Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Karim Benzema, Nolito, William Carvalho Rumours

Arsenal have been dealt a blow in their ongoing pursuit of Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, with the latest reports suggesting the Frenchman is set to stay put at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real manager Rafael Benitez is looking to find Benzema a strike partner in the shape of Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann, per talkSPORT. Benitez is aiming to pair the French duo in the hopes that they can recreate their excellent international form together.

Per Harry Pratt of the Daily Star, Arsenal were monitoring Benzema in the summer transfer window and they remain short on top-quality strikers. Had the 27-year-old been made available in January, the Gunners would have been expected to front the queue for his signature.

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The indication would seem to be that Real are not prepared to let Benzema go as he is a big part of their long-term plans, thus Arsenal will need to look elsewhere for attacking reinforcements.

They have reportedly found a new target in Celta Vigo's Nolito and are preparing a substantial January bid for the Spanish forward, per Roger Torello of Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo (h/t Metro's Will Giles).

Barcelona are also interested in signing their former player but are reportedly unwilling to cough up the £18 million necessary to sign him up, a factor that could give Arsenal the edge in a transfer battle, per Torello (via Giles).

Nolito, 28, has started the new La Liga season in electric form, netting five goals in seven games, providing three assists and creating chances galore for Celta, per WhoScored.com:

He would be an excellent and much-needed addition to the Gunners' front line. As they proved last time out in the Premier League with a 3-0 defeat of Manchester United, Arsenal can be very effective on their day.

Alexis Sanchez is consistently phenomenal, and when Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil are on form, the trio can be devastating.

But as ever with Arsenal, they have issues with depth and adaptability. Nolito would provide them with an alternative option in attack and allow Wenger more flexibility in his setup depending on the opposition.

At 28 years old, Nolito is not a traditional Wenger signing, but he could be a vital addition for the Gunners in January as they head into the second half of the season—when injuries and fatigue can take their toll on the squad.

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One of the other key areas in which they lack depth is defensive midfield, where Francis Coquelin is the only reliable option. Should he get injured, Arsenal would be in all kinds of trouble.

However, reports suggest the north London club are unlikely to move for long-term target William Carvalho in the new year as the Portuguese star has only recently returned from a long-term injury, per Goal's Greg Stobart.

The Sporting Lisbon defensive midfielder injured himself at the European Under-21 Championship in the summer and has made only one start in the league this season, per WhoScored.

The 23-year-old is an enormous talent and would undoubtedly provide excellent cover and competition for Coquelin should he move to the Emirates—certainly more so than current backups Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta.

Despite his recent fitness issue, Wenger would arguably be well advised to make a bid for Carvalho in January given how weak the cover is for Coquelin.

However, Wenger clearly has faith in Flamini and Arteta to do a job should the Frenchman pick up an injury, a decision he could come to regret at the business end of the season.