Friday 10 May 2013

Eight Premier League Strikers Arsenal Could Sign

With the season almost over it's time to consider what players Arsenal might look to sign this summer. In my opinion their biggest need is for a striker and finding one with Premier League experience might not be a bad option. I'll attempt to weigh up the good points and bad points of eight players who might just fit the bill.

Christian Benteke:

Christian Benteke has had a very impressive first season in the Premier League with Aston Villa. Since the turn of the year he has been a virtual goal machine with 13 goals in 16 league games. His goals look to have saved Aston Villa from relegation to the Championship.

He has the ability to hold the ball up and bring other players into play, as well as having a very good eye for goal. He is a very good header of the ball and can climb very high to do so which can be an asset in defence as well as attack.

He's still only 22 years old though and relatively inexperienced compared to other players Arsenal might have an interest in. He has looked very good in his first season in the Premier League, but he might not find it so easy to do so next season when opponents have more of an idea what his strong points and weak points are.

Arouna Kone

Arouna Kone has settled in very nicely at Wigan since he moved from Levante last summer. He has scored 11 goals in 31 starts for Wigan and has shown that his 15 goals for Levante last season were no fluke. There's a big difference between playing for a team struggling at the wrong end of the league and playing Champions League football with Arsenal though.

Kone has shown good movement off the ball and the ability to find space in opponent's penalty areas as well as behind opposing defences. He can finish very well given the chance, but at 29 years of age he is probably already at his prime. The chances of Arsenal shelling out for a striker approaching 30 are slim, but he may well be available if Wigan are relegated which looks highly likely at the moment.

Javier Hernandez:

Javier Hernandez is a natural goal scorer who knows how to find time and space in the opposing penalty area. His goal scoring record speaks for itself for both Manchester United and Mexico. He has only been a bit part player since he joined United three years ago and surely there must come a time when he wants first team football.

He will be 25 next month which means he still has his best goal scoring years ahead of him and the change of management at United might give Arsenal a chance to bid for him. When Robin van Persie joined United last summer I hoped that Hernandez might be a makeweight in the deal, but unfortunately he remained at Old Trafford. He's a player who might fit in very well at Arsenal and I wouldn't be surprised to see them show an interest in him this summer.

Loric Remy:

Loric Remy joined QPR in January from Marseille and he has looked good in a team which has struggled badly. He managed five goals in seven league games when QPR were fighting for their survival but he hasn't scored since their cause became hopeless. He has looked very good for them though and he has the ability to score spectacular goals as well as the bread and butter goals strikers need to score.

Previously he had a good goal scoring record at both Marseille and Nice in France and he's a full international with France too. He's 26 years old which is just about the right age for a striker to be in his prime and should be available this summer with QPR on their way to the Championship. Apparently there's a  release clause in his contract and Arsenal could get him at a price that might tempt them to make a bid.

Papiss Cisse:

Papiss Cisse had a very good first season with Newcastle last season, but his goals haven't been quite so frequent this season. He can score some very spectacular goals, but isn't always so adept when easier chances come his way. With Newcastle struggling at the wrong end of the table this season his scoring chances have been limited, but I would still have expected a better return from him.

When Demba Ba was sold to Chelsea in January he got his chance yo lead the line but he has only managed five league goals since then. This time last season he looked like he had an awful lot to offer, but maybe he has been found out a little by opposing defences. He's still at an age where there could be a lot more to come from him, but maybe not at Arsenal.

Romelu Lukakau:

Romelu Lukaku is on loan at West Brom from Chelsea and he has had an impressive season for them. He has scored 14 goals in the league despite starting only about two thirds of their games and has looked very good in front of goal. His availability will depend on the new management at Chelsea and whether Lukaku wants to return to a club where he hasn't really got a chance to play yet.

He is still only 19 years old though and there is plenty of time for him to make a place for himself in the Chelsea squad. He has been very impressive for such a young player and he could possibly have a lot to offer to Arsenal. His age and lack of experience could be a drawback and Chelsea will only sell him if they decide they don't want him.

Luis Suarez:

Luis Suarez has had more written about him than most other footballers this season and not always for the right reasons. Wherever he goes controversy invariably follows and he just cannot keep himself out of trouble. There is no doubting his footballing ability though and he is an excellent goal scorer.

His desire to play Champions League football could see him look to play his football away from Liverpool next season, but he will miss the start of the season due to his ban for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic. He has scored goals wherever he has played and he could be the world class striker this Arsenal team needs. The baggage he brings with him could be a real issue for Arsenal and his ability to self destruct would potentially put any club off him.

Rickie Lambert:

Rickie Lambert has been what is described as a journeyman striker, but he has taken his Premier League chance when it presented itself. His 14 goals for a Southampton team at the wrong end of the table is very impressive, but he's already 31 years old. He has shown a very good eye for goal as well as the ability to play well as part of a good footballing team.

There are few players in the Premier League who can take a better free kick than Lambert and he would certainly be an asset to the Arsenal squad. I would be surprised if Arsenal showed an interest in a player of his age considering their usual policy on players over 30 years of age, but he could do a good job for them if they signed him.

Summary:

Arsenal have only one real option as a central striker at the moment and they most certainly have to bring in at least one striker this summer. The eight players above are all possibilities who currently play in the Premier League but realistically Arsenal might only be interested in one or two of them. Personally I think Benteke might not be a bad choice, but Remy fits the profile of a typical Arsenal signing.

I would like to see what Hernandez could do with Arsenal, but I can't see United selling him. Suarez would be an interesting signing to say the least considering all of the controversy that goes with him but I would be more than surprised to see Arsenal make a move for him. The chances are any striker signed will come from a different source than the Premier League, but there certainly are some options to consider.

That's it for today.

See you tomorrow.

4 comments:

  1. Don't be surprised Wenger gets someone unknown who has been scoring for fun.The problem is he could be the big fish in his country's pond.When the comes to the epl,he will be a small fish in a pond infested with tiger sharks and killers whales.
    He maybe able to dance his way togoal in his country but in the epl the sliding tackles will hit his legs before he can say bingo and the ref will look the other way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lol - a very descriptive account of what's in store for any striker daring to ply his trade in the EPL.

      Delete
  2. We need a striker that can hold up and lay off the ball and has two good feet with the strength to pave his way forward between defenders... like a Drogba in his hey day - but having said this, the best of them will be mediocre if they do not have support -

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not so sure that's the ideal striker for our style of play. Maybe we need a fox in the box to get on the end of what we create after 5 minutes if passing.

      Delete