Karim Benzema celebrates scoring for Real Madrid against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League. PHOTO/File
SINGAPORE, July 17- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has ruled out the possibility of making a move to sign Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.
The Gunners had earlier this week been tipped to launch a £40million bid for the France international, due to lingering doubts over his first-team place under the newly-appointed Rafael Benitez.
However, Wenger has moved quickly to dampen expectations, insisting that he has no knowledge of an impending bid.
“I don’t know where that story has come from. But that’s not happening at the moment,” said Wenger.
Benzema, 27, joined Los Blancos from French giants Lyon in 2009 for a reported fee of 35 million euros, and has gone on to make 188 appearances in La Liga, scoring 87 times in the process.
His place in Madrid’s starting eleven appears to be under threat, though, with Benitez said to be toying with the idea of deploying Cristiano Ronaldo as a lone striker in the upcoming campaign.