Former central defender Sir Alex Ferguson, according to Rio Ferdinand, always regretted not being able to bring Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema to Manchester United.
After Benzema scored his 12th Champions League goal of the season in Madrid’s 3-2 quarter-final defeat to Chelsea in the second leg on Tuesday, Ferdinand made the admission. Benzema’s goal in the first half of extra time ensured Madrid won the tie 5-4 on aggregate, securing a spot in the semi-finals.
Past week, the Frenchman scored a hat-trick in the first leg at Stamford Bridge, giving him seven goals in his last three Champions League appearances. Despite the fact that he is 34 years old, he has been a standout for Real Madrid this season, scoring 38 goals in 38 games.
Since joining the Spanish giants from Lyon in the summer of 2009, he has scored 317 goals for them, establishing himself as one of the top No.9s in the world. If United and Ferguson had gotten their hands on him, his career may have taken a different path.
Before his departure to Real Madrid, Ferdinand revealed how eager Ferguson was on signing the striker. United offered him a formal offer, but the France international preferred to move to Madrid.
“The first time I played against him was in 2008, and that was the first time I saw him up close and personal,” Ferdinand told BT Sport. Look at how many players are surrounding him in the goal he scored against us, but all he needed was one touch, and it was all done in one motion.
“When I got off the field, Sir Alex Ferguson replied, ‘Don’t worry, I’m trying to get him.’ But, because of his African connections and the power of Real Madrid, he selected them.
“I feel that, in retrospect, one of Sir Alex’s biggest regrets would be not being able to sign him.”
RelatedPosts
Lyon owner and president Jean-Michel Aulas stated in 2019 that United had offered Benzema a better financial package than Madrid. The striker, on the other hand, had set his sights on joining the 13-time European champions.
“We had two offers when Karim was asked to leave Lyon: Manchester United and Real Madrid,” Aulas told beIN Sports in 2019. “Karim, like Nabil Fekir, came to visit me and told me, ‘My desire is to play for Real Madrid,’ and that’s where there are relationships that demonstrate trust.”
“As a result, he went to Real Madrid for a lower amount than Manchester United offered.”
