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- Confirmed line-ups: Arsenal vs Chelsea: Smith Rowe starts, Willian not in squad
Hunter: Madrid Want To Sell Benzema To Arsenal To Fund Suarez Move
An interesting development on our striker search today with respected Spanish journalist, Graham Hunter, telling talkSPORT that Real Madrid are prepared to sell Karim Benzema to Arsenal to fund their move for Liverpool’s Luis Suarez.
Widespread reports on Thursday morning claim we are in talks with Madrid for Benzema as well as winger Angel Di Maria, with the Telegraph claiming the Spaniard’s have given us encouragement a deal can be done for around £40m.
Most people’s immediate reaction was ‘bullshit’, as it seems highly unlikely that Madrid would be willing to sell both Benzema and Higuain in the same summer.
However, Spanish journalist Graham Hunter claims this has been the plan all along and the Madrid hierarchy set out this summer to completely re-shape their attacking line-up. The priority was Bale and Higuain was sacrificed in order to raise funds for the Welshman.
But Hunter suggests that Suarez has very-much been on their radar as well and with Benzema unconvincing in recent months, to the extent he was booed at the weekend by his own supporters, it seems he’s now become expendable with Real willing to sell the 25-year-old to Arsenal to fund a move for Suarez.
The La Liga expert told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show this morning:
“The dream for Madrid is not simply to complete the [Gareth] Bale deal but to swap around their strikeforce.
“Benzema has not convinced over the last ten months and was booed off at the weekend when substituted, despite scoring.
“Madrid see a scenario where they are willing to trade Benzema to get the money to try to go after [Luis] Suarez. That’s their strategy.”
Suarez has made it clear he wants out of Anfield and would no doubt jump at the chance of moving to the Bernabeu, while Liverpool will surely be more receptive to selling their disgruntled star abroad rather than to Arsenal.
So this could actually work out well for everyone. Apart from Liverpool, of course. The majority of Arsenal fans would love to have Benzema on board with sections not overly enthusiastic at the thought of Suarez making the move to the Emirates.
Maybe this was the plan all along? Our move for Suarez always seemed a little odd. Perhaps we purposely unsettled Suarez and Liverpool so the Merseysiders would end up being relieved to sell to Madrid, while we could then fund the move by taking Benzema off their hands? Maybe a little far fetched, but it would explain a few things!
Let’s see how this goes, but with Wenger promising a busy last 10 days, it’s gearing up to be an exciting end to the summer for Arsenal fans.
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RealG
August 22, 2013 at 2:25 pm
So if this is the case…In a round about way…don’t Liverpool end up strengthening the Arsenal whilst getting weaker anyway?!! lol
hmmmm...
August 22, 2013 at 2:26 pm
Indeed, the brilliant master plan all along…do nothing for 90% of the transfer window and wait for all the good players to be sold. Then…spring into action. A brilliant move to unsettle Suarez too. Though in fact, Suarez right now looks less “unsettled” than he has been the last 12 months (where he was always being asked about moving and hinting that he might). AFC just pointed to the elephant in the room, and Liverpool finally dealt with the issue in a definitive way. Every Liverpool fan is thanking us for finally debunking his so, called, escape clause and allowing their management to appear strong. Tell me, do you think getting hammered by Villa was also part of it…because, if so, that was a real master-stroke? All that said, Benzema is a fine player and I hope he comes.
boobird
August 22, 2013 at 2:30 pm
too funny…
yes, “far-fetched” is one word for it. i can think of another couple, but can’t print them here.
Remi
August 22, 2013 at 10:55 pm
Negative mind,very negative mind.
jordan gooner
August 22, 2013 at 11:37 pm
We were not hammered by Villa. The ref gifted them the game by giiving them a pen, and sending Kos off.
The real Arsenal played in Turkey, now they have to get a result at Fulham.
John
August 22, 2013 at 2:28 pm
Suarez, Bale and Ronaldo up front scary stuff for Madrid or they are bound to fall out with each other especially Ronaldo and Suarez. I do like the sound of Di Maria, Benzema, Walcott at Arsenal with Podolski, Giroud and Chamberlain in the Back up positions. Would be good stuff. Let’s just raid Madrid for the players they find surplus to requirements. Casllias, Pepe, Khedira, Di Maria and Benzema in door and they sign Suarez and Bale.
sceptic
August 22, 2013 at 2:33 pm
Lol Very far fetched. Wouldn’t it be simpler for Madrid to exchange Benzema & Di Maria against Suarez? Where would that leave Arsenal then?
