Luis Suarez explains how Karim Benzema to Arsenal was 'done' before transfer plan failed

Luis Suarez has revealed that Karim Benzema was due to sign for Arsenal, before a late change of heart dashed their plan.

The Spanish giants were heavily linked with a move for the then-Liverpool sensation as they attempted to bolster their forward line. Suarez was fresh off the back of a stunning season in which he had scored 31 goals and provided 17 assists in just 33 Premier League appearances.

In attempting to finance a move for the Uruguayan, Real had put Benzema up for sale - with Arsenal close to sealing a deal for the Frenchman. Speaking to DelSol, Suarez said: "Before the 2014 World Cup, Real Madrid wanted to sign me, and everything was on track.

"They were planning to sell Benzema to Arsenal; it was all done. When the World Cup started, Barca joined the race, and obviously I preferred Barca. With the bite situation, Madrid lowered their interest, and Barca became more interested… In the end I had both options and I chose Barca because it was my dream."

In the end, Benzema ended up staying at the Santiago Bernabeu which saw Suarez’s potential switch to Madrid collapse. He of course ended up moving to Spain but to Clasico rivals Barcelona.

Speaking at the time, former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger revealed that the clubs failed to find an agreement for Benzema. He said: "That's part of the fact you need three agreements for anybody. It's true that it is sometimes connected with other clubs. But we have to accept that."

Wenger also confirmed after his retirement that they were aiming to take advantage of Benzema’s lack of game time at Real Madrid. Asked if he had ever tried to sign Benzema, he replied: “Yes, because he was in competition with Higuain for a while.

“It was Higuain for three games, three games for Benzema. He