KARIM Benzema’s astonishing wage demands may have been enough to put Manchester United off an attempt to land the former France striker.Even Sir Jim Ratcliffe appears to be unwilling to pay Benzema, 36, the equivalent of the £86m per year he is currently on in Saudi Arabia to bring the ex-Real Madrid man to Old Trafford for just four months.
Karim Benzema is unsettled at Al-IttihadCredit: Getty
But perhaps a bigger warning for United – and potential alternative Benzema suitors Chelsea – is the ill-starred record of on-loan strikers at BOTH clubs.
Over the past two decades, United and Chelsea have made ten striker loan signings between them – although one of them joined BOTH clubs.
Not that anybody could, in truth, suggest that Radamel Falcao was anything but a flop at either Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford.
The Colombian, one of the world’s hottest striking properties before his January 2014 ACL injury, arrived at United at the end of the 2014-15 summer window.
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He left after 26 Prem appearances, 29 in all competitions, brought a paltry four goals. Never close to the player he had been at Atletico Madrid.
Undeterred, the following summer saw him turn up in SW6, a season-long loan spell with an option for a £38m full transfer.
It swiftly became evident that option was never going to be taken up, even before the thigh injury that ruled him out of the second half of the season.
Just 10 Prem appearances, 12 in all competitions, and a single goal – in a shock 2-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace.
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Radamel Falcao struggled to produce his best level at Man UtdCredit: PA:Empics Sport
The Colombian didn’t perform any better at ChelseaCredit: PA:Press Association
And Falcao was not the exception, for either club.
Even some of those remembered fondly did not necessarily deliver the numbers to justify that status.
Sweden’s Henrik Larsson left a great impression during his fleeting three month stay in 2007. That, though, added up to a solitary prem goal and three strikes in 13 games in all competitions.
More recently, in 2020, United brought in Odion Ighalo.
The former Watford man did not manage a single Prem goal, finding the target three times in the FA Cup and five times in 23 games in total.
And last term, Dutchman Wout Weghorst, a surprise arrival from Burnley, failed to score in his 17 Premier League outings, claiming just two in 31 matches across the entire campaign.
Man Utd fans possess fond memories of Henrik Larsson despite a modest goal returnCredit: Getty
Odion Ighalo had a largely forgettable loan spell at Old TraffordCredit: Getty
Wout Weghorst’s final game for Man Utd came in last season’s FA Cup finalCredit: Getty
Not that Chelsea’s loan record is much better.
After the Falcao flop, there were two other South Americans, the first arriving in 2016.
Alexandre Pato arrived with memories of his wonderkid status at AC Milan beginning to fade amid a deluge of injuries.
Struggling with his fitness at Stamford Bridge the Brazilian was unable to make an impression and managed just two appearances, although did score in a 4-0 win at Aston Villa.
Then in 2019, Maurizio Sarri believed he could get a tune out of his former Napoli charge, Argentina Gonzalo Higuain.
Maybe it was a gentle refrain, certainly not a belter. Five goals in 14 Prem outings, with five other scoreless matches across three cup competitions.
And last term, it could be argued Joao Felix’s biggest impression was on the thigh of Fulham’s Kenny Tete when he was sent off an hour into his debut.
The Portuguese, now at Barcelona, scored four times in 20 appearances, all of them in his 16 top flight games.
Hardly a ringing endorsement of a track record.
Alexandre Pato had a blink and you’ll miss it spell at ChelseaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Gonzalo Higuain played for Chelsea under Maurizio SarriCredit: Reuters
Joao Felix played for Chelsea last term as their campaign fell apartCredit: AFP
There was, of course, one player who does not fit that pattern – and he was always a rebel.
Carlos Tevez, signed on loan from West Ham in 2007, won two Prem crowns, the Champions League and the League Cup in two seasons at Old Trafford, in which he scored 34 goals in 99 appearances including 19 in the top flight.
Yet for many, even some die-hard United fans, he was the first signal of the change in the balance of power in the city.
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The infamous “Welcome to Manchester” posters unveiled when he controversially switched from the red half of Manchester to the sky blue one was a statement of intent, one that has been turned into concrete reality over the past 15 years.
Maybe that history is a bigger reason for both clubs to think again about Benzema, or any other potential loan recruit. It hasn’t exactly gone too well in the past.
Carlos Tevez joining Manchester City sent shockwaves through UnitedCredit: PA:Press Association More