ogban
August 22, 2013 at 2:48 pm
Don’t forget Liverpool are not in Europe, and these players would not want to go
Haz
August 22, 2013 at 8:35 pm
The difference there is champions league.
afc dawg
August 22, 2013 at 2:34 pm
I Don’t think arsenal will get benzema cuz they stall there moves like when they sent a scout to watch real Madrid vs Bournemouth that’s stupid because everyone knows higuain has class
Awesome kalu
August 22, 2013 at 2:38 pm
Benzema OUT,SUAREZ IN…..RONALDO +SUAREZ+BALE=killer squad
Gareth
August 22, 2013 at 2:39 pm
GB11 is not going to RM. It’s all a ploy to achieve two things:
1) From RM’s p of v: get Ronaldo to sign new contract, which he is about to.
2) From THFC’s p of v: keep Suarez at Lpool and thwart Arse’s plan to strengthen the striker dept.
Has worked a treat so far. GB11 will sign a 1 year extension and your lot of knuckle draggers will have no new players to speak of, besides what the professor can throw into his trolley two minutes before the end of the window.
Enjoy St Arsehole day this season, date to be announced, but probably some time in February.
Gooner
August 22, 2013 at 2:49 pm
As a long time, fed-up gooner, I tend to agree.
We sold Henry, Viera, Nasri, Cesc, RvP and we never replaced. The spuds are (maybe) about to sell bale and have so far spent £60 million on strengthening. If we were one point better than them last season, what will be this season? It was an absolute disgrace how Wenger said that it is hard to sign a player this window. We were after vertongen last year as well as dembele, and the spuds got them first. We were once after capoue and the spuds beat us again.
This year is make or break.
Mk
August 22, 2013 at 3:34 pm
Lol, and we built an incredible stadium and champions league football each year and the spuds have what exactly? (not that we were likely ever actually in for any of those players anyway)
Arsenal1Again
August 22, 2013 at 4:17 pm
If the Spuds didn’t have Bale they wouldn’t have even been in the Europa League this season. One man team. When Bale leaves, the incoming players they manage to convince to join them will all be maybes. None are gauranteed to gel or handle the Premiership and none are going to be gauranteed goalscorers like Bale has been. Any day I would give Boas a choice of any 5 players in the world he can manage to entice to the Lane and know that Arsenal will finish the season above them with Wenger having a choice of just two players he can manage to entice to the Emirates.
stevie adds
August 22, 2013 at 5:14 pm
LOL… WHAT,DO YOU MEAN SUREZ OR PERHAPS HIGUAIN OR PERHAPS ROONEY
OR MAYBE BENZAMA…DREAM ON PAL NONE OF THESE PLAYERS WOULD JOIN ARSENAL.YOUR LIVING IN A DREAM WORLD SONNY.SPURS HAVE DONE THER BUSINESS WITH MORE TO COME.JUST LISTEN TO YOUR EX PLAYERS LIKE MERSON ADAMS OR NICHOLAS THEY ALL ADMIT SPURS ARE WAY WAY WAY AHEAD
SJT
August 22, 2013 at 5:35 pm
Funny that…everyone says spurs way way ahead….said same last season….and season before….just shows how good Wenger is …with supposedly inferior players they somehow always end up ahead of Spurs
STEVIEADDS
August 22, 2013 at 6:02 pm
YES BUT YOUR LIVING IN THE PAST PAL, TYPICAL ARSENAL YOU’VE GOT TO MOVE ON LIKE ALL THE ARSENAL PLAYERS DO..LOL
STEVIEADDS
August 22, 2013 at 6:09 pm
YOUR NOW SAYING WENGER IS GOOD.YOU ARSENAL DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU SAYING ONE MINUTE HE’S GREAT THE NEXT MINUTE YOUR KNOCKING HIM FOR NOT SIGNING ANYBODY ,MAKE YOUR MIND UP,WHAT WILL YOU SAY WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR NEXT MATCH BECAUSE THER’S A LOT BETTER TEAMS OUT THER THAN VILLA 3-1 LOL
stevie adds
August 22, 2013 at 5:08 pm
JOIN THE SPUDS YOU KNOW ARSENAL ARE GOING NOWHERE,WENGER JUST TEASES ALL GOONERS BY GOING FOR PLAYERS HE KNOWS YOU WON’T GET,ROONEY,SUAREZ,HIGUAIN AND NOW BENZAMA.YOU ARE ALL MUGS SPURS
DON’T HAVE THIS PROBLEM.
STEVIEADDS
August 22, 2013 at 6:10 pm
WAY WAY AHEAD LOL
RedCurrant
August 22, 2013 at 9:58 pm
‘YOUR LIVING IN THE PAST’ (note the illiterate spud typo) says the man whose team haven’t won the league in six decades.
