Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Karim Benzema and Antonio Rudiger Rumours

Rumours of Karim Benzema's reported transfer to Arsenal continue to surface on a daily basis, with the latest reports suggesting the Real Madrid star should arrive at some point during the coming week.

Italian journalist Emanuele Giulianelli has been driving much of the speculation, and he's certain the France international is on his way to north London:

Giulianelli says manager Arsene Wenger has offered Los Blancos £45 million for Benzema, who has been a regular for the club since arriving in the Spanish capital back in 2009.

It's worth noting the journalist has been pounding this particular rumour for some time, suggesting Benzema would arrive in London last week. That never happened, giving fans plenty of reason to be sceptical, and until we actually see a photo of Benzema holding up an Arsenal shirt or signing a deal, we shouldn't get too carried away.

Social media has gone berserk with rumours linking the 27-year-old to the Gunners, with the likes of TV personality Piers Morgan weighing in on a potential deal. ESPN Deportes' Jeinny Lizarazo has also been making headlines, and like Giulianelli, she is certain the Frenchman will move:

Despite all of the chatter, a move for Benzema remains unlikely. The former Lyon star is by far Real's best and most accomplished striker, and with the Spanish giants making no moves to sign a potential replacement so far, it makes no sense for Los Blancos to sell their prized asset.

It's easy to draw parallels with former team-mate Mesut Ozil, who joined Arsenal at the end of the 2013 summer transfer window, but at the time, the German's position in the Real starting XI was under scrutiny.

Ozil confirmed he felt as if he didn't have the faith of the Real coaches and management, speaking to the German Football Association (h/t London Evening Standard's James Olley), and that in turn laid the foundation for the eventual move.

Benzema's situation is quite different, as he has been the unquestioned starter for years and faces little competition at his position. There's also a lack of seemingly available strikers on the open market, so should he move during the summer, Real would struggle finding a prolific replacement.

None of this rules out a transfer, but it does raise a number of question marks. It's possible Benzema is not impressed with Real's current management or he wants a new challenge, but until we hear from the player himself, we have to assume he'll stay with the Spanish giants for now.

Antonio Rudiger Setback

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

According to Sky Italia (h/t talkSPORT), AS Roma and Chelsea have emerged as favourites to sign Stuttgart's Antonio Rudiger, who is reportedly an Arsenal target, per the Daily Express' Adam Skinner.

The 22-year-old Germany international seems destined to leave the Bundesliga during the summer, with Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia) suggesting he will arrive in Rome on Monday.

Rudiger has long been viewed as one of the top defensive talents in Germany, and despite his young age, he's already receiving regular minutes with the German national team. He combines great size and technical ability with superb athleticism, and while he looks like a natural centre-back, he has some experience moving out wide as well.

Concentration has been an issue at times for Rudiger, but his physical tools make him a tantalising prospect. ESPN FC's Nick Dorrington believes he looks like a solid investment:

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Rudiger's reputation has steadily increased over the last couple of years and he is now starting to attract attention from larger clubs, both domestically and from elsewhere in Europe. He is far from the finished article but with strong physical attributes and good passing ability, he has sufficient potential to make him an attractive project.

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Between Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Gabriel, Arsenal have plenty of talent at the heart of the defence, but you can never have too much depth. Rudiger would add some much-needed athleticism, and given his high ceiling, he would be an excellent investment.

It looks like Roma have won the race to his signature, however, and with Alessio Romagnoli joining AC Milan, the Giallorossi have more of an incentive to invest in the position.

As reported by BILD (h/t Daily Express' Charles Perrin), the youngster has spoken of his love of the Gunners in the past, but most of the recent reports only mention Chelsea and Roma as potential destinations.

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