Karim Benzema rumors update: €65 million bid to come, betting odds slashed

I'm sure you have all been eagerly awaiting your Karim Benzema updates, as the afterglow of yet another Community Shield triumph fades. Well, you're in luck, because there have been a few developments since our last talk. Let's dive in, shall we?

Arsenal to lodge major bid

According to AS, Arsenal are about to offer Real Madrid a weighty €65 million (around £45 million) fee for Benzema in attempt to convince them to sell a player who still has several years left on his contract. They don't want to sell, and the player isn't itching to leave, so even if this report is true it's still probably a tough road ahead.

Paddy Power lowers odds

And yet! Betting agency Paddy Power (famous for their sponsorship of Nicklas Bendtner's pelvic region) have cut odds on Benzema's transfer to Arsenal after a spate of bets were placed. As we've covered in the past, the fact that odds have moved from 5/2 to 1/2 doesn't really signal that anything's going to happen. All it means is that people are betting on it, so Paddy Power is trying to influence people to change their behavior. But hey, maybe people are betting on it for a reason.

Wenger dismisses Benzema link

As you might guess, Arsène Wenger was asked about Benzema after the 1-0 win against Chelsea. As you might guess, he was...tight-lipped.

Arsene on Benzema rumors: He's basically saying it's definitely happening. pic.twitter.com/XdzlrBhp0W

— Miriti Murungi (@NutmegRadio) August 2, 2015

So yeah, go ahead and buy your Benzema shirts, because it's totally going to happen.*

*This is a joke, and I am not responsible for how you spend your money.