Arsenal are reported to be in the race to sign Lyon striker Karim Benzema, as they look to replace Emmanuel Adebayor should he leave for AC Milan this summer.

The highly-rated Benzema has been linked with Manchester United for the past six months, but the News of the World claim that the striker is now subject of interest from Arsene Wenger.

Should the future of £25m Togo striker Adebayor be decided in the next few weeks, Arsenal will be keen to bolster their strikeforce and a £30m bid for Benzema could be accepted.

The player has said that he would prefer another season at Lyon to make sure he cements a place in the France side for the World Cup. But the club's owners have hinted that a bid of more than £30m would turn their heads and Benzema is also believed to favour a move to the Emirates over Old Trafford.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas' said last week that despite Benzema's apparent desire to stay at Stade Gerland, a sizeable offer could lead to him leaving.

"Karim has said that he wants to stay another year at Lyon," Aulas told L'Equipe. "But I think that Kaka or Ronaldo maybe imagined remaining with their respective clubs.

"There is a tsunami called Real Madrid which provokes reactions at Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United.

"So it is very complicated to say that he is non-transferable. It's obvious we want to keep him. There is more chance he'll be at Lyon next season than that he won't be.

"I won't hide from you the fact that he has been approached. For the moment, I managed to convince them not to go further."

Benzema has come through the ranks at Lyon and burst onto the scene in the 2007-08 season with 31 goals in 51 games, a streak that saw him named Ligue 1 player of the year as well as top the league's scoring charts.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is ready to change his transfer policy and make an astonishing £40 million bid for Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery, according to Daily Star Sunday.

The Gunners boss has become known in the Premier League as a manager who does not spend big on players, preferring to buy young prospects for the future and develop them at the club.

However, he has already signed Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax for a fee reported to be worth up to £10 million, and it is now thought he will turn his attentions to other areas of the pitch.

The British tabloid has reported that the Frenchman believes he could pull off the transfer deal of the summer by signing the France international.

The former Marseille man has been impressing in his two years at the Allianz Arena, and has been repeatedly linked with moves away from Bavaria in recent months.

Several major European clubs have stated that they are interested in signing him, and the Frenchman may be tempted with a move to the Premier League or Spain's Primera Division.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Chelsea have all at some point registered their interest in the winger, and it is thought a bidding war will take place over the summer.

Madrid are aiming to add Ribery to their new Galactico collection, and are prepared to pay over the odds to convince the 26-year-old to move to Santiago Bernabeu.

Wenger has been criticised recently for his transfer policy by present and former players, and it is now thought that he is set to spend big this summer.

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has stated that he is happy to play in a more advanced position for the Gunners than he has done in the past.

The young starlet is currently on international duty with England's Under-21 side at the European Championships in Sweden, where the Young Lions have reached the final of the competition for the first time since 1984.

However, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Fraizer Campbell are both suspended for the game against Germany on Monday, meaning Walcott will be starting alone up front, a role he has rarely been asked to play for the Gunners.

His electric pace has meant Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has tended to use him as a winger, rather than a striker, and the 20-year-old has thrived in that role for both club and country.

However, the player himself believes he eventually become a striker for the Gunners anyway.

Speaking to The Guardian, Walcott said, "I probably will end up being a striker. The boss at Arsenal [Arsene Wenger] said I would have probably played a little bit more up front last season, if I'd not got injured, like in FA Cup games and Carling Cup games. But I'll play anywhere, as long as I'm on that pitch."

The switch from the flanks to the central attacking position would mirror the progression of club great Thierry Henry, who started out as a winger for the Gunners and went on to become their all time goalscorer. Walcott feels it is hard to live up to his name, after being handed Henry's old number.

"It doesn't really matter what number is on the back. As long as it's an England shirt, I'm happy," said Walcott.

"I actually wanted the No 8 shirt at Arsenal but they told me Samir Nasri had that. I didn't even know we'd signed him at the time!

"So they told me 14 and I said 'yeah, I'll have that' not realising it was Thierry's number until I got home. It's just a number but he's a great player to live up to. That's the pressure. That's no problem."
Walcott is still only 20-years-old and has already played 63 Premier League games for the Gunners, scoring six goals.