No talks with Benzema

Asked about the rumours linking Lyon forward and French international Karim Benzema (21)with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's agent Karim Djaziri has said in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that there hasn't been any contact with Barcelona lately:

"Nobody has called me, so all talk about Benzema possible joining Barcelona is just speculation. I think Barça will first talk with Samuel Eto'o before looking for another striker."

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Benzema is still an option for Barcelona

Benzema agent confirms Barcelona interest

Karim Djaziri, the agent of Olympique Lyon forward and French international Karim Benzema (20), has confirmed to French football site Algerie News that Barcelona is one of the European top clubs that is closely following the French striker.

Olympique Lyon would be informed about the interest of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United. The three clubs would have contacted the agent, with whom they are still talking, wanting to sign the player next summer.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that, although the performances of Benzema during the European championships in June were disappointing to the Barcelona technical staff, the player continues to be one of Barcelona's transfer priorities for the summer of 2009.

Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain keeps working hard on the deal and a transfer of Benzema would not be linked to a possible renewal of Barcelona player Samuel Eto'o.

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Barcelona working on Benzema transfer

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona is working on the transfer of Olympique Lyon forward and French international Karim Benzema (20) (read more here).

Benzema is the number one target for next season but Barcelona doesn't want to enter a bid race for the Frenchman. The wish of Benzema to join Barcelona should be decisive.

Asked about the rumours linking Benzema with several clubs, the player's agent Karim Djaziri has said in an interview with French football weekly paper France Football that he's been talking with all major clubs:

"Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United are not the only ones following Karim. All the big European clubs are. We are having regularly contacts with the clubs and this doesn't just started last year but it's been going on since Karim was sixteen years old. I want to stress that we are transparent about all this and that Lyon knows about what's happening."

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Begiristain reconfirms Benzema interest

Agents deny Benzema-Eto'o swap

Asked about the rumours about a swap deal including Lyon forward and French international Karim Benzema (20) and Barcelona forward and Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o (27), the agents of both players have denied to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo that they know anything about that kind of operation (read more here).

Josep Maria Mesalles, the agent of Eto'o, said that at this point there is nothing concrete: "No official of Barcelona has talked us about this and Olympique Lyon didn't contact me regarding the issue. All reports are just speculation."

Karim Djaziri, the agent of Benzema, rejected the possibily that the Frenchman would join Barcelona this summer and says the player still has to make progress: "Benzema won't leave Lyon this summer, that's a sure fact. Next year he could go, but this season he stays with Lyon."

Catalan sports paper Sport nevertheless insists and claims that the price for Benzema would be Eto'o plus 10 million euro°. The salary of Eto'o would be the main obstacle for the deal.

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Benzema will not come this summer

Olympique Lyon forward and French international Karim Benzema (20) keeps being named as the main candidate to replace Barcelona forward Samuel Eto'o (27) who could be sold in the coming months (read more here). But this week it again became clear that Benzema is just not going anywhere this summer.

After Lyon won its seventh consecutive French league title last weekend, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas made clear in an interview with Catalan sports paper Sport that the club has no intention at all to sell the player: "I can assure that Benzema will play for Lyon next season. And I even think that he will continue for two more years. He's not for sale, so it's not even about the money."

And Karim Djaziri, the agent of Benzema, said in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 on Tuesday that it's not a secret that Barcelona is interested in the player but he repeated that the player wants to stay in Lyon and doesn't want to rush his career: "There's no truth in all those rumours. Karim will not leave Lyon. He wants to stay and keep on playing with his club."

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How things stand: Centre forward