According to a report in Marca, Barcelona came close to signing current Real Madrid star Karim Benzema in 2008, when Pep Guardiola took over as manager.
The Frenchman was reportedly Barcelona’s main target to replace Samuel Eto’o, who Guardiola wanted to discard and eventually would, a year later.
At the time, the 20-year-old Benzema was catching the eye of all of Europe’s top clubs thanks to his performances for Lyon, who in 2008 had just won a record seventh straight Ligue 1 title.
Txiki Begisristain, then the Barcelona technical secretary, even paid Benzema a visit in his Lyon home in order to finalize the transfer, before deciding against it after the meeting.
Marca claim the striker did not make a good impression on Begisristain, with the official reportedly unimpressed with Benzema’s friendships and his inability to relate with the player in conversation; apparently Benzema never made eye contact with Begisristain while the two were talking.
Before the meeting, Barcelona were convinced the Frenchman would sign for them; after it, they ended their pursuit. Eto’o was replaced a year later, moving to Inter Milan in an exchange deal for Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the same summer Benzema did arrive in Spain – but in Madrid instead of Barcelona.
Though it’s unlikely the club regret missing out on the Madrid No. 9, the story is a tantalising case of what if.
