Karim Benzema Offers a Surprise Suggestion for Player on 'the Same Level' as Lionel Messi
Karim Benzema is a man who has been surrounded by quality for the best part of eight years at Real Madrid.
He's also come up against some fantastic players in his time as a professional, including the irrepressible Lionel Messi.
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The Frenchman has been speaking about the Argentinian, who he appears to hold as the benchmark-setter, despite playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
One might have expected him to make the comparison every football fan is susceptible to making from time to time, but the 29-year-old opted to talk about someone else against Messi's abilities.
He said, via the Mirror: "Ben Arfa has talent at Messi's level. I am not fooling around. It hurts me to see his current situation at PSG."
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The winger, who had spells in the Premier League with Newcastle and Hull, is now 30 and plying his trade at the Parc des Princes after a good season with Nice in 2015/16.
Ben Arfa has faded somewhat after a bright start to life at the French giants, and his playing opportunities have become limited thanks to competition in the form of Angel Di Maria, Julian Draxler, Lucas and summer signings Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
The former Lyon prospect was an incredibly exciting flair player during his younger days, and looks like he needs a change of environement in order to showcase the abilities talked up by compatriot Benzema properly again.
