Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners Can Have Karim Benzema For £20 Million
London Evening Standard. The north London club were keen on the 25-year-old attacker over the summer but were quoted £40 million by the Spanish giants, causing manager Arsene Wenger to cool his interest. However, a run of indifferent form that has seen Benzema score just twice in eight league games, coupled by a reported rift with coach Carlo Ancelotti, has led to the depreciation in the forward's value. Despite signing Gareth Bale for a world-record fee over the summer, Ancelotti has realised his side need more attacking impetus, and will therefore use the proceeds from Benzema's sale to bid for Liverpool's Luis Suarez. Suarez was linked with both Real and Arsenal over the summer, and it seems as though the big winners from this hypothetical chain of events would be the Gunners. Wenger only has one fit senior striker in Oliver Giroud with Lukas Podolski out until the New Year, and Benzema's arrival would further compliment an attack force that also includes recently-signed Mesut Ozil. Arsenal are on the hunt for trophies on all fronts this season and this extra firepower could be just what they need to carry over their terrific form this season into 2014. Whether the Londoners offer Benzema an escape route from the Bernabeu however remains to be seen. Wenger is a known admirer of the Frenchman, but given the recent form of Giroud, may decide his purchase is unnecessary. Benzema's countryman has netted four goals in seven games for the Gunners, and any move for the Madrid man may be disruptive.