Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has said the club came close to signing Karim Benzema back in 2009. Benzema made the switch from Lyon to Real Madrid 12 years ago and while he's not always been unanimously popular with the Santiago Bernabeu faithful, he is currently one of the best players on the planet.
The forward has won four Champions League titles with Los Blancos and has taken on a number of different roles in the iconic all-white colours.
When Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale were at the club, Benzema was a perfect foil for the pair, occupying defenders and creating space for the dynamic wingers to surge into.
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