Arsene Wenger Rejects Arsenal Need for Karim Benzema
Thierry Henry believes signing Karim Benzema will help Arsenal win the Premier League but Arsene Wenger is not interested.
OMNISPORT
Arsene Wenger threw his support behind Arsenal's list of attackers amid growing calls to sign Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.
"I respect Thierry Henry a lot for his football knowledge but it is not as mathematical as that," Wenger said on Saturday. "We have to develop our collective game and depend less on one guy who comes in and scores all the goals."
Benzema is reportedly Arsenal's top transfer target and former striker Thierry Henry has been vocal in his belief that Wenger should pair the Madrid forward with fellow Frenchman Olivier Giroud up front in the club's quest for its first Premier League title since 2004.
Wenger has already distanced himself from links to Benzema and the Arsenal manager treaded a similar path ahead of his side's Premier League opener against West Ham on Sunday.
The 65-year-old said he is not convinced Benzema would immediately make Arsenal a champion as he called for a collective input from Giroud, Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain.
"I think Olivier Giroud would not have been far from 20 if he played the whole of last season and Theo Walcott as well," Wenger said. "I don't see why a guy like Chamberlain should not have an ambition to score 10 goals, Sanchez can score goals too.
"Ozil has to fix himself a target of at least 10. For a guy who plays behind the striker you want more from him on the goalscoring, so we can a little bit share that."