All Arsenal fans are used to the Gunners being linked with Karim Benzema every single transfer window since he was a raw youngster at Lyon, but there seems to be a bit more meat in the rumour this time around.
Most pundits are saying that Wenger and Benzema are waiting to see which new arrivals Rafael Benitez brngs in to Real Madrid before deciding whether the French international will be surplus to requirements at the Spanish giants, although todays Sun has had a full page story saying that Arsenal WILL make a £40m bid for the 27 year-old.
Wenger was asked outright if this was true, and Le Prof did not dispel the rumour, in fact he may have made it sound very likely. He said: I really don’t know where this story came from, but it’s not happening. Not at the moment. No.”
So he did not deny it outright – which he has been known to do in the past – and he has left the door open for that usual last minute marquee signing to still happen.
So is Benzema now the most likely newarrival at Arsenal this summer?
i dont think we will get a striker with wenger saying he wants to keep akpom
I suspect that Le Prof is looking at Akpom as his new Thierry Henry so he an then lake all the plaudits and credit and dine out on this piece of “Genius” for the next fifteen years.
If not now then whe? if not now, then next week maybe?? or next month? next seaso?? when Benzema is fifty?
Its all cobblers all this we aint gonna sign a new striker and we all know it.
You might be right. If you are, and if Wenger does create a new Henry, hopefully you’ll be full of praise, that he is able to resist the calls for cheque book management and instead strike a balance between buying (Ozil, Sanchez, Gabriel, Cech etc etc) with developing our young stars.
This makes no sense to me. Ozzy offers an opinion and gets thumbs down. and gooner100 offers his agreement and gets thumbs up. Are we sure we are really rating the comments and not the commenter??
false hope, do not fall for it!
Every transfer window the media try to extract Wenger’s intentions and nearly every time Wenger offers very little. Best not even trying to read the Wenger tea leaves. He loves toying with the media.
I have always been hesitant to consider Benzema a top quality striker. I always thought he was more of a 2nd level striker and Arsenal already have one of those in Giroud and we really don’t know how proficient Walcott could become.
I also consider the possibility that I could be wrong about Benzema and that he is really worth 35-40 mil. Interested to hear your thoughts.
Facepalm of death
#mohak;
I am now certain you don’t know Jack $hit about football to compare Giroud to a striker like Benzima.
Aside from that, the team we have is perfect for being 4th place and a place in ECL. Wether kicked out in first round or second round is immaterial for Wenger and owners, they achieve their goals.
Arsenal is NOT an ambious club to go all out and assemble a team not only for EPL but beyond that ECL.
The only time we came close to EPL in the past few years, was after OZIL, and Sanchez, and STOP selling players (Actually there were nobody left to sell, unfortunately Flamini and Arteta are not attracting any one.
So, the team is good for 4th place, and if we become 3rd like last year, then even better.
I will admit that you could be right and I might be wrong. You, however, do not seem to offer such a concession.
benzema a 2nd tier striker!
OKAY
We need a top player or two….to give the squad and the supporters a feel good factor going into the new season….it will also help with the confidence of the squad
We all want two players (Striker and DM) but I feel Wenger will only get ONE player. Its either a striker or a DM… Let’s wait and see!
a cm it will be…
wengers life motto is “dont listen to what other ppl say. in fact do the exact opposite”
But Wenger said “no its not happening”
At the moment.
I have a strong feeling Madrid won’t sell.
Let’s be realistic: who else out there is good enough to replace Benz at Real? If they sell, it would be mainly becuz, as a top club, they need someone better, right?
We need another good, experienced CF. He doesn’t need to be WC but someone better than Welbeck and if possible better than Giroud.
Chelsea have both Costa and Remy. When Costa was banned, Remy did an excellent job. If Giroud got injured, I would not have loads of confidence in Welbeck.
@mohawk. I totally agree from what I’ve seen of Benzema, he is good and better than Giroud.
He is not however on the level of the terrier type strikers such as Suarez, Aguero, Costa, Tevez, (a few years ago on a good day). Benzema always seems pretty static to me.
I personally like aggresive, mobile and fast strikers. From what I’ve seen of Lacazette he ticks all the boxes at the right price.
Who knows how Benzema would shape in the PL with a free flowing Arsenal supply around him.
he far from static,in fact for France he drops back into midfield to get the ball too much,the only doubt about Benzema is if he can really play the lone striker role,because he seems to prefer to face the play,rather than play with his back 2 goal
Wenger said its not happening.How you can interpret this as anything else is beyond me,as much as i hope the opposite the facts point to What Wenger has said being true.Unless Madrid plan on selling him without buying a replacement
@fred cowardly.
I agree but Wengers response to that could be:
“Sanchez, Walcott and Welbeck can play through the middle if need be”
That’s true.
Last summer Wenger said that we have too many forwards
At the moment. Well when is the right moment?
so we are in for Aubameyang? sources are quoting bids of abt 28 and 30m have already been thrown around. with 26 goals for bvb last season id say he’d be a brilliant signing..sanchez,walcott,auba.. dayuuummm!
