Arsenal
Arsenal To Sell 18-Goal Ace To Fund €50m Move For Man Utd Target
Arsenal are ready to sell Olivier Giroud in order to make room for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema this summer but could yet face competition from Man Utd
As the opening of the summer transfer window approaches, managers are working hard identifying targets and lining-up potential deals so we’ll bring you all the news and gossip. Today, Arsenal are ready to sell Olivier Giroud to make room for Karim Benzema…
Arsenal are ready to sell Olivier Giroud in order to make room for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema this summer but could yet face competition from Manchester United, according to reports.
Benzema enjoyed another productive season at Madrid with his 22 goals in 46 games helping the Spanish giants reached the Champions League semi final and push Barcelona all the way in the La Liga title race.
Despite his efforts, the French international still came under fire from some sections of the Bernabeu faithful at times last season and, not for the first time, there has been speculation suggesting he could be on the move this summer.
Rafa Benitez is expected to replace Carlo Ancelotti at Madrid and reports suggest the Italian is ready to give Gareth Bale a more central role in the team, which could see Benzema out in the cold, while there is also talk of Madrid making a big-money move for Man City’s Sergio Aguero.
It seems that if Real do decide to sell the 27-year-old hitman, then there won’t be any shortage of interest from England as the Express claim that Arsenal are ready to test Madrid’s resolve with a €50m (£35m) bid.
The newspaper suggests that the Gunners believe Benzema is keen on a move to North London and Arsene Wenger is understood to be willing to cash-in on Olivier Giroud to make room for the former Lyon striker.
Giroud divides opinion among the Emirates fan-base with some feeling he’s an undervalued member of the team while others think he’s simply not good enough to lead the line in a title-winning side.
The Frenchman managed to score 18 goals in all competitions this season, despite missing a large chunk of the campaign through injury, but it seems judging by the Express’s report, Wenger is looking for an upgrade in the form of Benzema.
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However, Arsenal are likely to face stiff competition for his signature if Madrid do decide to sell as reports claim that Manchester United are also keeping a close eye on the players situation and are preparing a bid of their own.
Louis van Gaal is on the look-out for a top class striker after rejecting the chance to sign Radamel Falcao on a permanent basis, and Benzema is the caliber of player United need to make them title-challengers again.
It’s certainly gearing up to be an interesting battle if Benzema comes on the market, so we’ll have to keep a close eye on how things develop over the coming weeks, but my personal view is that I’d be shocked if Madrid did decide to sell. However, stranger things have happened in football….
