Higuain eyes new Real deal

Higuain: Committed to Real

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Teams

• Real Madrid

Players

• Gonzalo Higuain
• Karim Benzema

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Gonzalo Higuain has confirmed he would relish the opportunity to commit his long-term future to Real Madrid.

The Argentina striker was thought to be heading away from the Bernabeu last summer after the Spanish giants splashed out on Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema.

Chelsea, Inter Milan and Manchester City were said to be among the interested parties in the 22-year-old.

But Higuain remained in Madrid and has gone on to become Real's leading scorer this season with 12 goals from just 11 league starts.

Reports suggest the club are preparing to offer him a new deal until 2016 and although Higuain would welcome talks over a contract extension, he insists it will not affect his efforts to fire Real to La Liga and Champions League glory this term.

Big dream

"It would be a very big dream to stay here for a long time," he said.

"I am very happy and I would love to stay here many years, but that is something that my agent, who is my father, is dealing with.

"And even though I am keeping up to date with it, I am focused on the matches. You earn a new deal by playing on the pitch and scoring goals."

Real are thought to be keen on bringing Higuain's salary in line with the likes of Benzema, who has discovered he will almost certainly miss out on a return to Lyon.

The Champions League draw paired Real with Benzema's former club in the last 16 but medical tests have revealed the 22-year-old will be sidelined for around a week with a thigh problem.

Benzema injury blow

The France international has definitely been ruled out of this weekend's league match against Xerez and is unlikely to recover in time for the first leg away to Lyon next Tuesday.

The news will be a big disappointment to Benzema, who progressed through the ranks at Lyon and was a key player for the French giants before making a £30million move to Spain last summer.

"Following a physical and MRI at Sanitas La Moraleja Hospital on Tuesday, Karim Benzema was diagnosed with an inflammed left thigh muscle," read a statement on the club's official website.

"He is expected to miss approximately seven days, but his return depends on the progress made over that time span."