Arsenal Transfer News: Karim Benzema Bid Planned by Arsene Wenger, Fresh Rumours

An opening-day defeat at home to West Ham United on Sunday has left Arsenal fans fiercely clamouring for a new striker, and manager Arsene Wenger will respond with a new bid for Real Madrid's Karim Benzema.

The Gunners lost 2-0 in what was their first home defeat to the Hammers since 2007, and Sam Cunningham of the Daily Mail reports Wenger won't settle for what he witnessed:

"The Frenchman laid into his whole team, branding them ‘unconvincing’ in attack and defence and castigating them for the way they conceded two ‘very cheap’ goals. Wenger will make a bid for Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema this week in an attempt to resolve a lack of spark in attack."

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Arsenal dominated the numbers game at the Emirates, with WhoScored statistics showing they accounted for more than 60 percent of possession, outshooting Slaven Bilic's men with 22 attempts at goal to West Ham's nine.

However, only six attempts found the target and Olivier Giroud accounted for just two of those. Joe Short of the Daily Express provides further quotes from Wenger, who says he'll only move for an "exceptional" proposition:

"If an exceptional solution turns up, we will do it. But after a defeat like that, it is important not always to think we take a solution from outside."

Arsenal supporters have grown accustomed to their helmsman making the most out of the resources at his disposal, but transfer hopes have been boosted by the big-money signings of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in recent years.

Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy believes a new type of striker is needed in north London, showing how the impotence against West Ham was largely due to too many players overloading the No. 10 role:

Sanchez and Theo Walcott came off the bench during Sunday's defeat but were stumped against Bilic's stubborn defence, where Winston Reid and debutant Angelo Ogbonna impressed for the visitors.

Giroud was nullified up against that pair and looked like he needed help.

However, BEIN Sports' Tancredi Palmeri hasn't given Gunners fans great hope of landing Benzema, insisting no contact has been made with Real:

Furthermore, Palmeri insists Manchester City have already offered €70 million (£49.5 million) for the France international, a figure that could seriously tempt Los Blancos into selling if found to be true:

Sky Sports' Thierry Henry recently commented Benzema's signing would instantly turn the Gunners into title contenders, insisting "Arsenal would win the league" with the Real Madrid man in their ranks.  

But Wenger isn't the type to give into pressure and responded to his old protege by saying he wishes for more of his players to contribute to the goal count, per Goal's Sacha Pisani:

"

I respect Thierry Henry a lot for his football knowledge but it is not as mathematical as that. We have to develop our collective game and depend less on one guy who comes in and scores all the goals. I think Olivier Giroud would not have been far from 20 if he played the whole of last season and Theo Walcott as well.

I don't see why a guy like [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain should not have an ambition to score 10 goals, [Alexis] Sanchez can score goals too. [Mesut] Ozil has to fix himself a target of at least 10. For a guy who plays behind the striker you want more from him [in terms of] goalscoring, so we can share that.

"

If there was concern regarding Arsenal's attacking options prior to Sunday's Premier League opener, such fears appear to have been justified by a limp outing against the Hammers, resulting in sharp disappointment.

Many fans may accept the loss if it meant pushing Wenger toward making another attempt at signing Benzema, but convincing Rafa Benitez's Real into selling is another question entirely.