Arsenal offered Real Madrid Alexis Sanchez in exchange for striker Karim Benzema

Arsenal reportedly made a surprising offer to swap Alexis Sanchez for France international forward Karim Benzema this summer, according to Don Balon.

The Premier League side, who thrillingly defeated Leicester City 4-3 in their 2017-18 top-flight opener last Friday night, have been continuously linked with the Real Madrid striker in previous years.

The 29-year-old, who has 81 international caps for his country, scored 19 goals and provided nine assists in 48 appearances in all competitions for the La Liga champions last season.

Benzema, who started last week’s UEFA Super Cup victory over Manchester United, has netted 181 goals overall for Madrid following his move from French outfit Lyon back in July 2009.

Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez.

However, with manager Zinedine Zidane eager to lure AS Monaco starlet Kylian Mbappe to the Bernabeu before the close of the transfer window this month, the report suggests the £62m-rated hitman’s first-team prospects could be restricted this campaign.

Therefore; the report suggests The Gunners made an audacious attempt to land the Frenchman, with boss Arsene Wenger surprisingly offering fellow forward Alexis Sanchez in a straight swap deal, who has less than one year remaining on his current deal.