Arsenal are heading into the final few weeks of the transfer window still intent on improving their squad.
Arsenal are set to bid for Eberechi Eze and the club are also exploring a move for Real Madrid star Rodrygo either on loan or in a cut-price deal.
The Gunners need to add some options to their attack in order to bridge the gap to Liverpool and will not want to have any regrets upon the September 1st deadline.
Arsenal have lost out on some high-profile players in the past, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were close to signing under Arsene Wenger.
However, the Gunners even had a fee agreed for a Ballon d’Or but missed out on their target much to the dismay of supporters.
Speaking on the latest episode of the ‘Inside Arsenal’ podcast alongside journalist Charles Watts, former Arsenal chief transfer negotiator Richard Law has revealed that the club agreed a fee for Karim Benzema back in 2013.
A deal was struck with Real Madrid for the Ballon d’Or winner alongside his teammate Angel Di Maria as Real Madrid looked to stump up the cash to buy Spurs winger Gareth Bale.
Law stated: “So I got a call from Jorge Mendes, the call was strange in that Jorge was trying to convince me that Real Madrid were willing to sell Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria in a package.
“None of us in London believed that. So what it came down to was a classic bait and switch, the conversation was interesting enough.”
“We actually reached a number for the transfer of the two players, that number would’ve gone a long way to solving Gareth Bale’s transfer, but we were highly skeptical. Benzema and Di Maria were massive players.
“The next day I got a call saying it won’t work, Benzema and Di Maria can’t leave, so I said, ok, and they said would you be interested in Mesut Ozil.”
Of course, the Gunners eventually signed Mesut Ozil during that summer transfer window and links to Benzema continued for the next couple of transfer windows.
Di Maria made a move to Manchester United, however, it didn’t work out for the Argentine midfielder at Old Trafford.
Benzema was spotted in an Arsenal shirt earlier this year and fans can only dream of what might have been had he arrived in North London alongside Ozil.
Viktor Gyokeres has just emulated Ozil by being nominated for the Ballon d’Or whilst playing for the Gunners.
Ozil was a divisive figure during his time at the Emirates, there was no doubting his exceptional quality but there were some sections of fans that deemed him to be too lazy.
His record in terms of goals and assists is up there amongst the best at Arsenal and you can’t help but wonder how much more successful he would have been playing in Mikel Arteta’s current side.
He would have loved the direct movement of Gyokeres in behind defences and the link-up with Bukayo Saka would cause defences nightmares.
It is now up to the likes of Martin Odegaard to be Arsenal’s Ozil next season and find those intricate passes that the German made his name with.
