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Former Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand has urged the 20-time English champions to make an attempt to sign experienced striker Karim Benzema before the end of the January transfer window.
The Red Devils are open to loan additions this month, and a recent report claimed that Benzema had emerged as a target, with the ex-France international potentially available on loan from Al-Ittihad.The 36-year-old has scored 12 goals and registered five assists in 20 appearances for his Saudi Pro League side this season, having arrived on a free transfer from Real Madrid last summer.
There is currently speculation surrounding Benzema’s future, as he has not linked up with his teammates in Dubai for their training camp.
Man United are said to be unlikely to sign the experienced striker this month despite their lack of options in the final third of the field, with Benzema’s wages believed to be £86m a year.
However, Ferdinand can see the value in bringing in the Frenchman, with the club’s former centre-back claiming that the Red Devils ‘could not say no’ to a player of his ilk.
“That’s just going back to old, what we’ve been doing before. We’ve done it with Cristiano [Ronaldo], we’ve done it with [Radamel] Falcao, we’ve done it with [Edinson] Cavani, we’ve done it with Zlatan [Ibrahimovic],” Ferdinand said on his FIVE YouTube channel.
“Listen, Benzema… how can you say no? How can you say no to that signing? One thing I would say, one person who needs that more than anyone else around right now Rasmus Hojlund.
“Hojlund needs that somebody to look and learn from. I remember when we had Danny Welbeck coming into the first-team and he’s looking up to Cristiano, [Wayne] Rooney, [Carlos] Tevez and those guys.
“Diego Forlan comes in, a young Uruguayan striker, and you’ve got Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ruud van Nistelrooy he’s backing up.
“Chicharito (Javier Hernandez), the same thing, they’re looking on and going: ‘That’s what a real striker is! That is how a true No.9 operates and I’m going to follow that’. Hojlund is looking at himself in the mirror! That’s it.”
Hojlund, who arrived at Old Trafford from Atalanta BC over the summer, has scored seven times in 25 appearances for the Red Devils this season.
The Denmark international has now registered in back-to-back Premier League appearances, but there is a lack of competition in the final third of the field, with Anthony Martial out since the start of December.
Martial also only has a contract at Old Trafford until the end of June, and the Frenchman is widely expected to leave Man United this summer in search of pastures new.
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