The striker’s goals with almost one hand keep Madrid in the title race but he could be on his way home with his contract ending in 2022
When Karim Benzema left Lyon to join Real Madrid in 2009, they were recently relegated as a major Ligue 1 club.
Laurent Blanc’s brilliant side were in Bordeaux, inspired by expert Yoann Gourcuff, and Marseille were relegated to third place in France after seven seasons after winning the title.
They have been trying to regain the magic they once lost.
Meanwhile, partner Rudi Garcia has cracked down on any of them in recent years. Led by Memphis Depay, they are third in Le Championnat, three points behind leaders Lille with nine games of the campaign remaining.
On Sunday, they visit Paris Saint-Germain, knowing that a repetition of the 1-0 victory they enjoyed in December would change the chances of becoming Ligue 1 champions from real hope. very real.
In Spain, meanwhile, Benzema is doing everything in his power to keep Real Madrid competitive. Now 33, he remains the offensive powerhouse of Los Blancos since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus in 2018.
In each of the previous two campaigns, he has scored 21 goals in La Liga. This season, he is already up to 17 and is an inspiration when Madrid are fighting for silverware at home and abroad.
With their league hopes hung by the balance against Elche last weekend, he scored a header down then a brilliant late winner to turn a 1-0 deficit into a priceless 2-1 win.
He filled a crucial opener in the Champions League against Atalanta as Madrid advanced to the semi-finals and then, wearing the captain’s armor, got a brace in a 3-1 away victory to Celta Vigo Saturday.
His thoughts, however, turn to his future plans. Those at Lyon are hoping to bring him back to his hometown, where he came through the academy and scored 64 goals in 148 times – establishing himself as a world superstar before moving to Spain.
The suggestion that he might one day return to Lyon came true again in January, when his former producer and close relative Karim Djaziri spoke Inside Gones.
“Will Karim Benzema return to Lyon? Yes, I think it will happen, ”he said. “He talks to me regularly and watches every game. And he has not yet visited Groupama Stadium.
“Lyon have everything for Karim. He does not want to come back to Lyon and not have his feet. He is torn between leaving the biggest club in the world and returning to Lyon. It is a question of time. ”
Lyon, meanwhile, have already held informal talks – and it is clear that they want a contract to be reached.
President Jean-Michel Aulas reported RMC Last month: “I know there was contact last year with [sporting director] Juninho. If possible, of course solutions will be found that allow it to do so.
“It would be a dream come true for our supporters but it should not be too late. Why not? It all depends, I think, on Madrid’s results. ”
Perhaps a bigger driving feature for any contract is less the results Los Blancos are achieving and more who they can sign to advance their old man.
If Erling Haaland, for example, were to arrive in the summer, four-time Champions League winner Benzema is unlikely to kick his heels on the bench for a full season waiting for him. last year of his contract expires.
And the Borussia Dortmund prodigy has a hot connection with the club. For Benzema, though, rumors like that are just sound for now.
“I’ve been here for a long time and every year we talk about strikers who could score for Real Madrid,” he said. “Haaland is a young player who gets a lot of goals – that’s it.
“And if he has the opportunity one day to come to Madrid, and if he wants to, he would be with us. That’s all.”
With other areas in the squad to deal with, especially in the wide offensive zones, Madrid may feel they have different transfer priorities in the summer, especially if PSG’s Kylian Mbappe comes on the market .
Meanwhile, head coach Zinedine Zidane is in no hurry to put Benzema off.
“Since joining Madrid in 2009, he has not improved. We don’t know when it will stop, ”said the World Cup winner.
Alone, Benzema is definitely staying on course for the biggest campaign he has ever undertaken, and given how unfashionable it can be, the gap he would leave would fill. under attack a little filled.
Lyon would gladly welcome him with open arms. It’s just the kind of player they could use in an event like Sunday. And he’s just the kind of player who can give short-term impetus to what they expect to challenge the title on a more consistent basis.