Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Edinson Cavani, Karim Benzema and Top Rumours

Both Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani and Real Madrid's Karim Benzema continue to be linked with summer switches to Arsenal as the Gunners look to add to their front line.

Cavani has been on the radar at the Emirates for some time, and Arsenal are now ready to make their move for the 28-year-old Uruguayan, per Fichajes.net (h/t Metro). 

The report stated that PSG are prepared to listen to offers, as Cavani's relationship with manager Laurent Blanc has reached "a real low."

Furthermore, PSG's recent signing of Angel Di Maria from Manchester United may well have pushed Cavani further down the pecking order at the Parc des Princes, where he has often had to play in the shadow of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Cavani would not come cheap, as PSG shelled out £55 million to bring him in from Napoli on a five-year contract in 2013.

But he may be a more realistic purchase for Arsenal than Benzema and could flourish under Gunners manager Arsene Wenger, providing the clinical finishing touch Olivier Giroud often lacks.

Giroud is currently the only out-and-out central striker Wenger can call upon, and both his consistency and fitness are questionable.

Arsenal have often struggled with depth up front, and if they are to compete for the Premier League title this season, they'll need to add another reliable goalscorer to their squad, per Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe:

The Benzema deal looks dead in the water—as it has for some time—with the Gunners reportedly not prepared to meet Real's asking price for the Frenchman, per John Cross in the Mirror.

Dan Gibbs of the Express reported that Los Blancos are demanding £35 million for the 27-year-old, which is not an unreasonable figure for such a key player.

Realistically, the Spanish giants will not let Benzema go unless Arsenal or another club come in with a mammoth offer. His goalscoring prowess and creativity make him too valuable a player to let go of easily, per WhoScored.com:

While Wenger should arguably stump up the cash to bring Benzema in, as he could prove the difference in the pursuit of a title, it seems Arsenal are not prepared to shell out the money, and Cavani may be the back-up option.

Another Arsenal target who has perhaps been priced out of the market is Schalke winger Julian Draxler. Previously thought to be on the Gunners' radar, the 21-year-old has also drawn interest from Serie A champions Juventus, per Italian outlet Tuttosport (h/t Metro's Louis Sealey). 

However, Schalke's €30 million (£21.3 million) demands are reportedly unacceptable to Juve, whose offer currently stands at €15 million (£10.6 million) plus €9 million (£6.4 million) in add-ons, per GianlucaDiMarzio.com translator David Amoyal.

If Juventus drop their interest in Draxler, Arsenal could swoop in and snap him up.

But with Arsenal seemingly unwilling to spend big in the current transfer window, it would be a surprise if any major additions were made ahead of its closure, even if a new striker looks to be an obvious necessity.