Karim Benzema denied any contact with Arsenal. Valencia’s manager believes that Juan Mata will stay with the club. Arsenal is close to signing Jose Rodriguez from Real Madrid.
Karim Benzema told L’Equipe that he is focused on Real Madrid, not the Gunners: “My place is at this club. I have never talked to Mr Wenger or anyone else.
“I want to enjoy success here. I have found my self-belief. This season, I know we will win titles.”
The Benzema-to-Arsenal rumours will persist, but there is no real prove besides the fact that both Wenger and Benzema are French. Wenger already signed his striker (Gervinho), and he will not pay a fortune for Benzema. The French international striker is quite a player, but he won’t be a Gunner.
Valencia are now more confident than ever that Arsenal target Juan Mata will stay. Valencia boss Unai Emery told TalkSport: “Mata has gone through a process of doubts about his future but now we all believe he will stay at Valencia.”
Arsene Wenger’s dilly-dallying may have cost him another very talented player. Mata’s buyout clause expired last Sunday, and Wenger may now have to pay much more to pry the 23-year old winger away from Valencia.
Of course, Emery could just be playing to the supporters. Arsene Wenger speaks confidently about Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, despite their unsettled situations. Managers believe every player will stay at the club until the day they are sold.
According to Daily Mail, Arsenal are set to sign the young Jose Rodriguez away from the [...]
Arsenal are interested in midfielder Santi Cazorla from Villareal. Arsene Wenger is set to launch a new bid for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. The Gunners have not given up on signing West Ham’s Scott Parker either.
Santi Cazorla could be a replacement for Cesc Fabregas. The 26-year old attacking midfielder has been a key player for Villareal, and also played a part in Spain’s Euro 2008 victory. Arsenal will have to battle the newly-wealthy Malaga, who are also interested in the Villareal man.
According to Goal.com, Villareal are willing to sell either Cazorla or striker Giuseppe Rossi, but not both. Malaga made an offer of £17.6m for Cazorla earlier this week but were turned down. It is believed that Villareal do not want to sell Cazorla to Spanish rivals.
This could provide an advantage for Arsenal. Villareal want at least £20m for Carzola, who has 13 goals for Spain in 34 appearances. Wenger could meet that asking price, especially is Cesc is sold.
Arsene Wenger is not ready to give up on signing Karim Benzema away from Real Madrid. The French striker has been a favourite of Wenger for some time. Some would even call him Wenger’s “white whale.”
According to Caught Offside, Wenger is readying a £25m bid for Benzema. Despite signing Gervinho, Arsene is still looking for depth up front and Benzema certainly provides power and skill. But Arsenal should be focusing on signing a defender at this time and not a striker.
Look, Benzema is a really good striker. But that [...]
7 July 2011: Arsenal have rejected a £20m for Samir Nasri from Manchester United. According to reports, Wenger has launched an aggressive campaign for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. Barcelona are growing impatient as Cesc negotiations wear on. The transfer market is really heating up.
Let’s start with the Nasri news. We have now learned that Alex Ferguson opened the bidding two weeks ago, offering £20m for Nasri. Arsenal have now rejected that offer and will not let Nasri go for less than £25m. Manchester United has already spent big this summer, signing Phil Jones, De Gea, and Ashley Young. Will they hand over more cash in order to improve the centre of their midfield?
This news may open the door for Manchester City. Mancini will be looking to turn his club into title contenders, and money is not an issue. It could turn into a bidding war between the two Manchester clubs for Nasri. Hopefully for Arsene Wenger, this auction will drive the price of Nasri sky high.
Wenger will need as much cash as he can to replace Nasri, Clichy, and possibly Cesc. Do not forget about the centre-half conundrum. We need defensive help, and that should still be the main focus this transfer season. I would not fear Cesc and Nasri exits because Arsene will have talent scouts across Europe and South America looking for the next gem.
According to the Daily Mail, Arsene is pushing hard for Karim Benzema. Wenger will offer Real Madrid £27m for the 23-year old striker. Mourinho might [...]
Arsene Wenger has confirmed that he would like to sign Karim Benzema. The Real Madrid striker has been linked with Arsenal in the past, but only in rumours. Wenger clarified yesterday: “Signing him does not seem impossible. He’s a player that I like.
“He’s intelligent in his movement; he is capable of combining well with others and making a difference, and of doing individual moves as well.
“So, for me, he’s a player who’s at the top level in the world.”
We definitely need a striker to compliment Robin and to fill in when the Dutchman is injured. If we signed Benzema, it would likely be a record transfer for Arsenal. Would Wenger still be willing to spend even more to remedy the defence, the main weakness with this team? Do we even have enough cash to sign Benzema and a centre-half?
Karim Djarziri, Benzema’s agent, denied any talks with Arsenal: “I went to London for personal business, not to discuss any transfer.
“Karim Benzema has a contract with Real Madrid so let’s wait and see.
“He loves Madrid and wants to play every time as he loves playing football.”
Benzema is unhappy at his limited playing time under Mournho so he could try to force his way to the Emirates. Sky Sports are reporting that the rumoured deal is for £21.6 million. Wenger may be able to convince players like Cesc and Nasri to stay if he pays that much for a player. It would show the club’s commitment [...]
The transfer rumour mill is already starting up. Today, Nicklas Bendtner had this to say about his future with the Gunners: “I need to have a talk with him [Wenger] because I’m not satisfied as well. I’m not satisfied with playing on the right wing which I’ve done more or less all season long.
“I’m concentrating on getting the Champions League place and then we’ll do the evaluation at the end of the season. It’s certainly not the best thing for me but it’s not up to oneself and sometimes you have to adapt to what the manager says.”
I understand Bendtner here. He is simply not a winger but Wenger tries to play him there frequently. The Danish striker is not good enough to start with the team so I think it is time for both parties to separate. We do not need him, and he wants to play with a team where he can start at striker.
This brings about another interesting rumour I have been hearing over the past few days: Benzema coming to Arsenal. Benzema is currently part of Real Madrid’s very crowded striker club. The Frenchman has struggled to get playing time (similar to Bendtner) next to Emmanuel Adebayor and Gonzalo Higuain.
The 23 year-old Benzema does have 23 goals in all competitions for Real this season. The reports say that Wenger would be willing to offer £22 million for him. I believe this would be a good move for both the club and RVP. [...]
