Arsenal offered Karim Benzema transfer as third parties hawk Real Madrid trio around the Prem
Arsenal offered Karim Benzema transfer as third parties hawk Real Madrid trio around the Prem
Striker and Bernabeu team-mates Ozil and Di Maria said to be up for grabs as Spanish giants plot to buy Bale AND Suarez
I ain't gettin' on no plane: Benzema will need convincing to join Arsenal
Martin Rose
Karim Benzema HAS been offered to Arsenal as part of a sensational shake-up at Real Madrid.
Benzema, Angel Di Maria and Mesut Ozil are all surplus to requirements at Real Madrid as the Spanish giants look to fund both a world-record deal for Spurs' Gareth Bale and a £42million bid for Luis Suarez of Liverpool.
It is understood the Gunners are interested in ALL three Real players.
However, as revealed by the Mirror, Benzema is top of their wanted list because the signing of a world-class striker remains their No1 priority.
France international Benzema, 25, does not want to leave Madrid though, and his agent Karim Djaziri has even claimed he is not interested in a move to Arsenal.
But the Spanish giants are trying to sell him behind his back before the window shuts next Monday night.
Third
parties have been hawking the trio around the Premier League - Mirror
Sport understands Manchester United have also been sounded out over
Benzema... and turned him down.
United have also been sounded out about Ozil and Di Maria.
Real
could potentially raise £100m by selling the trio, which would pay for
Bale and also part-finance a move for Suarez, although their valuation
of the Uruguayan striker - on whom Arsenal are STILL keeping tabs - is
well short of Liverpool's.
Arsenal are closest to a deal for Argentina winger Di Maria, but must persuade him to move to London.
Di Maria is reluctant to leave Madrid which will also be the sticking point over Benzema.
Benzema
is desperate for a new contract at Real and has a strong relationship
with club president Florentino Perez, but it is clear that they may end
up seeing him as being surplus requirements.
Arsenal boss Arsene
Wenger is a long-term admirer of Ozil - he tried to sign the Germany
midfielder before he moved to Madrid - and the Gunners are watching
developments closely.
Arsenal would not buy all three players, but are keeping a very close eye as they are seemingly all available.
Elsewhere,
the Londoners have held further talks about French midfielder Yohan
Cabaye but are unlikely to match Newcastle's £20m price-tag for a player
Paris Saint-Germain are also keen on.
Former Arsenal midfielder
Mathieu Flamini, now a free agent, will re-sign for the club, after his
agent Darren Dein held lengthy talks on Monday.
Wenger admits
Arsenal need numbers as much as they need quality, but they may have to
wait until the very end of the transfer window to land the top class
striker they have been after all summer.
He said: "We have not got
a fixed number. I just think we're a bit short at the moment. The most
important thing is to focus on the quality of the squad I have and to
play the football we want to play.
"I'm guided by my conscience to do my best for this club, and by my desire to play a good quality of football here.
"It is not just about additions. The key is about making the
right additions. Attitude, focus, the mental aspect in the modern game
is vital.
"I will not give you any names because it would be
unfair on the players who play at the clubs. It might create some wrong
hopes.
"You could see that many of the disputes all over the country are because the coaches or managers speak about the players.
"[So we will] Be discreet in our job and try to make things happen."
With less than a week to go until the transfer window shuts, time is running out for Wenger to recruit.
But we've given him a helping hand by identifying six players he could still buy to save Arsenal's season.
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