Man Utd has declined the opportunity to sign Karim Benzema during the January transfer window, while Chelsea expresses interest in acquiring Jhon Duran from Aston Villa, reports suggest.

Man Utd Reject Benzema

According to The Sun, Manchester United have declined the opportunity to sign Karim Benzema in the January transfer window, despite the injury to Anthony Martial. The 36-year-old striker is seeking a short-term move away from Saudi Arabia, as he is reportedly unhappy at Al-Ittihad.

However, United’s decision is due to Benzema’s wage demands, which have ruled them out of the running as they aim to avoid breaching Financial Fair Play regulations. The Sun states that United refused to even enter talks, claiming that the sums involved in bringing the player, who earns £86m a year, to Old Trafford are “exorbitant.”

Chelsea Eye Villa Striker

The Telegraph reports that Chelsea could make a surprising move for Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran before the January transfer window closes. Reports in Colombia have been supported by the paper, with Chelsea’s interest emerging after Villa rejected West Ham’s loan enquiry for the Colombian international.

Duran joined Villa for £18m a year ago, and Chelsea are seriously considering an offer as they look to bolster their attacking options. However, it remains to be seen whether Chelsea can provide Duran with more playing time, given that he would be cup-tied for the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, and with Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson set to return from injury and the Africa Cup of Nations, respectively.

Man Utd Set £100m Price Tag for Greenwood and Co

The i newspaper reports that Manchester United are hoping to generate £100m from the sale of their academy products alone this summer. The list includes Mason Greenwood, who is currently on loan at Getafe, with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Valencia all considering a permanent transfer for the 22-year-old striker.

United are also open to selling Scott McTominay and are hopeful that West Ham will make a move for the midfielder at the end of the season. Additionally, Hannibal Mejbri and Alvaro Fernandez could be sold, and the club may generate further funds by offloading unwanted players to Saudi Arabia.

Mbappe In, Vinicius Out at Real Madrid?

Sport in Spain reports that Real Madrid would be willing to sell Vinicius Jr in order to sign Kylian Mbappe this summer. The outlet suggests that Florentino Perez, Real Madrid’s president, is obsessed with the idea of bringing Mbappe to the Spanish capital and does not view Vinicius as capable of being the club’s number one player.

The suggestion is that Mbappe and Vinicius cannot play together in the same forward line, leading to only one outcome for Perez. The report states that Perez sees Mbappe as a true world number one and has already begun building a new team with the acquisitions of French players such as Camavinga and Tchouameni. If Mbappe joins, Vinicius may find himself expelled from the club.