Arsenal given conflicting Karim Benzema transfer advice as Arsene Wenger makes feelings known

Arsene Wenger and Emmanuel Petit have disagreed on whether or not Arsenal should sign Karim Benzema. The 36-year-old striker has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this month despite having only joined Al-Ittihad from Real Madrid in the summer.

Benzema, who signed a three-year deal in the Middle East, has featured 15 times in the Saudi Pro League this season, scoring nine goals and providing five assists. After just six-months at his new club, the France international already faces an uncertain future and his impressive performances could secure him a return flight to Europe.

According to the MailOnline, he was left out of Al-Ittihad's mid-season training camp in Dubai after repeatedly failing to report for duty. However, Benzema's entourage have reportedly insisted that he was stuck in Mauritius, where he was on holiday, due to extreme weather conditions.

Nonetheless, the English top-flight has been mooted as a potential destination for the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner this month and it would seem that Wenger is keen on the idea of his fellow countryman joining Arsenal, who have been linked with several strikers this month. The legendary former Gunners manager reportedly tried to sign Benzema during his time at the Emirates Stadium.

Speaking in 2021, as quoted by the Mirror, Wenger said: «He played the game based on passing and connections, so he was an ideal player up front. He’s a striker who makes people around him better and sometimes you have strikers who score goals but they make players around them worse. He’s not one of them. If you put Benzema in the team, I would want to play with him.»

While Wenger is clearly an admirer of Benzema, Petit has raised some concerns regarding the striker. Speaking to