FORGET Saudi Arabia, join Liverpool! Benzema’s perfect Premier League alternatives

Tom Hancock

• 1 Jun 2023 15:37 BST
• 3 min read

Karim Benzema appears poised to quite Real Madrid to join Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League – but he could have been a perfect fit in the Premier League!

So, we figured it wouldn’t hurt to imagine an alternate universe where the prolific French striker moves to the best division in the world.

As Benzema seemingly prepares to depart the Bernabeu, here at FootballTransfers, we’ve put our heads together with analytics partners SciSportsto pinpoint exactly which sides the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner would suit.

READ: Real Madrid to sign relegated Premier League FLOP as Benzema replacement

According to SciSports ‘Transfer Advice’ tool, Benzema would suit Liverpool and Manchester City almost equally well.

It’s Man City who have the slight edge, though, with SciSports assigning the 35-year-old five stars out of five for his suitability to the team’s playing style.

Intriguingly, that’s one star better than the equivalent rating for Benzema’s suitability to Real’s approach.

SciSports marks Benzema as a four-star fit for City’s formation – and likewise for Liverpool’s, as well as a four-star fit for their playing style.

READ: Guardiola ready to HIJACK Real Madrid 'done deal' for star midfielder

Benzema to Barca?!

Of course, in the case of City, supposing how Benzema might fit in is especially hypothetical: the Premier League champions have at their disposal a rather handy number nine by the name of Erling Haaland…

Liverpool might have benefitted from Benzema’s goals this season, however, with record signing Darwin Nunez not proving to be quite the centre-forward solution the Reds were seeking.

And how about teams elsewhere in Europe’s top five leagues? Could Benzema have functioned for another of Real’s continental rivals?

Well, SciSports assess the former Lyon man as a five-star stylistic fit for Bayern Munich and a four-star fit for Real’s arch-rivals Barcelona – and some legendary platers have crossed the Classico frontier in the past…