Arsene Wenger wants to bring Bernabeu man to the Emirates Stadium.
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Arsenal are reportedly lining up a €46m (£39m) bid for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema as Arsene Wenger desperately looks to bring in a prolific forward to spearhead his Gunners attack according to French source Le10Sport.
Having failed to land Benzema’s former team-mate Gonzalo Higuain, who subsequently joined Napoli, and with moves to bring in Liverpool ace Luis Suarez stalling, Arsene Wenger has turned his attention to a long term target in the form of French international Karim Benzema.
Wenger is said to have taken an interest in Benzema ever since he burst onto the scene at Lyon and the Arsenal boss did set his sights on the powerful forward ahead of his move to Real Madrid back in July 2009. Now it appears that the Emirates Stadium boss is willing to try again.
Having failed with a bid in excess of £40m for Suarez, Wenger may feel it wise to turn his attention to Benzema, who’s time at Real Madrid can perhaps be best described as ‘up and down’.
Benzema struggled for form when he first arrived in the Spanish capital but his overall record of 87 goals in 183 appearances is still fairly prolific, especially when you consider a fair share of those appearances were from the bench.
At 25 years of age there is still plenty left in the tank but one does wonder if Carlo Ancelotti would be ready to consider offers for Benzema when he has seen Higuain leave for Napoli. If however Real Madrid were to win the race to sign Luis Suarez then perhaps such a move by the Arsenal boss becomes more plausible, especially when you take into account that youngster Alvaro Morata is maturing into a striker with great potential.
Wenger is no doubt keen to bring in a strong goal-scoring presence to boost his attack after Olivier Giroud’s first season at the club, which was perhaps a little pedestrian, the former Montpellier man managing just 11 goals in 34 Premier League appearances last term.