Asked about the rumours linking Barcelona with Olympique Lyon forward and French international Karim Benzema (20) (read more here), Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain has reconfirmed the interest to the official website of the French Foorball League:
"We've tried to sign him several times but it's never been possible. We tried this summer, but he wanted to stay at Lyon. In the end it will be his decision. We have excellent relations with both him and his club and we'll definitely keep in contact so that he knows we want him, and that he wants to come to us."
Read more:
Txiki on Eto'o, Benzema, Henry and other strikers
Guardiola wants Aguero
Barcelona proposes Eto'o-Benzema swap
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Begiristain reconfirms Benzema interest
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11 comments:
He has buyout clause 100M. With this money you can (almost) buy whole new team. Buying him in January would be impossible, because he plays CL with Lyon and he would be unable for FCB in the same competition. I think the main obstacle is his price (maybe next summer Lyon will ask lower price, let's hope->but how much lower, 60M? still too much). I'm messed up with these striker stories, one day it's Aguero, next day Benzema... I must confess, it will be great to see one of them playing for Barca next season.
Who will Barca offload to make space for him? I hope Henry.
Most of all, it's crucial for Barca to give Eto'o renewal-NOW!
I actually prefer Benzema over Aguero, his attributes suit barcelona more, keeping in mind that we have Bojan, I think the player desire will have the impact on the way things will go regarding price and destination, if he will seek money, then he may end up in Man City! But based on his interviews, and the fact that he preferred to stay one more year in Lyon, which is a very smart move, I think he know what he want, and I can see him ending up with Barcelona, specially after Man UTD signed berbatov, and for me, Man UTD were actually our big threat to snap him.
Now its either Barcelona or RM, but if he is smart enough, and I guess he is, he will choose the team that have Xavi, iniesta and messi,those guys make the strikers life easier.
Who will barcelona Offload? the Automatic answer is Henry, but you never know, we need to wait and see how eto contract negociation go, and also pep may think that keeping the older (henry) will open a better path for the new guy to show his best. Henry may be more welling to accept the rotation than eto, and barcelona will not sign a guy for 45 M just to use him as a back up for eto.
I still have no preference, I will enjoy the current season (because nothing will happen before the summer), then based on eto/ henry situation, and Benzema performance things will be clarified.
Totally agree wit Ramzi: Benzema over Aguero, no doubt! He could add more to this squad than Aguero could. The only problem is the president of Lyon...
both are goods, but i preefer Aguero! He is faster and technical stronger!
yap :D , agree with you , i just whant to see him with Eto'o, and of course Messi in atack !
I Think Guys that if we buy 2-3 players we can be unstoppable
The players are:
1. Aguero(he is wery good)
2. Diego(perfect in AM and he is a wery good playmaker)
3. a wery good lb who can atack and defend wery well
The players who should be sold:
1. Sylvinho(too old)
2. Guddi(not needed)
3. Keita(we have busquets and toure)
4. Henry(he is not so good in barca)
5. Milito(pique is better)
6. Pinto(3 gk is wery much)
That is my opinion!
What do you think?
jester, as I mentioned before, I don't think Sylvinho and pinto could be listed for sale, you can release them, but don't put them on selling list expecting to earn money to finance your buying, because they have no market value :)
Getting Aguero means bye bye Bojan, there will be too many short guys in the team. you will still need the man in the box, so will we play another striker to do that role? Now we need to wait and see if benzema can do that role, but Aguero cant do it for sure, he has great finishing, dribbling and skills of an Argentinian talent, but how often can he head the ball to the net?
I like him, but it will turn to become a technique circus when you add so many identical style players to your squad, you need much more than one delicious flavor to make a tasty - healthy meal.
Aguero is great but he wouldn't suit us. Where will he play in the 4-3-3. On the left? In the centre? Both positions aren't his best.
And I adore Diego but again: we have Xavi, Iniesta and Hleb who can play at AM, so he doesn't have a place in this team.
Benzema can offer more power in attack. He can play in the centre and on the left.
Well in my opinion both Henry (not good enough) and Eto'o (only a year left on his contract) should leave this summer. A good replacement would be Adebayor/Benzema and a young talent, my first choice would be Balotelli. He have everything that Pep is looking for in a striker.
This will of course be expensive but if we win titles this season - we will have money to spend. If we don't - we HAVE to spend money.
Players that could be on their way out is someone in the trio of Milito/Marquez/Touré, Sylvinho and someone of Pinto/Jorquera.
fcbee sums up the Aguero vs Benzema situation.
And when Lyon decide to sell him, we will know the real number. I would guess it to be around 40-50 million, which will be crazy, but is in keeping with the current state of the transfer market.
We are definitely going to have to shop for strikers this summer, as both Henry and Eto'o will be moving on. Don't know if anyone saw that Goal.com business about us offering Eto'o a renewal at a pay cut. He's not likely to take that one, and he's certainly playing like a player who will be putting himself on the market this summer.
Adebayor has just renewed, so rule him out, unfortunately. I can't think of anyone who would be the business in the same way. I'm sure that someone will rear his head over the course of this season, however.
But for the same money, I'm taking Benzema over Aguero without even thinking about it. The value that Eto'o and Henry bring in tandem with Messi is that they are NOT the same kind of player that Messi is. Aguero, though he is a forward, is. Even worse, he can't make his own offense as Messi can, so I'm not sure what his value is to up, except as a notion.
We have an excellent left back already, who will have to be pried out of the squad with a crowbar, the way he's playing. Even the most vocal Abidal detractors have to give him credit for his play to date this season.
Or maybe not. I dunno.
Keita might be another Gudjohnsen, in the case of good player, wrong system. The more structured Sevilla attack gave him a definite working space. Here, with Messi, Eto'o, Xavi and Iniesta all swirling about, he's having a hard time finding a place to be. Gudjohnsen has the same complexity. Even Henry, when he came, wound up on left wing. There again, right player, wrong position and system.
Let's wait and see on Keita. He definitely has the skills. But the emergence of Busquets certainly throws a monkey wrench into the DM works.
Real Madrid is preparing early bid for Benzema. This is a part of the article at goal.com:
"The president is believed to have told Benzema that if he stayed this season then he would seriously consider selling him next year and would study closely the offers available. The player for his part is believed to have said, 'If they convince my president, then to play in Madrid would be a dream.'
Thus it is Aulas who is at the centre of the deal and it is unlikely that he will accept an offer of less than €50 million if he does decide to let Benzema go. This sum would not be a stumbling block for Real Madrid, who are believed to have €140 million available for signings, and would also mean they could pursue other targets.
The good news for Real Madrid fans too is that Benzema is not just a target of the directors but apparently Bernd Schuster is a big fan too, meaing that the club will be fully united behind a deal, for once."
Whole article at goal.com
I'm sorry guys. It wouldn't go so smooth as we wish. Benzema to Real, Aguero to Inter.
Most of all, I wish Eto'o renewal.
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