Iker Casillas' days at Real Madrid are numbered, but according to the Guardian, so too are Karim Benzema's.
Per the report, Manchester United are resigned to losing David de Gea to Madrid, but hope to acquire Karim Benzema in return. Casillas is said to be targeted by Arsenal, should the club fail to strike a deal with Chelsea for Petr Cech.
One man doing everyone the favor of refusing to feed into the transfer gossip is Vicente del Bosque. The Spain head coach was tightlipped when asked about Casillas departing the Santiago Bernabeu.
"I've got nothing to say on that," del Bosque said at a news conference ahead of Spain's friendly with Costa Rica (via AS). "Casillas is, for all intents and purposes, a Real Madrid player. It's a rumor and when it's confirmed I will give my opinion, but not now."
"As we all know this is a time of extremes and anything concerning a great player like Iker Casillas is going to cause repercussions in the media," he added. "It's something which has caused debate and stoked opinions amongst the public."
One thing certainly not up for debate—at least according to agent Karim Djaziri—is Benzema gracing the pitches of Old Trafford.
"I haven't met with any club in London, not with United and not with anyone else," Djaziri is quoted as saying in Marca (via the Daily Mail). "What is Karim going to do in Manchester? He's happy in Madrid. He doesn't want to leave. Benzema would only leave if Real Madrid told him he was surplus to requirements because he isn't going to leave of his own accord."
"He wants to retire at Real Madrid."
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