Is Benzema really the answer for Man United?

Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United should see a determination for escaped cause Karim Benzema to lick their shortage of earthy number-nine options, but would the 38-year-old Ballon d'Or victor truly supply the focal constituent Michael Carrick's broadside presently lack?

Manchester United's striker occupation has go progressively hard to disregard during the opening weeks of the season.

Benjamin Sesko has yet to commencement a Premier League crippled amid continuing occupation with a shin injury, portion Joshua Zirkzee has struggled to found himself arsenic Michael Carrick's first-choice solution done the middle.

That has near Matheus Cunha operating arsenic a makeshift fig nine, contempt the Brazilian mostly appearing much comfy erstwhile fixed state to determination astir the attack.

Former United defender Ferdinand believes the concern requires different specializer enactment and has suggested 1 of the biggest names presently disposable without a transportation fee.

Karim Benzema has been a escaped cause since mutually terminating his Al-Hilal declaration astatine the extremity of August.

"Without Sesko, determination isn't truly a focal point," Ferdinand explained, arguing that excessively galore of United's attacking players people privation to driblet towards the shot alternatively than stay higher up the pitch.

He believes Benzema could stock Sesko's workload portion besides passing connected his acquisition to the 23-year-old.

So, would it work?

Why Benzema could marque consciousness for Man United

On the surface, determination is plentifulness to like.

Benzema would necessitate nary transportation fee, has acquisition astatine the highest imaginable level and would not needfully request to get arsenic Carrick's undisputed starting striker.

That favoritism matters.

Ferdinand is not advocating abandoning the Sesko project. His statement is that United request idiosyncratic susceptible of reducing the carnal load connected the Slovenian portion giving Carrick a antithetic enactment erstwhile helium is unavailable.

Benzema surely inactive knows wherever the extremity is.

The erstwhile Real Madrid striker scored 9 times and provided 2 assists successful lone 10 Saudi Pro League appearances for Al-Hilal past season, grounds that his finishing quality did not vanish erstwhile helium reached his precocious thirties.

His acquisition is besides hard to replicate.

Benzema won the 2022 Ballon d'Or and 5 Champions League titles during his bonzer spell astatine Real Madrid, spending years operating alongside immoderate of the game's biggest personalities.

For Sesko, having that level of attacking acquisition astir Carrington could transportation worth adjacent beyond Benzema's minutes connected the pitch.

United besides person an contiguous structural issue.

Former Red Devils striker Andy Cole precocious told Sports Mole that Cunha is simply a "free spirit" who should not beryllium asked to run permanently arsenic a centre-forward.

If Carrick agrees, adding different recognised striker would let Cunha to instrumentality to areas wherever his question and creativity tin go much influential.

However, Ferdinand's ain diagnosis of United's occupation besides raises the biggest question astir his projected solution.

Would Benzema really supply the focal constituent Ferdinand wants?

Benzema has ne'er been a accepted penalty-box striker who simply occupies centre-backs and waits for service.

Much of what made him an elite guardant was precisely the opposite.

He often moved distant from the highest line, dropped betwixt midfield and attack, combined with teammates and created abstraction for runners astir him.

That quality made him an perfect spouse for Cristiano Ronaldo astatine Real Madrid and yet allowed Benzema himself to go the cardinal fig successful Madrid's attack.

But Ferdinand's ailment astir the existent United guardant enactment is that excessively galore players already privation to travel towards the ball.

If the precedence is to find a striker who consistently pins defenders, stretches the transportation and gives United a fixed notation point, Benzema's estimation unsocial does not automatically marque him the cleanable stylistic answer.

There is besides the unavoidable contented of age.

Benzema is 38 and has not played European nine shot since leaving Real Madrid successful 2023.

His goals successful Saudi Arabia show that helium remains technically effective, but returning straight to the velocity and carnal demands of the Premier League would beryllium a precise antithetic test.

United would truthful request to beryllium wide astir what they were signing.

As a short-term rotation option, mentor for Sesko and experienced finisher disposable without a transportation fee, Benzema has evident appeal.

As the subordinate expected to pb United's press, enactment permanently connected the past enactment and lick their number-nine occupation for important Premier League minutes, the equation becomes little convincing.

Ferdinand whitethorn truthful person identified the close occupation without needfully producing an evident solution.

Benzema could adhd sizeable prime to United's attack. Whether helium would supply the peculiar focal constituent they are missing is simply a antithetic question.