Arsenal know what they need this January; a goal-scoring striker capable of firing them to Premier League glory.
Simple stuff, right? Think again. The January window is a notoriously difficult one to do business in with your typical selling club unwilling to move from some pretty remarkable asking prices.
A £100m price tag has been slapped on their reported no.1 target Ivan Toney this month while fellow target Victor Osimhen boasts a £120m asking price. That sort of money isn't going to be paid this month, particularly after spending £105m on Declan Rice last summer.
It's why Getafe striker, Borja Mayoral, at a mere £39m has been touted with a move instead. A deal in that price region is far more realistic over the coming weeks if the Gunners are to improve their forward line.
A surprise move for Arsenal this January
With the likes of Toney and Osimhen out of their reach for the next month, at least, alternative options will have to be weighed up.
Genoa forward Joshua Zirkzee is one alternative for Edu and Co, who boasts a reported £50m valuation. The dilemma for Arsenal, however, is how far they go this month to bring in a striker.
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If they can wait until the summer then the market may well be easier to navigate. Therefore, a short-term option could be considered by the club's transfer team.
Karim Benzema anyone? Well, this time last year the Frenchman was linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium.
The prolific striker's contract was coming to an end with Real Madrid and Arsenal, alongside Manchester United, were reportedly in the race to sign the now 36-year-old on a free transfer.
Well, a year on and after just a matter of months in Saudi Arabia, Benzema is unhappy. The veteran has missed numerous training sessions since the turn of the year and could be on the lookout for a move away.
It must be noted that Arsenal haven't explicitly been named as suitors yet this time around but we know that the club appreciate his talent based on reports a year ago. Could a move be on the cards? It's far-fetched no doubt but for the second half of the season there are worse shouts.
How Karim Benzema compares to Gabriel Jesus
No matter who it is, Arsenal need to bolster their forward options this winter. Gabriel Jesus is injured again and has only scored three Premier League goals this season anyway.
As for Eddie Nketiah, he has failed to find the net in the nine league outings that have preceded his hat-trick against Sheffield United at the back end of October.
Therefore, a proper goal-scoring machine is required. Mikel Arteta's side have only won one of their last five Premier League games and have scored one goal in their last three matches from a whopping 61 shots. It's grim reading.
Benzema, for all of his flaws when it comes to attitude and such, would be a spectacular signing in a bid to improve that horrendous record.
If a loan move could be arranged then it saves Arsenal money and gives them time to subsequently splash the cash in January on the right player, rather than someone like Mayoral who they may be less convinced about.
Notably hailed as "the best no.9 in the world" by Zinedine Zidane and "the best of his generation by far" courtesy of Jean-Pierre Papin, it would be foolish to look away from such a player, even if it goes against the club's general transfer policy over the last two years. Compared to Jesus, he is certainly streets ahead in the goal department.
2023/24
20
12
5
2022/23
43
31
6
2021/22
46
44
15
2023/24
21
7
3
2022/23
33
11
8
2021/22
41
13
12
Such jaw-dropping form for Benzema saw him officially crowned as the best player on the globe for 2022 when he lifted the famous Ballon d'Or.
The French forward's form may have dropped a tad since that illustrious moment but despite his declining age, he remains one of the most feared strikers on the planet.
For a mere six months on loan, this could well be a signing that powers Arsenal to the title and rather sadly, banishes Jesus from the starting XI in the process. They need a goal-scoring sensation and in Benzema, they'd find one of the best in that department on the planet. It's worth a thought, surely?
