Emirates Stadium side given boost in chase for proven goal-scorer.
Arsenal have been given a real boost in their pursuit of Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema with the Spanish giants having identified Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus as a potential replacement according to Spanish source Fichajes [via the Metro].
27-year-old French international has been a consistent goal-scoring weapon at the Bernabeu and was a regular under former boss Carlo Ancelotti but there has been talk of new manager Rafa Benitez looking to use Gareth Bale as his central-striking weapon, [via Goal] which has left Benzema’s future at the Liga BBVA club looking uncertain.
The Metro claim Arsenal have tabled a €45m (£31.3m) bid for Benzema and that Real Madrid would use those funds as part of an offer for Reus.
The 26-year-old Borussia Dortmund man is known to interest Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers and is a hugely talented forward who saw his side fail to secure a Champions League berth for 2015/16.
In Reus’s first season at the Westfalenstadion, the cultured attacker racked up 19 goals and help Dortmund to the final of the Champions League, in his second campaign the German international netted 23 times.
Things didn’t pan out quite so well in 2014/15, during which Reus struggled with form and fitness, and Borussia Dortmund saw manager Jurgen Klopp quit the club in the summer.
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Arsene Wenger’s interest in Benzema dates all the way back to the forward’s emergence at Olympique Lyonnais [via the Daily Mail] and the experienced marksman has shown real consistency during his time in the Spanish capital, bagging 20+ goals in each of his past five seasons at Real Madrid.