Contrary to reports that Karim Benzema turned down Arsenal flatly during the summer transfer, fresh claims have emerged that the Real Madrid striker actually wanted to leave the Spanish capital.
This is according to the Daily Mail via Metro who say that the France international striker was prepared to end his footballing career at the Santiago Bernabeu for a new challenge at the Emirates stadium. This prompted Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to make an approach for the French forward, with the belief that he can land the striker.
But as per the aforementioned source, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez blocked the move and prevented the former Lyon hitman from making the move to Arsenal. Benzema is one of Perez’s favourite players and the club supremo is not yet ready to part ways with him yet.
If this claim is true, then Italian journalist Emanuele Giulianelli, who claimed that Benzema will certainly sign for Arsenal during this summer must have known some truth about the rumour.
Arsenal’s inability to sign a top notch centre forward has seen Wenger receive adverse criticism, with the club’s first-choice forward Olivier Giroud seen by fans and pundits alike as one who is not capable of pushing the Gunners all the way to the title.