With Arsenal running out of big-name forwards to sign it was only a matter of time before the press reported that their attentions were turning back to Karim Benzema.
The Frenchman has not enjoyed a quiet year and his future has been a constant source of speculation so we decided to speak to our expert in France to get his take on the Frenchmen in Spain.
“There’s no chance [of Benzema leaving],” Sylvain Jamet told us. “He has a really close ally in Zinedine Zidane, so unless Zidane gets sacked, Benzema will be going nowhere.”
I don’t pretend to understand the politics of Spanish football but it would seem absurd to sell a striker who scored 28 goals (with eight assists) in 36 games last season (24 in 27 league games) but we all know that there are off-field problems that also have to be contended with.
I’ve no doubt Wenger would love to get his hands on Benzema, but it seems the only way that might happen is with the sacking of Zidane. This is Real Madird, so despite him winning the Champions League, that’s always a possibility but the noises that were made not longer after he was appointed seem to have subsided. Mostly.
Meanwhile, it’s being reported that Zidane is using his time in France at the Euros to try and convince Laurent Koscielny to join him in Madrid.