Arsenal are working on deals to sign Real Madrid attacking pair Karim Benzema and Angel Di Maria. The Gunners are prepared to pay £40m for 25-year-old France striker Benzema after missing out on
Gonzalo Higuain
and
Liverpool's Luis Suarez. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger also wants Argentina
left-winger Di Maria, 25, and is understood to be chasing a keeper and a
defender as well.
The
Londoners won 3-0 at Fenerbahce
in the Champions League on Wednesday. It means they are in control of the qualifying play-off
tie heading into the second leg at Emirates Stadium on 27 August and
should they reach the Champions League group stage for a 16th
consecutive season, it could help attract transfer targets to the club. Wenger is a long-term admirer of Benzema, who
joined Real from Lyon
for an initial £30m in 2009, while Di Maria arrived at the Bernabeu from Benfica a year later. Arsenal's only summer signing to date is the
20-year-old French striker Yaya Sanogo
on a free transfer from Auxerre, but it is thought they could spend
close to £100m by the close of the transfer window at 23:00 BST on 2
September. Speaking after his side's win at Fenerbahce in their
Champions League qualifying play-off first leg, Wenger admitted the
pursuit of Suarez was over after Liverpool rejected two bids for their
Uruguay forward and insisted he was not for sale. "Absolutely no chance of that," Wenger said about the chances of Suarez arriving at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners have also had a
£10m offer for Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye
turned down, but Wenger suggested the final 12 days of the transfer window would be busy. Arsenal lost at home to Aston Villa
on the opening day of the Premier League season and have suffered injuries to Mikel Arteta, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and
Laurent Koscielny,
while Abou Diaby remains sidelined and fellow midfielder Jack Wilshere is still returning to full match fitness. "Quality wise we do not need, but numbers wise we are short," Wenger continued. "We lost Arteta and Diaby. We are without three
international midfielders. We will try and bring one in but we are
working on that. What you have to understand is that there is still a
long way to go. "The transfer market really starts now, a lot of
activity will happen between now and 2 September. We have 12 days. A lot
will happen. It starts now."
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