and Paris Saint-Germain’s Marquinhos are also noted as targets.

FRANCK FIFE/Getty Images

As relayed by OptaJose earlier this month, the Real striker has just enjoyed the best goalscoring season of his career:

He also worked with Mourinho during the Portuguese's stint as Real's manager. According to Ogden, Benzema “was regarded as a key figure by the manager during his spell at the Bernabeu,” having netted 79 goals in 150 appearances under the illustrious coach.

A potential partnership with Ibrahimovic, who will be a free agent this summer, is certainly something United fans should be excited about. Here is a look at how the two men compared statistically in their respective domestic divisions this season:

	Benzema	Ibrahimovic
Apps (Sub)	26 (1)	29 (2)
Goals	24	38
Assists	7	13
Shots per game	3.6	5
Key passes per game	1.6	1.5
Dribbles per game	0.6	1.2
Aerial duels won per game	0.4	1.4

While there are exciting young options at the top end of the pitch for United in Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, it was clear last term, especially with captain Wayne Rooney dropping into midfield, that a proven goalscorer was needed.

As these numbers from Sky Sports News HQ illustrate, the Red Devils' attacking incision really dried up under Van Gaal:

Benzema has the potential to change that, and it’d be understandable if Mourinho made him a priority acquisition. The Portuguese demands a lot from his forwards, as they need to be physical, hardworking, intelligent and able to put the ball in the back of the net. The 28-year-old is a player who excels in all of those categories.

PHILIPPE MERLE/Getty Images

In fact, he excels so much that it’s tough to imagine Real wanting to part with him. Indeed, Ogden added in his piece that United know they will face “difficulties” in pursuit of the player, with Los Blancos currently negotiating a new deal that’d see the No. 9 pick up a cool £150,000-a-week.

It certainly doesn’t seem as though the player is keen on making a switch at this juncture either, as he posted the following on his Instagram (h/t Bleacher Report UK):

While United have an allure and riches to tap into that few clubs can compete with, forcing Real into moving a player they evidently want to keep would be extremely difficult. Without Benzema in the side, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo would likely fail to have the same influence, and his significance is reflected by the lucrative nature of his reported new contract.

The player will also want to spend as much time as possible at the top during the peak years of his career. He’ll be 29 in December, and while United and Mourinho have a gravitas, they can’t currently afford Benzema the kind of guarantees Real can in terms of challenging for the biggest trophies in the game right now.