Is Benzema really the answer for Man United?

Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United should consider a move for free agent Karim Benzema to solve their shortage of natural number-nine options, but would the 38-year-old Ballon d'Or winner really provide the focal point Michael Carrick's side currently lack?

Manchester United's striker problem has become increasingly difficult to ignore during the opening weeks of the season.

Benjamin Sesko has yet to start a Premier League game amid continuing trouble with a shin injury, while Joshua Zirkzee has struggled to establish himself as Michael Carrick's first-choice solution through the middle.

That has left Matheus Cunha operating as a makeshift number nine, despite the Brazilian generally appearing more comfortable when given freedom to move around the attack.

Former United defender Ferdinand believes the situation requires another specialist option and has suggested one of the biggest names currently available without a transfer fee.

Karim Benzema has been a free agent since mutually terminating his Al-Hilal contract at the end of August.

"Without Sesko, there isn't really a focal point," Ferdinand explained, arguing that too many of United's attacking players naturally want to drop towards the ball rather than remain higher up the pitch.

He believes Benzema could share Sesko's workload while also passing on his experience to the 23-year-old.

Benzema would require no transfer fee, has experience at the highest possible level and would not necessarily need to arrive as Carrick's undisputed starting striker.

Ferdinand is not advocating abandoning the Sesko project. His argument is that United need somebody capable of reducing the physical burden on the Slovenian while giving Carrick a different option when he is unavailable.

Benzema certainly still knows where the goal is.

The former Real Madrid striker scored nine times and provided two assists in only 10 Saudi Pro League appearances for Al-Hilal last season, evidence that his finishing ability did not disappear once he reached his late thirties.

His experience is also difficult to replicate.

Benzema won the 2022 Ballon d'Or and five Champions League titles during his extraordinary spell at Real Madrid, spending years operating alongside some of the game's biggest personalities.

For Sesko, having that level of attacking experience around Carrington could carry value even beyond Benzema's minutes on the pitch.

United also have an immediate structural issue.

Former Red Devils striker Andy Cole recently told Sports Mole that Cunha is a "free spirit" who should not be asked to operate permanently as a centre-forward.

If Carrick agrees, adding another recognised striker would allow Cunha to return to areas where his movement and creativity can become more influential.

However, Ferdinand's own diagnosis of United's problem also raises the biggest question about his proposed solution.

Benzema has never been a conventional penalty-box striker who simply occupies centre-backs and waits for service.

Much of what made him an elite forward was precisely the opposite.

He frequently moved away from the highest line, dropped between midfield and attack, combined with teammates and created space for runners around him.

That intelligence made him an ideal partner for Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid and eventually allowed Benzema himself to become the central figure in Madrid's attack.

But Ferdinand's complaint about the current United forward line is that too many players already want to come towards the ball.

If the priority is to find a striker who consistently pins defenders, stretches the pitch and gives United a fixed reference point, Benzema's reputation alone does not automatically make him the perfect stylistic answer.

There is also the unavoidable issue of age.

Benzema is 38 and has not played European club football since leaving Real Madrid in 2023.

His goals in Saudi Arabia demonstrate that he remains technically effective, but returning directly to the speed and physical demands of the Premier League would be a very different test.

United would therefore need to be clear about what they were signing.

As a short-term rotation option, mentor for Sesko and experienced finisher available without a transfer fee, Benzema has obvious appeal.

As the player expected to lead United's press, stay permanently on the last line and solve their number-nine problem for significant Premier League minutes, the equation becomes less convincing.

Ferdinand may therefore have identified the right problem without necessarily producing an obvious solution.

Benzema could add considerable quality to United's attack. Whether he would provide the particular focal point they are missing is a different question.

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