If you thought the transfer talk would end when January did, you were wrong. It seems that already the press are eagerly anticipating the summer when more players will be bought and sold. Berbatov is the obvious transfer link for United, but it appears we are now interested in a Lyon duo worth an incredible £40 million.
Karim Benzema, 20, is a product of the Lyon youth team who is able to play on both wings, but prefers a more central attacking role. He has bagged 16 goals in 21 games in the league, as well as 3 in 5 in the Champions League.
Ben Arfa, 20, came through the ranks with Benzema and also prefers a more central attacking role, but has been used on the left wing for the majority of this season.
Arsenal and Chelsea were linked with the pair last summer but Lyon president, Jean-Michel Aulas, claimed they would not be sold until his team had won the Champions League.
The papers are reporting today that Sir Alex Ferguson has been asking after the two young attackers, but Aulas has claimed the only way they’ll be making a move to Old Trafford is if Cristiano Ronaldo comes in their place. “I told Sir Alex that Benzema and Ben Arfa will not leave in the next two years,” Aulas said. “We want to build our future on them. If he wants to exchange Cristiano Ronaldo for Ben Arfa we could talk about it, but they would have to also give us a bit of money.”
Ben Arfa
Do you know much about the Lyon pair? Would you like to see them at United?
Man Utd News 24/7
Seen these guys play, and they are mustard. Would like to see them at United. Offer Silvestre and Saha plus cash. Seems like the logical solution.
What the fuck is he talking bout?give ronaldo?plus money?haha.anywayz their both great players especially benzema.would like both but i doubt it happen.Hope to God they dont shine next week.
This guy Aulas is a regular piss-taker. He’s done it with Essien and Mamadou Diarra and he is now starting to wind up his sales pitch for these two kids. Both of them are very good players but neither is yet quite the finished article – and neither is in Ronaldo’s class. Both ? hmmmm.
kingsley is right saha,silvestre and cash should be enough for lyon.aulas should stop insulting us by asking for ronaldo plus cash over unknown arfa.
Both of them looked pretty ordinary mind you they are playing in the french league and the music is horrible. Paying 40 million as the papers say for still unproven is a bit of order and aulas needs to wake up. I have seen that italian guy quarlega whatever his name is. Considering the price and what we want…is a poacher…. my money for huntelaar .. 15 million max should do the business. We never go wrong with dutch talent and hell yeh he special….
i would love to see these players at utd especially benzema he’s the one i want with saha plus cash going the other way but if ronaldo was to leave in the summer for say 55m ben arfa would have the potential plus at 15m would be alot less im up at old trafford in march hopefully they don’t shine too much against us
Jean-Michel Aulas seems more of a used car salesman than the president of a club who are the reigning champions domestically for 6 years now(?). He will push the price expectation if United, Chelsea or both are interested. A good case of point was in Diarra. When we were interested it was 20+ million pounds or no deal. The moment we dropped out as the player seemed more keen on Real Madrid, it dropped to 17 million.
Use Saha as the bait. If that doesn’t work, forget it. He’ll lead us on forever in a public auctioning.
Players are young and reducing aged players for young ones falls within the plans. Silvestre I think should see out his contract. That would give time for Fabio Silva to come up and maybe Kieron Lee (though not natural position) can also be cover and competiton to both Evra and Silva.
my god wats wrong with u guys…
since wen is ben arfa un heard of….
if we do get those boyz for all i knoe arfa is a replacement for giigs soon…
and benzema omg is the hottes tallent now…chelski and arsenal are intrested on this boyz we r too…..benzama is really a true player on da field…
so is ben arfa….but i wud rather samir nasri….
40 million is a stunner deal for two marvelous players…
AZY is quite correct – these kids are the real deal BUT Aulas has no intention of selling them cheaply. He just doesn’t operate that way; Aulas is shrewd BUT he needs money to finance a new stadium so he will probably sell both of these guys a bit before he can get them to reach their maximum value.
From what I’ve seen of them, firty million – 30 for Benzema and 20 for Ben Arfa would probably be their market value today. Next year, it might be more.
I suppose if UTD were to win the Champions’ League – and the fifty million that goes with that title – then this would be a brilliant way to recycle the winnings and say “sayonara” to Giggs and Scholes by letting them leave on the highest of highs.
French clubs are very greedy especially when a premiership club comes for a player. Just look at the massive prices paid for Drogba, Essien, Mahmadou Diarra. But these guys do prove their worth – french players do succeed in EPL.
in this day and age manu should be adding top quality youngers. We have Rooney, Ronaldo, Nani, Anderson and also Manucho by adding Benzema and Ben afa to the squad, I think the squad will be even powerful.