Real Madrid striker not expected to join the Emirates this summer…
SEE ALSO: The top 10 best Arsenal games of all time
Real Madrid superstar Karim Benzema will likely be signing a new contract with the Spanish giants, ending his chances of joining Arsenal this summer, reports Spanish publication MARCA.
The Frenchman’s contract expires in 2016, but due to his excellent recent form as part of Carlo Ancelotti’s world-class attacking trio (featuring Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo) he looks set to be offered a bumper extension.
So far this term and La Liga and the Champions League, the 26-year-old has bagged 19, and his assistant manager is confident he will star at the Bernabeu.
“I believe he will renew (his contract). The club is very interested in doing it and he is happy in Madrid. There won’t be any problems,” said fellow Frenchman Zinedine Zidane, who works as Ancelotti’s number two.
Arsenal has been linked with a bumper summer move for the forward, but will now seemingly have to turn their attentions elsewhere. Arsene Wenger currently has Olivier Giroud up top, but he has only scored 12 in the Premier League, and is nowhere near as clinical or powerful as Benzema.
With only Yaya Sanogo and Nicklas Bendtner as backup (the latter is leaving in the summer anyway), the Gunners desperately need to bring in another top notch striker.
It appears though that Benzema will stay with Real Madrid and not move to the Emirates, unlike £42m signing Mesut Ozil did last summer.
Check in to Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal
Read more Arsenal transfer news.