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5. Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema would be a huge transfer for Arsenal. He’s a world-class striker with plenty of years left in his prime and he would give Arsenal that top-tier striker that everyone says they need.
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The connections are there at first glance. First of all, he’s French. Secondly, he has an excellent partnership with Olivier Giroud at the national level. That’s one of the main keys that links him to a move to Arsenal. As I’ve covered in depth, Giroud has some shaky confidence and bringing in a replacement striker would likely shatter that confidence.
But to bring in a striker like Benzema who would be more like a partner than a replacement could be good for both Giroud and for Arsenal. It wouldn’t hurt Giroud’s confidence, it may even spur him on.
As far as play style, that’s where Karim Benzema fits in the most. He’s excellent at linking up play and moving the attack forward, something he and Olivier Giroud both do well.
I’m not the only one who has considered a two-striker system at Arsenal with Benzema and Giroud side-by-side and I still remain convinced that it would be an absolutely devastating attack that few in England could stop. Even just using them as a rotation would be devastating. Giroud is a super sub when used off the bench.
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The snag comes in the whole “how realistic is this?” department. Karim Benzema plays for Real Madrid. They like him there. Unless they bring back Alvaro Morata, which they might, they’ll be wanting to hold onto Benzema.
According to the Metro though, Real Madrid’s new boss Rafa Benitez plans to use Ronaldo as a center forward, leaving Benzema out of the equation. If this is true, and it seems plausible, then it may unlock the biggest snag keeping him in Spain.
The other snag is cost. Transfermarkt has him rated at around 36 million pounds. While it would be less than Mesut Ozil, it’s still a huge fee at a position that Arsene Wenger continues to deny that we need.
Next: Victor Wanyama