Lyon striker Karim Benzema has suggested that he would be willing to remain at the Stade.The 20-year old rose to continental prominence during the 2007/08 season with a string of eye-catching performances, both domestically and in the Champions League.
He recently captured the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award after contributing to a historic first League/Cup double for the club, and is tipped to make an impression at this summer’s European Championship.
The French international has been linked with a move away from the Stade Gerland since forcing his way into the first team during the 2006/07 season, and insists that he still has improvements to make. The ideal place to develop his game, he suggested, was at Lyon.
He said: “I achieved a lot, and had a very good season. I have prepared myself well to reach the European level. Now I am targeting the world level.
“I could have left this season, but I would not do it because I just played one entire season as a starter. The next season will help me reach the very top level.
Benzema is keen to stress that he is not planning on moving on just yet, and went as far to say that if Lyon could compete for regular European honours, he may be willing to remain at the club for life.
He continued: “The day I will leave Lyon, it will be to go to a club that will be at the top at that moment and that will give me the chance to win lots of titles. Why not play my entire career at OL? If they become the same as Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid or a big team like those.
The key for Lyon’s future, the 9-time international suggested, lies in player recruitment. In order to make the transition to being a great team, Benzema knows that Lyon must compete with Europe’s elite in the transfer market.
He said: “For the moment Lyon are not a big European team, even if they are part of the good teams. If they want to reach a new stage, they will have to recruit. We have to try and make the biggest ones at OL. We already have one with Ederson. I hope there will be other ones.
He recently captured the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award after contributing to a historic first League/Cup double for the club, and is tipped to make an impression at this summer’s European Championship.
The French international has been linked with a move away from the Stade Gerland since forcing his way into the first team during the 2006/07 season, and insists that he still has improvements to make. The ideal place to develop his game, he suggested, was at Lyon.
He said: “I achieved a lot, and had a very good season. I have prepared myself well to reach the European level. Now I am targeting the world level.
“I could have left this season, but I would not do it because I just played one entire season as a starter. The next season will help me reach the very top level.
Benzema is keen to stress that he is not planning on moving on just yet, and went as far to say that if Lyon could compete for regular European honours, he may be willing to remain at the club for life.
He continued: “The day I will leave Lyon, it will be to go to a club that will be at the top at that moment and that will give me the chance to win lots of titles. Why not play my entire career at OL? If they become the same as Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid or a big team like those.
The key for Lyon’s future, the 9-time international suggested, lies in player recruitment. In order to make the transition to being a great team, Benzema knows that Lyon must compete with Europe’s elite in the transfer market.
He said: “For the moment Lyon are not a big European team, even if they are part of the good teams. If they want to reach a new stage, they will have to recruit. We have to try and make the biggest ones at OL. We already have one with Ederson. I hope there will be other ones.
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