Arsenal are waiting in the wings to sign Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema if manager Zinedine Zidane fails in his power struggle with president Florentino Perez to keep the Frenchman, reports Don Balon.
The Spanish publication says that Perez wanted to sell Benzema this summer in order to finance a bid for Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe but Zidane blocked his attempts to sell the star.
Now the Real president is stalling on giving Benzema a new deal. The 29 year old will have just one year left on his contract at the Bernabeu next summer, and the club will likely sell the player in order to prevent the forward from leaving for nothing the following year.
Perez is reportedly adamant that Benzema’s best years are behind him, and wants to make room in the squad for fresh young talent, but Zidane is keeping faith with his fellow countryman. The striker has played in all of the club’s fixtures so far this season but he was substituted in Real’s 1-1 draw against Levante at the weekend after picking up a hamstring injury.
