Real Karim Benzema Chelsea transfer talks are disclosed, leading to a surprise January deal.
Chelsea is expecting a much busier second half of the January transfer window, as Mauricio Pochettino has not yet had any major acquisitions finalized. However, there have also been withdrawals and returns. Ian Maatsen has gone on loan to Borussia Dortmund, and Andrey Santos and David Datro Fofana have been called back from their respective loan periods at Union Berlin and Nottingham Forest. The latter has temporarily moved to Burnley until the end of the season.
Given Christopher Nkunku’s injury, signing a striker in January is still a real option with a higher chance of a deal getting done. The Blues haven’t set a specific goal, but they’ve been connected to both Victor Osimhen and Ivan Toney on multiple occasions; it seems doubtful that either will join them this month.
Links to Karim Benzema have intensified as Chelsea is in dire need of a new option. The player’s future at Al-Ittihad is highly questionable as he was left out of his team’s Dubai training after missing several sessions the week before. Another player who relocated to Saudi Arabia in the summer, Jordan Henderson, has also been linked to a move abroad. Chelsea has been mentioned as a potential destination for the former Liverpool captain.
Considering that Benzema only moved to the Middle East six months ago, it would be shocking if he signed a contract with Chelsea this month. However, Chelsea will undoubtedly be in the running, while short-term options such as Manchester United and Arsenal are being discussed.
As Nicolas Jackson is scheduled to play for Senegal at the AFCON, Pochettino will only have Armando Broja as his natural no. 9 option as Nkunku continues to recover from an injury.
football.london says: “Given his undoubted quality, bringing Benzema to Stamford Bridge would be quite the coup, yet realistically there are a number of things hindering this. First off, even if it seems like a wise decision at this moment, it would undoubtedly impede the development of Nkunku, Broja, and Jackson—who appear to be the Blues’ best three prospects—while they are all available.
“Even though this is not the first time he has skipped training, it appears highly improbable that the France international will make a radical decision like leaving quickly. Man United is said to be a very interested party, thus moving to the Premier League seems probable, but doing so with Chelsea is thought to be nearly difficult.”
To be honest, we didn’t discuss names, he acknowledged. We are not currently discussing bringing players. Here in the manager’s office, Behdad [Eghbali] was spotted with Paul [Winstanley] and Laurence [Stewart.”
The Chelsea manager typically declines to respond to inquiries of that nature, so his admission that no targets had even been mentioned made his response surprising. The England international is still regarded as a major target for January, though, and negotiations have now been confirmed in light of this.
According to ESPN, Ajax manager John Van ‘t Schip stated: “Henderson is the subject of serious discussions.” He still needs to make a few arrangements in Saudi Arabia. It seems like a good fit. It’s no secret that kind of player is exactly what we need. That could help other guys.”
“Chelsea potentially missing out on Henderson is not really a massive blow considering his age and profile,” writes football.london. The midfield spot for the Blues may use some reinforcements due to Conor Gallagher’s unclear future and injuries, but bringing in the former Liverpool player always seemed like a strange choice.
“Chelsea has chosen to sign younger talent in recent windows despite his Premier League experience, and breaking that mould for an ex-Liverpool captain is just not worth it.” His qualities definitely fit the Dutch behemoths considerably better than Chelsea, and Ajax are going through a very transitional moment.”
