Are you sick of seeing Arsenal and Karim Benzema mentioned together?

If so, I’m sorry.

We may have found our solution up front in the form of one Theo Walcott, but it won’t make the Benzema rumours go away any time soon, especially when the striker starts to grumble about his current manager.

After seven matches in La Liga this season, Benzema has six goals (and has only played six games) and is leading the goalscoring charts. A goal every 72 minutes sees him ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo (five), Neymar (four), Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez (both three) in the world’s most star-studded league. So why is he unhappy?

In eight La Liga and Champions League appearances this season, Benzema has played the full 90 minutes on just two occasions and, according to El Confidencial he feels like Rafa Benitez doesn’t have as much faith in him as he should. The Spanish newspaper, who were quick to report Arsenal’s alleged interest in the summer, are reading between the lines a little bit but could have a point.

Even so, Benzema turns 28 in December and Theo Walcott (who will be 27 in March) has started to prove himself as Arsenal’s leading man.

Had the Frenchman pushed for a move to Arsenal last summer it probably could have happened, but are the Gunners really likely to go back for him again next year? I don’t think so, no matter how good he is. Real Madrid would want a huge fee and the clock on Benzema’s career will be ticking.

El Confidecial claim Benzema ‘would be happy’ in north London, but he probably should have had the foresight to see that a few months ago.