OFFICIAL NOW ✅: Arsenal announced the signing of Karim Benzema, Player pen 2yr deal with Arsenal last night, Medical completed – Here we go
OFFICIAL NOW ✅: Arsenal announced the signing of Karim Benzema, Player pen 2yr deal with Arsenal last night, Medical completed – Here we go
Earlier this month, Mikel Arteta disclosed that Arsenal might not sign anyone in January. The Gunners must adhere to the same Premier League funding regulations as every other team, and club owners are cautious about going overboard in light of Everton’s November ten-point deduction.
Nevertheless, given that neither Eddie Nketiah nor Gabriel Jesus have proven to be the solution, it is clear that Arsenal needs a prolific goalscorer. The difference between a sustained title charge this season and not signing an attacker might be significant.
Thus, it is hardly shocking that connections to Karim Benzema, the winner of the Ballon d’Or, have emerged amid reports of his unrest in Saudi Arabia. On paper, this is an interesting idea, but there are certain risks.
Concerns include the 36-year-old’s pay, age, and suitability of style. Benzema has reportedly denied leaving rumors, according to French magazine L’Equipe, although the player appears to have eliminated the idea nevertheless.
This removes the possibility that Edu, the sporting director, and Arteta may make choices that will anger a lot of people. It would very likely be necessary to transfer players on in order to make room for Benzema.
Due to his limited playing time, Emile Smith Rowe is already anticipated to depart the Emirates Stadium; nevertheless, a few other academy graduates might also be sold. Sales of youth products, which were formerly guaranteed to cost nothing or less, assist greatly to decreasing FFP deficits.
Nketiah and Reiss Nelson are the next two academy products who would receive the highest compensation, after Bukayo Saka, who is extremely important. Since the audience likes both of these characters, their departure would be felt negatively.
Some supporters believe it would be worth it to sell Nketiah in order to get a striker with a lot of goals, such Ollie Watkins, Alexander Isak, or Ivan Toney. However, Benzema would not meet that requirement.
A transfer would not only be against Arteta’s recruiting qualities and make no sense in terms of longevity, but his contract demands would also be higher. It would be problematic to approve even a short-term credit transaction given the strict FFP requirements.
Arsenal might have had to make more sacrifices than benefits in order to get Benzema, but if an approach was approved, then that is a possibility that would need to be considered. However, it’s more likely that Arteta does not, as initially suggested, bring anyone in.
