Arsenal desperate to sign £40m forward: Gunners ready to make new signing the club’s top-earner

Arsenal are desperate to sign Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The 27-year-old has been a consistent goal-scorer over the course of his time at the Bernabeu, the French international netting 133 goals in his six seasons in the Spanish capital, and was a virtual ever-present under former manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Reports that newly-appointed boss Rafa Benitez is ready to use Gareth Bale in a central striking role (via the Daily Mail) could leave Benzema’s future in the Real Madrid starting eleven under-threat.

The Daily Telegraph claim that Arsene Wenger is ready to offer Benzema a contract that would make the former Lyon man the north London side’s top-earner and is ready to fork out £40m for the Real Madrid man.

Olivier Giroud is currently Arsenal’s first-choice central striking option, but the Gunners forward’s return of 54 goals in 134 appearances is far from prolific.

The former Montpellier man proved effective in patches throughout 2014/15 with the Arsenal man enjoying a run of ten goals in ten appearances from February to early April before then going eight games without netting prior to a final goal against Aston Villa in the FA Cup final.

Arsenal had previously targeted Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang [via the Daily Mail] but the Gabon international has now penned a new deal with the Westfalenstadion side [via BBC Sport] tying the former Saint-Etienne man to the Bundesliga side until 2020.

Arsene Wenger has reduced his striking options this summer by selling Lukas Podolski to Galatasaray and loaning out youngster Yaya Sanogo to Ajax.