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Benzema Keen To Stay With Lyon

Thu 06 Mar, 06:09 PM


Lyon striker Karim Benzema says he wants to stay with the French club for at least one more season.

The France international is attracting the attention of a host of leading European teams thanks to his superb performances for Les Gones this campaign.

But despite the disappointment of being part of a Lyon side that was dumped out of the Champions League at the hands of Manchester United this week, he told Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo that he had no interest in leaving Lyon just yet.

"I want to be at Lyon next year," he said.

"There's still so much to do and I want to win titles with Olympique."

Earlier, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas insisted the 20-year-old has given him assurances he will be staying at the Stade Gerland beyond this season.

Asked where Benzema will be playing in the 2008-09 season, Aulas said: "At Lyon. He is going to stay, he has confirmed that to me himself.

"We are going to keep Benzema next year so we can continue to progress. With Karim and also Hatem Ben Arfa, there is a lot of youth in our team.

"It all seems very promising for us."

United boss Alex Ferguson spoke of his admiration of the youngster in the build-up to the Champions League tie, something Aulas was disappointed to hear about.

"In the media, I heard him (Ferguson) declare his interest in Benzema between the two games," Aulas added in French newspaper L'Est Republicain.

"That is a regrettable thing to do."

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