SJT
August 22, 2013 at 5:26 pm
Vertognen and dembele…….these are the players that so strengthened spurs that they finished……5th as opposed to 4th the previous season
ArsenalBoy57
August 22, 2013 at 2:59 pm
Deluded much?
ArsenalBoy57
August 22, 2013 at 3:01 pm
Deluded much? Deluded much?
Marcjean
August 22, 2013 at 2:39 pm
If true,sweat.
Farooq
August 22, 2013 at 2:40 pm
Honestly I’m not too keen to see Benzema added to our ranks, ever since his move from Lyon to Madrid he hasn’t found that panache in front of goal he had back in Lyon. In all honesty, of the countless Les Bleus matches and Madrid matches I have witnessed, Benzema has never had me off my seat or really impressed in front of goal, he always seemed a bit lazy with his touch. That being said, Wenger could bring out the best in Benzema (his fellow countryman) but I don’t think we need a striker who might require time regaining his confidence in front of goal, rather we need someone who will add flair and execution to our front line on the go, I know this wont sit well with fellow gooners but I thought Suarez would have been the perfect recruitment for our strike force, we could have used someone with that ‘never say die’ attitude to inspire the team when things are going against us, I feel we have that somewhat with Jack Wilshere, but it would have made a huge difference if we had someone ruthless like Suarez up front to inspire with his goals and killer instinct.
Hammed Azeez
August 22, 2013 at 2:44 pm
Its better for wenger nw to sign player before its too, late signing of benzema will be a gud one for him.
bigdaddy
August 22, 2013 at 2:50 pm
nice move but isn,t just like other rummurs we hear n eventualy fade.
DeanoLFC
August 22, 2013 at 2:52 pm
Or just maybe liverpool played the game all along by getting Suarez to say he wants to leave and would be interested in arsenal therefore leaving arsenal to miss out on all other potential targets and top strikers leaving them with nowhere to go and liverpool keep there top striker whilst arsenal end up desperately looking to buy anyone who is half decent therefore getting their own fans on their back and!! What a mastersoke by liverpool!! Haha you people really are deluded writing sh1t like this it’s an insult to arsenal fans
ogban
August 22, 2013 at 2:53 pm
This story might have a ring of substance to it considering Liverpool were in the running to sign Willian. But when, for Christ’s sake will we have a signing, any signing, in Arsenal?
bigdaddy
August 22, 2013 at 2:59 pm
Benzema has been my favorite striker to watch even before he join madrid.i hope arsene won,t decieve us.
stevie adds
August 22, 2013 at 4:57 pm
KEEP WATCHING,HE’S MORE LIKELY TO JOIN SPURS IF THEY WANTED HIM,BUT
LUCKILY FOR YOU THEY DON’T WANT HIM,,,,,
MaxidusForMen
August 22, 2013 at 3:01 pm
So let me get this right…Suarez’s agent met with Arsenal and told them about a £40m realise clause but in reality they were discussing how to unsettle Suarez, paving the way for Madrid to swoop whilst at the same time, Arsenal’s real target would be Benzema and Di Maria? And whilst at it, how they would shaft Liverpool by leaving it so late that Liverpool would be unable to find a replacement? So when Poundland bid £40m plus £1 in the hope of triggering his release clause, what would Madrid have done if Liverpool had sold Suarez to Arsenal? Or was the “pound” part of the master plan, as they knew that this would piss Liverpool off so as not to sell?
Or maybe, here’s a thought, Benzema and Di Maria would be going to Liverpool as part of a swap deal for Suarez. This would would simplify the whole process. Madrid will get what they want and so would Liverpool. Happy days! Except Arsenal of course. But then you would still have your £70m!
Steve
August 22, 2013 at 3:22 pm
Read the previous comments, as someone has rightly stated… Liverpool aren’t a Champions League club, so Benzema and Di Maria would not want to be a part of any deal for Suarez
DeanoLFC
August 22, 2013 at 3:55 pm
Arsenal got beat at home by villa who narrowly avoided relegation last year so Di Maria and Benzema wouldn’t want to be part of that.
crispen
August 22, 2013 at 5:51 pm
There is the small issue of the Champions League…. Benzema and his level of player are not coming to a club that is 12 points behind fourth….simple as
DeanoLFC
August 22, 2013 at 7:10 pm
What’s the point in arsenal being in the champs league? They are never going to win it and the players know that so just participating means little when a player comes to the end of their career!! Arsenal dont win anythin! Simples
Idrissbawadbm
August 22, 2013 at 3:20 pm
Awesome kalu Danger boy he said bale +rinaldo+suares =Deat is really the sing of calimity want fall on the spanian clup the sing is Danger HMM!
