Madrid eye swap deal for Arsenal’s Gael Clichy with Karim Benzema
Latest reports from the Santiago Bernabeu have confirmed that Real Madrid are interested in signing Arsenal’s French left-back Gael Clichy.
After ‘El Classico’ many pundits reckoned that Mourinho is unhappy with current left-back Marcelo. The Brazilian was seen as one of the main reasons for Madrid’s defeat against Barcelona, which saw the Catalans hammer Los Blancos five goals to nil.
Considering that the ‘Chosen One’ has to contend with one of the best teams in the world in the form of Barcelona, he needs to have sort out Madrid's problematic positions soon. That is why he is very keen on signing Clichy, but he will face resistance from
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, which is why Mourinho could throw Benzema into the mix.
Speculation has also surrounded the future of Real’s out of favour French striker Karim Benzema, who arrived last season but has been unable to find a regular spot in the starting 11. Reports in the Spanish press suggest that he could leave Los Merengues
as soon as the January transfer window.
Despite the fact that Benzema has slowly been picking up form, it has not been enough to impress manager Jose Mourinho. Benzema moved from Lyon to Real Madrid in 2009, but since then he has not been able to hit top form and gain a permanent place in the
first team. So far the 22-year-old has played 54 games, scoring 15 goals. Benzema has also recorded six assists.
Arsenal’s Clichy on the other hand moved to North London from Cannes in 2003, and has since featured in 239 games, scoring a single goal and nine assists. It is believed that the two sides could agree on a swap-deal for the players plus cash, if negotiations
are successful. However most experts and pundits reckon there is a very low chance of this deal going through.
There is however some good news for Madrid since Brazilian midfielder Kaka is set to return in January. That should give Real's attack a completely different dimension. However Mourinho has stated that if the Brazilian attacking midfielder wants to feature
in the team, he will have to prove his worth first. The ‘Chosen One’ has also stated that he would oppose any transfer request from Kaka.
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