Arsenal move from Benzema and target PSG superstar striker
Published:
Arsenal’s hunt for the world-class striker that is going to propel them to the Premier League title has changed targets.
After months of rumours linking Real Madrid first-teamer Karim Benzema to the north London club, media sources are suggesting that Arsene Wenger will drop his interest in the Frenchman in favour of Paris Saint-Germain’s Edinson Cavani.
The Uruguayan, who is valued at around £35.5m by the French champions, has moved into prime position on Wenger’s striking shopping list as a deal for Benzema looks increasingly dead in the water.
Should a deal for the former Napoli striker materialise, it would be a cheaper one than buying Benzema, with the Spanish giants wanting at least £45m for their man.
The reason Cavani is cheaper is simple: he hasn’t been as good as Benzema since swapping Serie A for Ligue 1.
After scoring 23 goals or more in each of his three seasons with the Partenopei, the 28-year-old has failed to reach 20 in each of his two full campaigns with Les Rouge-et-Bleu.
Part of the reason for that drop off in production can be put down to the presence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the key striker in the French capital, and it could be argued that a move away from the mercurial Swede would bring Cavani back to peak form.
An Emirates Stadium switch would see the 72-cap international become the star man in Wenger’s forward line, replacing Olivier Giroud and handing the Gunners a goal-getter of genuine class.
Following their opening-day defeat to West Ham, calls for the French tactician to splash the sizeable pot of cash reportedly at his disposal have grown.
The Gunners look to regroup with a trip to Crystal Palace, where Ladbrokes make them 8/11 favourites for victory, with the Eagles rated at 6/5.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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