Arsenal ended 2023 on a sour note with losses to local rivals Fulham and West Ham. Despite their thumping 5-0 win over Crystal Palace last weekend, doubts remain over their goalscoring prowess. However, things could change soon as Fabrizio Romano reports that Al-Ittihad striker Karim Benzema is one to monitor in the coming days for fans of the Gunners.
Could Karim Benzema Be Coming to Arsenal in January?
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Tense Situation in Saudi Arabia
Benzema who made the switch to the Middle East just last summer is reportedly unhappy with his current situation. Al-Ittihad, his current club, are currently 25 points behind leaders Al-Hilal in the points table. The French striker himself has had an underwhelming start to his career at Saudi Arabia.
As per Romano, the current situation between the player and the club is “tense” as Benzema is keen on exploring other options while the club themselves are unwilling to part ways with their prized possession. The Ballon d’Or winner is currently on a whopping salary of £1.6M-Per-Week.
The journalist also adds that the Frenchman would be an exciting option for Arsenal as they chase Liverpool for their first league title in two decades.
Nothing Ongoing Between Karim Benzema and Arsenal for Now
Despite the interest from fans, Romano iterates that there is nothing concrete between the two parties at the moment. However, this is a situation to watch as we head towards the end of the winter transfer window. Thus far, the North London side have been quiet on the transfer front, but things could change very soon.
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Mikel Arteta’s side have been linked with a plethora of strikers, most notably Ivan Toney, but nothing has materialized yet. The Gunners are restricted by Financial Fair Play rules owing to their big summer expenditure and any deal for a substantial fee is hard to imagine getting done this month.
Whether Arsenal look for a short-term replacement in Karim Benzema and go big in the summer for one of their preferred striker targets remains to be seen.
