Arsenal

Arsenal

Premier League • England

Arsenal sensationally backed to sign legendary striker on six-month loan

Karim Benzema with the Ballon d'Or trophy

Karim Benzema with the Ballon d'Or trophy

Arsenal have been urged to “go and get” Karim Benzema on a six-month loan to help overhaul Liverpool and fire the Gunners to their first Premier League title in over 20 years.

Ahead of the north London derby on Wednesday night, all the talk around Arsenal once again centred on the club’s lack of a potent striker and inability to finish chances.

Arsenal haven’t lacked for clear-cut openings in recent weeks despite missing Bukayo Saka through a hamstring injury. However, those at the top end of the pitch – Kai Havertz in particular – have continued to falter in front of goal.

And with Gabriel Jesus suffering a season-ending ACL injury, Mikel Arteta has now been deprived of the only out-and-out striker in his squad.

Arsenal do have financial room to make a major signing this month. Their rapidly advancing move for midfielder Martin Zubimendi is with a view to an arrival in the summer.

And speaking on TNT Sports ahead of the clash with Spurs, pundits Ally McCoist and Rio Ferdinand were asked who Arsenal should sign if they do sign a striker this month.

“I’d go and get [Karim] Benzema,” said Ferdinand. “I’d say give me six months loan, Benzema, have that.”

Ally McCoist names more realistic target

Benzema, now 37, is one of the greatest strikers in football history. The Frenchman won five Champions League titles at Real Madrid and scooped the Ballon d’Or while deep into his 30s back in 2022.

Benzema brought his glittering 14-year stint at the Bernabeu to a close in 2023 when joining Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad.

After a slow start to life in the middle east, Benzema has rediscovered his form with 12 goals and three assists in just 13 appearances this season.

McCoist, meanwhile, pointed to Victor Osimhen as the man to fill the goalscoring void at Arsenal.

“I’d go for Osimhen,” McCoist said. “He’s still been scoring goals in Turkey. His form is not what it was 18 months ago with Napoli, but I think he can get there again.”

Osimhen is currently on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli. His agreement contains a break clause that top clubs can trigger if they intend to sign the striker in a permanent transfer.

Osimhen’s deal back at Napoli contains a layered release clause. He can reportedly be signed for €90m/£75m in January and that figure drops to €75m/£62m from the summer onwards.

Latest Arsenal news – Zubimendi hijack / True striker target / Mbeumo bidding war

In other news, Sky Germany state four high-powered clubs have their eyes on hijacking Arsenal’s move for Martin Zubimendi.

Liverpool – who made Zubimendi their No 1 transfer target last summer – are among the quartet.

Elsewhere transfer insider, Rudy Galetti, has informed TEAMtalk that Dusan Vlahovic is Arsenal’s ‘No 1’ striker target for the January window.

Vlahovic’s chances of leaving Juve have soared amid the imminent arrival of Randal Kolo Muani on loan from PSG.

We understand that Arsenal will gather further information on Vlahovic in the coming days and intend to decide whether to make a concrete bid for the Juventus striker later this week.

Finally, Arsenal’s search for a new right winger to provide competition and cover for Bukayo Saka appears to be taking them to Brentford.

Sky Germany recently stated Bryan Mbeumo has been shortlisted by Arsenal and a fresh update from RMC Sport claims a transfer in January is not out of the question.

But with Man Utd, Tottenham and Arsenal all gathering information on Mbeumo, Brentford have been tipped to drive up the price in anticipation of a heated bidding war.

POLL: Who was Edu’s best signing? ⬇️