Mauricio Pochettino is said to be in the market for a new striker, but Chelsea’s strict transfer policy could cause a few problems

Chelsea can now move to capture Karim Benzema before the January transfer window closes, according to Joe Cole. In an attempt to strengthen his front line even more, Mauricio Pochettino has been strongly linked the 36-year-old with a move to Stamford Bridge.

Benzema, who joined Al-Ittihad in the summer after leaving Real Madrid, has made 15 appearances in the Saudi Pro League this year, tallying five assists and nine goals. After only six months at his new club, there were a lot of stories claiming that the France international’s future in the Middle East was uncertain and that his good performances would help him get back to Europe.

Since then, the Frenchman’s attorney has ruled out making a motion this month.While Hugues Vigier insisted he had not discussed Benzema’s departure from Saudi Arabia with him, he did acknowledge that he would want to see his client return to Olympique Lyonnais in the future.

Though it’s unclear for the time being whether the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner will play in the Premier League, Cole and the Chelsea supporters are still dreaming of some deadline-day drama. Benzema, in the opinion of the former Blues midfielder, might be the ideal “stop-gap striker” for Pochettino.

Cole stated: “I think it’s a good idea because you’ve got this model where you’re buying young players and they’re assets and you can grow them together.” Cole was speaking on behalf of TNT Sports, which will broadcast the Premier League’s midweek games this week.

“Benzema is still a top-tier striker, so it would be great to have a backup striker until you can bring in someone you can really level at.” Having him in the league would be fantastic for it.

“It seems sense that the teams are considering it. Not much is available. Where are the 25-year-old Karim Benzema’s and what will they cost you? Because there aren’t many extremely talented center forwards in the world right now, players like Karim Benzema are nonetheless highly regarded.”

Todd Boehly would have to violate his golden transfer rule if Chelsea followed Cole’s advise. James Maddison was not taken into consideration because the Blues hierarchy insisted on not signing players who were older than 25 in the summer, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Only two players over the age of 25 have been signed since the west London team took control in May 2022: Raheem Sterling, who is 27 years old, and Kalidou Koulibaly, who is 31.