According to what Sir Alex Ferguson said to me, he had the intention of signing him before he retired. “He advised me to sign him now that he is in form for us to be able to fight for them League” – United are “exploring a loan deal” for a former Madrid player who is a winner of the Ballon d’Or, as Erik ten Hag made his confirmation of his signing plain.

The Al Ittihad star, who is reportedly trapped in Mauritius, is attracting interest from Man United, according to Javier Parra Pena.It’s claimed the Red Devils are ‘exploring a six-month loan deal’ for the former Real Madrid forward.

Benzema, 36, has scored 15 goals in 24 appearances for the Saudi Pro League side since calling time on his career in Spain.But recent reports claim the legendary player is seeking a move back to Europe, with Man United thought to be keeping tabs on his situation this month.Man United’s reported pursuit of the Frenchman has been backed by Louis Saha, who has previously urged his old side to go after Benzema.

“He [Benzema] will shake up the United frontline and that’s what they need. He will definitely score goals and he will link up the play a lot better. It’s just a dream, but Karim is still a very professional guy, he’s the type of striker that Hojlund will learn from, but that’s just a fantasy,” he told Betting Odds

Benzema scored an incredible 354 goals in 648 games for the La Liga giants during his prolific spell at the club.He was linked with a move to Old Trafford before his eventual switch to Real in 2009.

Erik ten Hag currently has Rasmus Hojlund and Anthony Martial at his disposal.Hojlund, who joined last summer, has scored just one league goal since his transfer while Martial has been strongly linked with a move away from Man United.If Man United can bring in Benzema during the January transfer window, then he’d add a wealth of experience to the frontline and can offer support to Hojlund, who is still finding his feet