Arsenal and Real Madrid join Newcastle in transfer race for ‘new Benzema’

Suraj Radia

• Updated: 19 May 2022 22:42 BST
• 3 min read

Arsenal and Real Madrid are amongst the clubs targeting Nice forward Amine Gouiri, a player dubbed by French media as the ‘new Karim Benzema’.

The 22-year-old could be available for around £30 million, prompting Newcastle to send a senior scout to France to watch the ten-goal man.

However Gouiri, who additionally has eight assists this campaign, has also been linked to Liverpool and Dortmund and may favour a move to a bigger side to help his international credentials.

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With Nice still yet to confirm European football next season, the Frenchman has hinted that he could depart this summer, putting a host of Europe’s top clubs on red alert.

What type of player would Arsenal be getting in Gouiri?

Gouiri has drawn comparisons to Benzema partially due to being a product of the Lyon academy as well as having Algerian heritage.

However, his playstyle is also similar to the Madrid striker’s early years, with Gouiri both a strong physical presence as well as a tricky, direct runner.

A contributor to all phases of play, Gouiri has 22 goals and 15 assists in 62 starts since joining Nice in 2020 for €7 million.

His record this season is amongst the best of players aged 22 and below, putting him amongst the likes of Vinicius Junior, Erling Haaland and Dusan Vlahovic.

However, despite a prolific start to the season, the Frenchman’s form has declined in recent months having not scored in Ligue 1 since January.

Arsenal have been heavily linked to Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus however agreeing a fee for the Brazilian is proving tough, meaning the Gunners could turn elsewhere.

Gouiri would be a ready-made alternative to Jesus due to his ability to play out wide as well as up front and would complement Arsenal’s exciting young core.

At 5’11, Gouiri’s size and strength as well as his technical ability and speed would be suited to Premier League football and could represent shrewd value for money in the current market.