Manchester United went into the summer window with a clear plan: transform their midfield. They have definitely done that.
But apart from three new midfielders and goalkeeper Karl Darlow, other positions were not boosted by Michael Carrick. The Red Devils were on the hunt for left-back, without getting a deal done – and several supporters were also hoping for attacking reinforcements.
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As it turned out, only Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Andrey Santos (Chelsea) and Carlos Baleba (Brighton) – in addition to Darlow – made it to Old Trafford.
Karim Benzema is available
Even though the transfer window is closed, United can still sign free agents. Players without a contract are not bound by transfer deadlines – and one such player is Karim Benzema.
The striker, who Zinedine Zidane once called “the best French striker in history”, has left Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia and is now without a club.
He may be 38 years old – but he still scored 25 goals and had five assists in 34 games for the Saudis last season. An average of almost one goal per game.
Benzema left for Saudi Arabia in 2023 and Al-Ittihad, before moving to Al-Hilal in January this year. The contract was terminated earlier this week by mutual agreement.
What the next step will be – a new club or retirement – remains to be seen. But Manchester United may be interested in taking a bold chance on the veteran. They tried to sign him a full 17 years ago.
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Ferguson hunt for Benzema
Sir Alex Ferguson was the manager at the time. Benzema was 21 years old and hottest at Lyon. He went to Real Madrid, but United made a bid.
Ferguson later explained:
“We tried to spend the Cristiano Ronaldo money on Karim Benzema. As a 21-year-old, I felt it would be an improvement. He’s tough, has a good physique and a solid goal record. It was worth going a little extra for him because of his age. But when the price went to £42 million, it was above his value. We went to £35 million – and I think that was fair.
Squad problems for Carrick
Benzema is one of several high-profile free agents who could be the subject of great interest – despite his age. But if Carrick were to bring him to Old Trafford, he would have to make a big decision.
Premier League rules require clubs to appoint a 25-man squad after the summer window. A maximum of 17 of these can be non-homegrown. The rest must be “Home Grown” – i.e. players who have been registered in English or Welsh football for at least three full seasons before the age of 21.
Manchester United currently have exactly 25 senior players outside the U21 list. Nine of them are homegrown.
Signing Benzema would upset the balance – and force Carrick to remove one player from the squad, at least until new lists can be registered in February.
Who must give way?
United’s full 25-man squad:
Senne Lammens, Karl Darlow, Tom Heaton, Dermot me, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Patrick Dorgu, Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos, Manuel Ugarte, Youri Tielemans, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, Joshua Zirkzee.
Four of the homegrown players are goalkeepers – so Carrick can leave one of them out. Alternatively, he can remove one outfielder.
Manuel Ugarte appears to be the most obvious choice – he is out with a knee injury and will probably not be available for quite some time after the operation.
