We are once again in that phase of the season when the Arsenal fans tend to be vocal about their manager who, according to their opinion, has failed to cater to the yardsticks of the North London based club. Two defeats on trot, including their timorous outing away at the Stamford Bridge where they were humiliated by the local rivals Chelsea, haven’t gone down very well with the Arsenal faithful.
Arsenal’s January transfer window wasn’t productive in any manner and the club is still lacking a proven striker up front. It is hard to argue on the perspective that the Gunners do need a proven face to bolster their attacking arsenal and there is an absolutely dire need of the same. They have been perennially linked with Real Madrid’s long-standing servant Karim Benzema and apparently, the stakes are high that they might sneak the Frenchman out of Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in the summer.
The 29-year-old hasn’t been among the favourites for the Spanish outfit so far this term owing to his lack of form in front of the goal. Benzema hasn’t found the back of the net in the last five games and has gotten a lot of stick from the fans who have been whistling and ridiculing him. The former Lyon hitman has scored merely 5 goals in 15 appearances in La Liga this term and a move to the Premier League might be a necessary outlet for him in the summer.
Despite his form, Benzema is still a phenomenon striker who is a wanted commodity for many big clubs including Arsenal. Wenger has been a staunch admirer of the French international and a whopping £50 million transfer seems to be on the cards in the summer. The red half of North London are already a dozen points adrift of league leaders Chelsea and with a nervy Champions League Round of Sixteen fixture against Bayern Munich, it is hard to see them clinching anything spectacular this time around too.
The hunt for a sublime striker has been turbulent for Arsenal and they need one in the summer to boost their credentials for next season. Keeping their main men like Alexis Sánchez and Mesut Özil will definitely be a key factor but then, roping Benzema would enable them to cement their stature next season after a dismal 2016-17 campaign. Arsenal would have to make a serious push to get him, but will Benzema pick a move to the English capital after six months when many big clubs would flock for him? Food for thought.
Statistics Credits: Squawka.
