5 Strikers Arsenal Should Consider After Failing to Land Jamie Vardy

In Arsenal’s search for a new striker, it appears Arsene Wenger will be forced go start again. Having seemingly identified Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy as the man to solve Arsenal’s goalscoring issues, the Gunners have been knocked back. Instead of moving to the Emirates Stadium, Vardy has chosen to sign a new contract with the Premier League champions.

The move for Vardy suggests Arsenal are looking for a striker with speed and mobility to provide a contrast to the one-paced Olivier Giroud. In this piece, we identify five potential transfer targets with a similar clutch of attributes.

That’s not to suggest Vardy would have been the ideal striker. His performance for England against Slovakia at Euro 2016 showed he can struggle against compact, deep defences. Arsenal’s task is to find a forward with the speed to hurt the opposition by running in behind, as well as the guile to unlock a defensive setup.

Go to the next slide to discover the first possible name on Arsenal’s revised list of targets.

Gabriel Barbosa

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According to ESPN Brazil (h/t the Express), Arsenal have made an official approach for Santos striker Gabriel Barbosa. It is said the 19-year-old also has offers on the table from Fiorentina and China, but one would imagine a move to the Premier League is the most attractive of those propositions.

Arsene Wenger is on record as stating he believes the best strikers are forged in South America. Back in 2014, he told Rob Kelly of his team's official website:

"

If you look across Europe and the world of football, then South America is the only continent to develop strikers today. If you look across Europe where are the strikers from? You will see that many of them - at least 80 per cent - come from South America.

Maybe in our history street football has gone. In street football when you are 10 years old, you play with 15-year-olds so you have to be shrewd, you have to show that you are good, you have to fight, win impossible balls.

When it is all a bit more formulated then it is developing your individual skill, your fighting attitude less. We have lost a little bit of that in football.

"

Gabigol is certainly a classic South American story. He learned his trade on the streets ofhis hometown, Sao Bernardo do Campo, situated close to Sao Paulo.

Now he is the new star of Santos, having joined the club at just eight years old.  There is quite the history of attackers at Santos—it’s the same club that produced Pele, Neymar and Robinho.

He’s not necessarily an obvious fit for the Premier League. He stands at just 5’9” with a slight figure. Most of his football to this date has been played as a wide attacker, but perhaps Wenger sees in him some of the same attributes that allowed Thierry Henry to make the transition from the flank to the centre.

Signing an inexperienced teenager from the Brazilian Serie A would be a significant gamble for Wenger. If Gabigol were recruited this summer, perhaps it would be alongside a striker with more experience of European football.

Alexandre Lacazette

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In some respects, the biggest surprise about Arsenal being seriously linked with Alexandre Lacazette is that it’s taken so long. He’s quick, French, prolific and two-footed. If Jamie Vardy is not an option, Lacazette would make plenty of sense.

According to Jason Burt of the Telegraph, Arsene Wenger is set to hold talks with the player’s agent to discuss a potential deal. The Gunners face competition from West Ham United and Paris Saint-German for the Olympique Lyonnais striker’s services.

Ligue 1 has produced some terrific strikers over the years. The likes of Didier Drogba and Karim Benzema have emerged from French football to take Europe’s biggest leagues by storm. However, it’s always a risk when you sign a player from foreign climes. Who knows how Lacazette would adapt to life in the Premier League?

At least he would be at a club steeped in French culture at Arsenal. Lacazette looks like a classic Wenger signing, and it would be no great surprise to see him end up at the Emirates Stadium.

Romelu Lukaku

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If Arsenal are after someone who’s already scored goals in the Premier League, Romelu Lukaku would fit the bill. 

In fact, some reports suggest they’ve already taken steps to secure his signature. Italian journalist Emanuele Giulianelli recently said (h/t the Express) the Gunners have agreed personal terms with the big Belgian. The remaining hurdle would be agreeing a price with his club, Everton.

Given Lukaku could command a sizeable fee, it’s worth pointing out he’s not yet necessarily the finished product. Concerns remain over his big-game temperament; Lukaku missed a series of presentable chances during Everton’s FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester United last season and has hardly set the world alight at Euro 2016.  It’s also notable he was never entrusted with first-team football at Chelsea—his success has come with clubs down further down the Premier League table.

Lukaku would surely argue he just needs the chance. Having proved himself with West Bromwich Albion and Everton, he will feel ready for the challenge of Champions League football.

There are still a few quirks to be ironed out of his game, but his potential is obvious. If he could hit the ground running at Arsenal, he could quickly become the top-class goalscorer the Gunners need.

Alvaro Morata

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Alvaro Morata is the joint-top scorer at Euro 2016 with three goals. If he continues to impress at this summer’s tournament, it could prompt Arsene Wenger to move for his services.

Morata's agent, Juanma Lopez, recently told Spanish newspaper AS (h/t Matt Hermann of MailOnline) that several Premier League clubs are interested in acquiring Morata from Real Madrid, who activated a buyback clause to re-sign him from Juventus on June 21. 

The Spain international has the stature to emulate some of Olivier Giroud’s hold-up play but marries that with the pace required to offer a threat in behind and on the break. He will almost certainly be figuring in Wenger’s thoughts in light of the Vardy news.

Mauro Icardi

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Some rumours suggest Arsene Wenger could be prepared to look to Serie A for his new centre-forward. According to TalkSport, the Gunners are “set to lodge a £32 million offer” for Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi.

Icardi scored 16 goals in 33 appearances for Inter last season as the Milan-based side finished fourth in Serie A—a league position some cynics might suggest would make him well-suited for a move to Arsenal. However, Icardi’s performances suggest he has the talent to go all the way to the top.

The Argentinian began his career in Barcelona’s famed academy, La Masia. Graduates from that remarkable school of football have generally fared well at Arsenal—Cesc Fabregas and Hector Bellerin are two that immediately spring to mind. Since leaving Spain, Icardi has thrived with first Sampdoria and now Inter in Serie A.

The fact he captains his club at just 23 shows Icardi is a natural leader. Having signed Granit Xhaka, it seems Wenger is determined to add some authority and influential figures to his squad. Even at his tender age, Icardi appears capable of doing that.