The Sunday Mirror believe that Arsenal will fight Chelsea in the battle to sign Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who is now said to be available for a cut-price fee of £17m, a fee that Wenger would surely be willing to fork out to land the long term Gunners target.
Benzema has become something of a target for the Bernabeu ‘boo-boys’ and now Carlo Ancelotti appears ready to sell the 25 year old, perhaps with a view to using any funds from the sale of the former Lyon man to help put towards a possible replacement.
The French international scored in both his opening two La Liga fixtures but has followed that up with six blanks amid growing competition from youngster Alvaro Morata.
Having seen Gonzalo Higuain leave for Napoli one would have thought that Benzema would ‘up his game’ knowing he was Real Madrid’s only effective senior out and out striking option but that has not proven the case and a move to Arsenal may well tempt the powerful forward.
Benzema has scored 91 goals in 193 appearances since moving to Real Madrid in July 2009.