Doing commentary for French television during the Champions League final, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger threw transfer rumors into fits of deja vu after dropping serious hints about Karim Benzema.
Wenger said during the match that the Real Madrid striker “could play his last game for Real Madrid today” and that he’s “sure [Benzema] will play in the Premier League one day.”
The past few years have seen heavy reports that Wenger has swung and missed multiple times in the past at securing Benzema.
A move for the French star makes sense this window as the Gunners have a strong need for someone alongside Olivier Giroud, and the 26-year-old’s role at Madrid has dimished between the arrival of Gareth Bale and their increasing reliance on Cristiano Ronaldo.
English journalist in Paris Peter Allen quipped with a sense of truth that Wenger “sounds a bit worried that Benzema will score.”
https://twitter.com/peterallenparis/statuses/470297604283445248/
Madrid has been heavily linked with a number of central strikers to play the central role between wingers Ronaldo and Bale, including Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and Monaco’s Radamel Falcao.
It’s unlikely that Wenger would drop any serious hints on national TV, and it’s also unlikely they even know exactly who they’re targeting with the window not even open yet. However, the quotes do provide a good glimpse into who the French manager values as a player, and even if Arsenal don’t end up making a move, Benzema could end up at a number of destinations in England.
