Karim Benzema almost starred for Arsenal under Arsene Wenger instead of winning the Ballon d'Or at Real Madrid - and it's down to Luis Suarez's move to Barcelona
Karim Benzema almost joined Arsenal (Image: Getty Images)
French star Karim Benzema was set to move to Arsenal, but Luis Suarez's move to Barcelona stopped the deal.
Benzema was one of the football icons to move to the Middle East over the summer after calling time of his stay in Madrid. However, he could have left the LaLiga giants almost a decade earlier, with the Gunners leading the race for his signature at the time.
"Before the 2014 World Cup, Real Madrid wanted to sign me, and everything was on track," former Liverpool star Suarez revealed in a recent interview, when talking about his decision to quit Anfield that summer, after nearly leading the Reds to the Premier League title.
He added: "They were planning to sell Benzema to Arsenal; it was all done. When the World Cup started, Barca joined the race, and obviously, I preferred Barca. With the bite situation, Madrid lowered their interest, and Barca became more interested…
"In the end, I had both options and I chose Barca because it was my dream."
Suarez left Anfield for sunny Spain in a £75m deal and would go onto to form one of the best attacking trios the beautiful game has ever seen alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar. While Benzema would star for a Madrid side that would go on to conquer Europe numerous times and also claimed the Ballon d'Or.
Arsenal, on the other hand, had a carousel of strikers who had a variety of success in north London. Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck joined that summer, Lucas Perez joined two years later, before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette followed the following season.
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Arsenal interested in Kepa Arrizabalaga They're back Chelsea confirm signing of Liam Delap (£30m) Rejected by Bruno FernandesAppointed Simone Inzaghi as new head coachIt's been a mixed week for Al-Hilal Accurate representation Cristiano Ronaldo 20+ Years Apart for Portugal..AGED like Fine Wine.The FIRST Dance vs The Last Dance.. Please stay tuned o...
DECLAN RICE'S girlfriend Lauren Fryer made a rare public appearance at Jarrod Bowen's wedding.The Arsenal midfielder attended his old team-mate's ceremony as the West Ham captain tied the knot with reality star Dani Dyer.Bowen looked dapper in a suit as his bride stunned in a glamorous white dress at the couple's star-studded ceremony in Buckinghamshire.As the newlyweds walked off after saying the...
Let's start our Daily Laugh today.On this day 2019 Hojlund level game mode Would you rather WIN the UEFA Conference League or EARN more money? Which one is the worst? “It’s da history of da Tottenham…” Kepa in Arsenal be like Wanda Nara is now dating 26-year-old Achraf Hakimi — the PSG star reportedly invited Mauro Icardi’s ex-wife to a private party after the...
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup debuts in the United States with a fresh format, gathering 32 elite clubs for the pinnacle of inter-club competition. This edition spotlights Group E, where Asian "Red Devils" Urawa Red Diamonds, Serie A giants Inter Milan, Argentine powerhouse River Plate, and Mexican "Tigers" Monterrey will clash. What unique marks will they leave on the pitch?Asian "Red Devils" Uraw...
ASTON VILLA want to hijack Bournemouth’s move for Rennes skipper Adrien Truffert.Villa look keen on the left-back and could swoop for the 23-year-old if they can quickly sell a player.Aston Villa are trying to hijack France star Adrien TruffertBournemouth are on the brink of agreeing a deal to sign a potential replacement for Milos Kerkez (above)The Cherries are close to agreeing a £20m...
Chelsea are looking to land a second transfer after Liam Delap.Chelsea are set to launch a new bid for Mike Maignan.Chelsea reportedly face crucial days ahead in their pursuit of AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, after already seeing one bid rejected. The France stopper is entering the last year of his contract at the San Siro and has been viewed as a market opportunity at a bargain price.The Blue...
Manchester United's chances of signing Bryan Mbeumo may have received a blow as Tottenham are reportedly readying an offer for the Brentford star.Man Utd eye Brentford's MbeumoTottenham ready their own offerTalks with manager Frank continueWHAT HAPPENED?The Sun report that Tottenham are trying to hijack United's pursuit of Mbeumo - with hopes that landing Brentford boss Thomas Frank as well could ...
Ajax have told Jordan Henderson he can leave for free this summer, with new head coach John Heitinga not counting on the experienced English international. Rumours have linked him with a sensational return to Sunderland, who will return to the Premier League in the 2025-26 season.Livramento to Man City currently on 'stand-by'Fabrizio Romano has reported that Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento's m...
Mikel Arteta is set to oversee a big summer at Arsenal (Image: Getty)Arsenal have waved goodbye to three players without making a permanent signing so far this summer, but the arrivals are not far off. Nuno Tavares has left the Emirates to join Lazio on a permanent deal, while Jorginho and Kieran Tierney have both entered free agency.Arteta picks between Sesko and GyokeresSince the start of the su...
Federico Chiesa is being tipped to leave Liverpool this summer (Image: Getty)Liverpool FC could be about to lose Federico Chiesa less than a year after the Italian joined the Anfield outfit. Chiesa was the only addition to Arne Slot’s squad during last summer’s transfer window, joining for £10million from Juventus.However, a combination of injuries and bad form meant his minutes w...
- 1 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 2 Marcus Rashford 'grows close' to stunning semi-pro padel player
- 3 Why Premier League transfer may be off the cards for Victor Osimhen as Man Utd make 'timid' attempts to convince striker
- 4 Chukwueze reveals cause of AC Milan’s ‘disastrous’ season
- 5 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 6 FIFA confirms 34 team base camp training sites in the United States for 2025 Club World Cup, including nine in Florida and five in Calitornia
- 7 Man Utd continue to be linked with Emi Martinez
- 8 Daily Laugh - Mbeumo and his amazing talent
- 9 Liverpool's dream transfer window with six signings including £100m striker
- 10 Alonso eyes reunion with Leverkusen star