Twig
August 22, 2013 at 3:43 pm
If AFC can go up to £40M for Suarez, I don’t see why they can’t go up by a further £8 – £10M. For a player that will guarantee them 20+ goals a season. Benzema will certainly not guarantee that. It would have been very impressive had AFC – despite all the ridicule over their £40M + £1 bid – gone ahead and made a final offer of £48M. But sadly, that’s not the way AFC works.
stevie adds
August 22, 2013 at 4:54 pm
FORGET SUAREZ,HE FOR SURE WON’T WANT TO JOIN ARSENAL,HE’S LOOKING TO THE FUTURE AND ARSENAL WON’T BE IN THE CL NEXT YEAR,SO HE WILL BE IN THE SAME POSITION HE IS NOW,,,,,
RedCurrant
August 22, 2013 at 10:00 pm
Got a small cock on a basketball, stevie?
Andy Mack
August 22, 2013 at 3:46 pm
I don’t think this was the original plan. I think AW found out that RM wanted the Bite boy and thought they could force the Higuain sale by stirring the pot with him. But he hadn’t expected Benitez to jump in and the stirring went wrong.
This would be a good option for us as Benzema is a very good player that should work well under AW. I do hope it’s not a fake story from the media.
9ja BuoY
August 22, 2013 at 4:19 pm
If Real are indeed interested in suarez then LFC are d losers here cos in reality its goona b anoda year(2014/2015) without the champions league.LFC fanz shud really stop deluding themselves,Suarez will Leave no doubt.. hope wenger moves quicky
stevie adds
August 22, 2013 at 4:48 pm
If REAL WANT TO SELL BENZAMA TO FUND SUAREZ,WHY ARE ARSENAL NOT STILL PERSUING SUAREZ….TYPICAL ARSENAL ALWAYS SETTLE FOR THE CHEAPEST OPTION……AT THE END OF THE DAY WENGER KNOWS HE WOULD’NT GET BENZAMA
SUAREZ OR ROONEY,GOING BACK IN FOR ADEBAYOR SEEMS MORE REALISTIC..
Breezy
August 22, 2013 at 6:20 pm
Dude … shut up your annoying
musterphy
August 22, 2013 at 7:22 pm
THE NEWS IS NOT REAL,WENGER IS UNTRUSTABLEHE CAN CHANGE HIS MIND ANYTIME. PERTICULARLY IF WE WINS 3GAMES ON ROW
Me
August 22, 2013 at 9:37 pm
And so are you..
Muzefa
August 22, 2013 at 8:16 pm
Be sure wenger never spend >£14m player bs of lack of confidence , he is lyer, doesn’t care 4 club funs, lives 4 himself(£7.5m)/year . Please mr wenger quit gunners by ur self
Me
August 22, 2013 at 9:36 pm
It all made sense until it got to where Arsenal would spend some money to sign Benzema an then it just got silly…
kenno
August 23, 2013 at 5:57 am
football is a wonderful game that brews competition in the hearts of men.
we funs enjoy hitting each other and talking of how well our clubs are better than others.But we could also respect each other and be balanced, whats good at another club lets appreciate.Liverpool and arsenal funs can’t we be friends and talk well for our clubs? Though liverpool are afraid of ever being behind arsenal if Suarez was sold them this would bridge our relationship and keep the best players in the premiership.its nice to watch good talented players even if were not playing fo your team.lets us agree even if arsenal gets stick for letting good players leave to rivals have a spirit of good sportmanship not like man u and liverpool and of late mancity.
AKBDavid
August 23, 2013 at 7:22 am
It makes me chuckle the amount of hatred that is thrown at Arsenal . Refs included – see villa game . But you Liverpool and spurs fans , your hatred clearly stems from arsenal maintaining a seat at Europe’s finest whilst you settle for whatever is left . In liverpool’s case not even that ! Arsenal and AW in particular has gone through a financial makeover putting us in a very healthy position. Who else had this stability in world football whilst still consistently being part of the biggest club competition . When you guys actually achieve the feat like that then you have the right to comment on our current situation . Liverpool is trying to replicate arsenal , and spurs are just the great pretenders. In the mean time mind the gap guys . Continue to use arsenal as an aspiration .
Bashir
August 23, 2013 at 5:27 pm
If real madrid can sale karim benzema to arsenal and buy L/sures is another development for the club,and he can prove him self as great striker in santiago B.