Karim Benzema's future at Lyon may be entirely dependent on their success and ambitions in this season's Champions League.

Karim Benzema's future at Lyon may be entirely dependent on their success and ambitions in this season's Champions League.

The France striker is a reported target of some of Europe's heavyweight clubs, such as Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The 21-year-old has a contract with the reigning seven-time French champions until 2013, but there is speculation he will leave either at the end of this season or in the summer of 2010.

Benzema insists he is happy at Lyon but wants to see the club make the step up on the European stage after years of underachievement in the Champions League.

In this season's competition, Lyon take on Barcelona - one of the tournament favourites - in the last 16 and a defeat to the Spaniards over the two legs could make Benzema reconsider his future.

"I have reflected a bit on this subject during the winter break," he told French newspaper 10 Sport.

"I'd like to keep my opinion to myself before speaking about it to my family and my agent. But yes, we will have to see what happens after Barcelona.

"We have to stop all this talk about Lyon (underachieving) and to do that, we need to get past the quarter-finals.

"I love this club. I want to stay. But I would also really like it if we stopped getting knocked out in the last 16."

When asked if he was going to be at Lyon next season, Benzema added: "Honestly, I don't know. We will see. For the moment, I am finishing the season here. I feel good at Lyon.

"I get on very well with president (Jean-Michel) Aulas and I have spoken to him about certain things, like about staying until 2010.

"But we have to have special aims in the Champions League."

At the start of the season, Aulas slapped a price tag of 100 million euros on Benzema, who has scored 10 goals in Ligue 1 this campaign.

Benzema said last month it was an ambition of his to play for Real Madrid but at the weekend he was linked with a move to United, the English and European champions.