By Toby Prince
Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema is set to be unveiled as an Arsenal player on Monday according to Italian football writer Emanuele Giulianelli, who works for newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
He alleges Benzema will be presented to Emirates fans before the clash with Liverpool.
Giulianelli tweeted: “He will have a medical Monday early afternoon and be confirmed just before kick off. He will stay in 5 stars hotel London center.”
Manchester United had looked at the possibility of getting a deal done for the French international under the noses of their London rivals.
The club’s hierarchy are still looking for a means to appease the fans after missing out on Pedro – but that appears to have failed.
Should the deal materialise, it would come as a shock few days after Real boss, Rafael Benitez, had insisted that the player would be staying put in Spain – and not joining Arsene Wenger’s men in the transfer window.
“I’ve placed a lot of trust in him and he (Benzema) has sufficient resources to operate in all types of attack with any attacker,” the Spanish tactician said.
Real Madrid value the player at £50m and the Gunners are set to smash their own transfer record within the next 48 hours with a bid – eclipsing the £42m splashed on Mesut Ozil two years ago.
Arsenal have been linked all summer with a big-money swoop for the prolific hitman with 87 goals in 188 La Liga appearances.
