Arsenal have to pay more than £45m to sign Karim Benzema

Arsenal have received a massive boost in their pursuit of Karim Benzema, with Real Madrid ready to offload the striker for the right fee, according to the Daily Mail.

The report suggests that Arsenal have to shell out at least £45m ($70m) for his services, with the saga to drag on till the end of the transfer window much like what happened with Mesut Ozil in 2013.

With Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale both being earmarked for a move through the middle there is growing speculation in the Madrid camp that a deal for Benzema may be possible.

Benitez has tried playing Bale through the middle in pre-season to good effect and it is believed that Real President Florentino Perez is desperate for the Welshman to succeed and is looking for the manager to play him in that position for the coming season.

The report states that Madrid may switch to a 4-4-2 with Ronaldo and Bale the front two, with a plethora of creative midfielders behind them to provide the service.

The Spanish giants do not have a dearth of talent in the middle, with the likes of Luka Modric, James Rodriguez and Isco all vying for a place in the first XI. Jese Rodriguez can also play through the middle if called upon should Real decide to part with the services of Benzema.

It will be a dream move for Arsene Wenger, who has been scouting the player for a long time and who would give his team's attack some much needed bite. Olivier Giroud, for all his hard work, has never scored more than 20 goals in the league and Benzema would take them a step further towards challenging for the title.

The manager had recently rubbished any rumours regarding a move for the striker, but may reconsider his decision if Real decide to budge at the fag end of the transfer window.