Arsenal linked with 36-year-old 15-goal striker earning £88m per year

It’s no secret that Mikel Arteta is in the market for a striker at Arsenal.

There was no game which better evidenced the Gunners need than their 2-0 defeat against Liverpool in the FA Cup.

Had Arsenal had an out-and-out front man to put the ball in the back of the net, they’d surely have been out of sight by half-time, given the amount of gilt-edged chances that were wasted.

As it turned out, that wastefulness in front of goal led to their exit from English football’s premier cup competition, the Reds turning up the heat late in the second half to secure the win.

The issue for Arteta is the availability of a striker that would improve his side and the associated cost.

The Standard have linked the North Londoners with a potential move for Karim Benzema, currently plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Ittihad.

It’s believed that the Frenchman isn’t happy with his lot, despite scoring 15 goals in 24 games.

Whilst it’s not clear if his reasons to leave are similar to Jordan Henderson, who recently cancelled his contract at Al Ettifaq so he could join Ajax, it seems obvious he prefers a move back to Europe, with the Premier League a definite possibility, perhaps for one last hurrah.

The only stumbling block would appear to be his salary expectations, given that The Standard report that he’s currently on a mind-blowing £88m per year.