Houllier eyes French star

Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier is believed to be planning a loan swoop to bring Real Madrid's Karim Benzema to Villa Park.

Benzema joined Real in 2009 in a summer of massive spending for the Spanish giants as they added Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka to their ranks.
The Frenchman was seen as one of the hottest properties in world football at the time but has struggled to secure a regular spot in the Real side since his transfer from Lyon.
The striker has been tipped to depart the Bernabeu in January but Benzema is still desperate to impress in La Liga and would reportedly only consider a loan exit.
Houllier has now been linked with an audacious swoop for the 22-year-old in January, with a view to securing a loan deal that would see Benzema remain at Villa Park until the end of the campaign.
The Villa boss has worked with Benzema before, when manager of Lyon, and the French striker may consider linking up with his compatriot again in a bid to secure regular first-team football and recapture his form.