When a club like Arsenal go looking in the marketplace for new players, their due diligence has to include a look at their background and attitude as much as for his footballing prowess.
It’s no use buying a player that might be considered one of the best in the world if he just can’t get on with his team-mates, and if there’s one thing that sets a Mikel Arteta side apart, it’s the togetherness of the dressing room.
There’s little doubt that if the North London outfit felt a potential new signing wasn’t going to fit in, they simply wouldn’t go after him.
The Gunners have been linked with former Real Madrid legend, Karim Benzema, in recent weeks, after news that the Frenchman had fallen out with his paymasters at Al Ittihad.
Whilst it isn’t clear what has caused the potential problems, it seems certain that there’s no future for Benzema in the Saudi Pro League.
“Karim returned to training with Al-Ittihad, he’s regularly training now with the squad but not with the rest of the group,” CaughtOffside columnist, Fabrizio Romano, said on the Men in Blazers podcast.
“He’s training by himself I am told, he’s training alone, it is a very tense situation between Benzema, people at the club, the manager, they are not happy at all with the current situation.”
That summary of the present situation should be sounding the alarm bells at the Emirates Stadium, aside from any potential salary concerns.
Benzema would evidently add something to the Gunners front line it’s true, but to sign such a disruptive influence would surely mean going against their core values.
A short 6 to 12 month contract could be possible.
Benzema isn’t a disruptive influence just because you say he is… I think a such highly decorated professional deserves more than poorly argued articles like this