Arsenal deal to sign Benzema was ‘practically already done’ says Suarez | OneFootball

A revelation from Luis Suarez has Arsenal fans rewriting history: in 2014, a deal for Karim Benzema was all but sealed.

With Benzema now a Real Madrid legend, this failed transfer leaves many imagining a very different Arsenal era.

Luis Suarez has Arsenal fans wondering “what if” with his claim that Karim Benzema was practically sold to the Gunners in 2014. This previously rumoured move gains new credibility with Suarez directly involved, but highlights missed opportunities that linger in many fans’ minds.

“My agent spoke to Real Madrid. Before the 2014 World Cup,” Suarez told the La Mesa YouTube channel. “Madrid wanted to sign me and everything was going well. They were thinking of selling Benzema to Arsenal, everything was practically already done.”

This happened around the time Suarez’s infamous biting incident which saw him leave Liverpool, ultimately joining Barcelona after Liverpool ignored a clause that Arsenal had triggered, which would have allowed them to talk with Suarez.

At the time, Arsenal’s main striker was Olivier Giroud. A solid frontman, but frustrations over lack of goal return compared to top Premier League rivals were common. In 2013/14, Giroud netted 16 league goals – that same season, Benzema scored 17 for Real Madrid. An upgrade seemed possible. In the end, Giroud stayed until 2018, scoring 105 goals, with 41 assists, in 253 games. In total, Benzema scored 354, with 165 assists, in 648 games. A goal/assist per game difference of 1.7 v 1.25.

Wenger’s history with almost-deals

This fits a pattern for Arsenal under Arsene Wenger: links to star players with the deals failing to complete. Zlatan Ibrahimović had that famous trial as a teen, only to never don the red and white. Benzema in 2014 thus seems more plausible with hindsight, although it never felt like that at the time.

What could have been…

While Arsenal won FA Cups in 2014, 2015 and 2017, a league title drought after the Invincibles in 2004 still gnaws at fans. Benzema’s dominance at Real Madrid, winning five Champions League titles, four La Liga titles, and a Ballon d’Or, only makes the ‘what if’ sting a little harder.