I don’t know much about him.
Is he good?
Miles better then Giroud. Not just a few but many.
hes not good enough. believe me. i watch the bundesliga and hes just like walcott.
I’m personally interested in monitoring any transfer activity done by Lyon, Schalke and Dortmund.
If I had to choose 1 player from each I would choose
Dortmund : Reus or Hummels or Bender
Schalke: draxler or Howedes
Lyon: lacazette or Gonalons
Fans logic. Have you seen Wenger smirk when asked about transfers? I swear he is up to soemthing, he is toying with the media. Later Kim Kalstromm. Or something like. ”We tryed our best to find top top top players, but we could not find anyone better then the current players we have right now’.
Listen from what i think, Ozil in my eyes was a panic buy as Fans, many many fans, where at Wenger ass to see him off at that time, so we got our self a super star, all of us where surprised that we got him. We chilled a bit.
Sanchez in my openion was bought, bec cheap. and Wenger knew that he could not relly on Walcotts fitness. The time we got him i said this and i was proven right. Walcott is off the game nowdays. Super sub at best.
We are one of the most stable club in the world, having also 2 bil. And beside that, we still act like some scary chickens. Waiting to long, risking to much.
Fa Cup is worth Sh*t now. We need to aim higher.
yeah but French journalist Laurens Julien and Gerry Armstrong both say Arsenal literally have no chance of signing Benzema.
reus ????????
Leo isnt this Lauren Juliens chap the same guy who told us Yann M’Villa to arsenal is 99% a done deal? He can go to hell for all i care am not listening to anything that comes out of his mouth.
Facking Robin Van Persie was fooled to leave us. He got his Epl title but now he plays for some kebab Team. Beside his age he would be still usefull to us if he would be around.
Without a Proper striker i simple cant never see Arsenal having a chance against any other big team as the constant goal thread is missing. With him or Henry around i always was full of confidance. Ther arent many good striker around anymore. Benteke for example is good, but just imagine him costing 30m+ This is crazy.
This Muzzi Ozcan Guy says Arsenal had a bid rejected for the player we are, or were, after.
who ???????? benz/ or Italian cb
It’s Reus
said da man who didn’t know who santi cazorla was….also “not at da moment”. I hate chess players.
Have you guys ever thought it could be cavani he is a client of muzzi ozcan, I ink it is one of his clients due to him saying signing of the season he wouldn’t big up other agents so I would guess it is one of his own. if not im hopeing for either benzema, reus, Aubameyang any of them would add quality to our side
According to the Spanish press, Benzema is a key player in Benitez’s plans. If another striker comes in, he’ll be used for rotation only
If Rafa Benitez fails to find another striker, Jese is expected to stay & be the rotation option with Benzema
I’m Still waiting, Muzzi
How much longer till the signing of the summer???
Can’t wait!!! lol
I dont think benzema will leave this summer and even if he does real will replace him for an elite striker like aguero or cavani, now if man city lose aguero they will go all out for benzema as well, same as psg if they lose cavani. So i dont think we will be able to match the loads of cash city or psg throw for him any way. What i feel is that if benitez brings some one in attacking dept we can get some one like isco or jese
We get Augbmeyang and the trophy is ours!
hahahahahahahahahahah yeah right!
I think some of our fans are not really! All they do is look to signings as they bash the players we have no matter what. This is not only a bad habit but ingratitude of the highest degree. We have a lot of offensive players who have shown their worth: Sanchez, Walcott, Welbeck, Ozil, Cazorla, Giroud, Oxlade, Ramsey, Wilshere and Akpom. If each of these scored an average of 8 goals how many would these be? Hence it is not all doom and gloom at Arsenal. In fact our worry has never been scoring goals but defending them. Now that we have addressed the defence our future is very bright. What is wrong if Akpom can step up and score ten goals a season? Who knows how many goals a fit Giroud, Welbeck and Walcott can score? Each of these is capable of at least 15 goals each which would make it 45 from just three players. What of the rest then? We need team work, ethic and confidence to win trophies not prominent names. I bet Arsenal will compete favourably this season if we don’t get too many injuries. I even have a strong feeling that our injuries will be tamed this season. We can’t always be the ones to bear the brunt of injuries.
Correction. Opening sentence should read ” I think some —————————are not real” not really.
I would like to see theo play the full season up front providing be doesn’t get injured he looked very sharp towards the end of last season
Wenger should invest in another dm but now that carvalho is injured I don’t know if there are any others (wanyama?)
I actually will never believe Wenger denying a possible transfer, that man will never say YES to whatever he’s asked, we should be used to that by now.
Some says Madrid wont sell Benzema if they cant find a better striker, i dnt agree…i honestly think Cr7 is fading as a fringe player, (lately) he hardly get pass a defender (buh scores for fun)…
The following day benitez signed, he said “i would like and consider Ronaldo to be the No.9, he can score more goals than he already does”…
So benzema can actually be deemed surplus “if” madrid gets an efficient left wing player and Ronaldo moves to the middle…
@gooner954
Wanyamma and Krychowiak and others out there.