Chelsea are reportedly lining up a move for unsettled Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema as a solution to their attacking problems.
According to The Mirror, the Frenchman is unhappy with life in Madrid after the fallout from the blackmail affair involving France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena and has felt underwhelmed by the lack of support received from within the club.
Benzema is supposedly a favourite of Madrid president Florentino Perez who has previously blocked any move away for the former Lyon forward.
However, the events of the past few months look to have taken their toll on the 28 year-old who looks to be finally on the way out of the Bernabeu after six years at the club.
Despite his off-the-field problems, the French international has been in impressive form this season and has hit 15 goals in 15 games, compared to the meagre return of Blues striker Diego Costa who has scored just four times in 18 appearances.
Should Chelsea make a move for Benzema, they may face competition from Premier League rivals, Manchester City and Arsenal who look set to battle it out for the league title following the demise of the Stamford Bridge club.
As a result, The Telegraph has reported that the West Londoners are also targeting Christian Benteke and Javier Hernandez as back-up options for the Real Madrid forward.
However, both of these strikers have suffered extended drops in form when playing in the Premier League so Guus Hiddink will be hoping to secure the genuine world-class services of Benzema as a priority.
