Arsenal FC Transfers: Ranking the Top 10 Strikers the Gunners Should Target
Every top club needs a striker who can guarantee them 20 goals a season. Barcelona have Lionel Messi and David Villa, Manchester United have Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov, Inter Milan have Samuel Eto’o, Milan have Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Real Madrid have Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain.
Arsenal have three forwards presently: Robin van Persie, Marouane Chamakh and Nicklas Bendtner. If current rumors are to be believed, it looks all set to become two with Nicklas Bendtner most likely to move away from the Emirates.
Now, there is no denying that both Chamakh and Van Persie are extremely talented, but the question is can they guarantee 20 goals a season for the Gunners? Sadly, it looks like they can’t.
Van Persie unfortunately spends as much time on the treatment table as he does off it. He averages around 30 matches all season and that is in every competition. He has never played 30 league matches in a single Premier League season.
In the only season he played above 30 matches in the full season, he scored 21 goals which shows his quality.
But his persistent injuries mean that Arsenal have to often depend on their other strikers for goals which has been the case this season as well. His injuries mean that he is never able to fully reach his potential.
Chamakh on the other hand has already scored 11 goals in his first season, but only one has come since November. He did adjust into the pace of the league but has admitted that since November he has been burnt down. Chamakh is aerially an extremely potent threat, but his finishing has been suspect and he has failed to bury chances that a more prolific and clinical player would have put away with ease.
All this means that Arsenal need to buy a player who can guarantee them the goals. Knowing Wenger it is likely that he will choose to buy a player who is fairly young but that is not guaranteed.
In this article I have looked at 10 strikers that the Gunners’ boss can target. Some are established on the world stage, some are not household names yet and some are up and coming players.
Kevin Doyle
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I personally am a huge fan of Kevin Doyle and believe that he deserves a move to a bigger club than Wolverhampton Wanderers, and it may just happen with Wolves fighting relegation and looking all set to go down unfortunately.
Doyle might have scored 17 goals combined in his last two seasons at the Molineux, but Wolves as a team tend to score few goals. I have always felt that he would be the perfect fit for the Gunners.
He is a good finisher, and his productivity would definitely increase if he moves to a top notch club like Arsenal, where he would get to combine with the likes of Samir Nasri, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, Andrei Arshavin and Cesc Fabregas.
Doyle’s style of play has always been similar to that of Robin van Persie. His movement is good, and much like van Persie, it opens up the space for other players. He tends to drop deep and move into the wings which would allow the likes of Marouane Chamakh to get into good goalscoring positions.
His link-up play has been impressive, and I think he and Arsenal are a great match for each other.
Also he is Wolves’ primary penalty taker, and he would prove to be an able substitute in the absence of van Persie. Combined with all this, his transfer fee wouldn’t be too high meaning he will be within Wenger’s budget.
Bojan Krkic
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Currently playing for Barcelona, Bojan has struggled to break into the starting lineup as the likes of Pedro, Messi and Villa remain in imperious form.
With the possibility of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas going to Barcelona still remaining, Arsenal can look to negotiate a cash plus player deal with Bojan heading to the Emirates.
He has scored 39 goals from 158 matches for the Blaugrana and with more regular playing time he can get only better.
Bojan is a good finisher of the ball, and although he has struggled to replace Barcelona’s current strikers, he has impressed when given the opportunity.
He is still young and has tremendous potential to improve. Also some recent reports suggested that both Arsenal and Tottenham could be interested in targeting the youngster and with Tottenham looking primed to finish fifth and qualify only for the Europa League, Arsenal could entice the youngster to make a move to a different London club.
Karim Benzema
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Until the injury to Gonzalo Higuain, Karim Benzema was looking like an expensive mistake by Real Madrid as he struggled and managed just nine goals in his first season for the Spanish giants. He looked short of confidence and failed to show ruthlessness in front of goal.
But since the injury to Higuain, he has been given an extended run in the team and has slowly started to impress. He has managed 20 goals this season and has helped to mitigate the loss of the Argentinean.
He struggled initially this season, but as the season has progressed, he has come of his own and has shown the form that made Real Madrid spend £35 million on him.
But he may struggle to hold onto a starting place with the return of Higuain and with Madrid all set to buy another striker.
There have been recent reports that Arsene Wenger may abandon his strict transfer policy to buy the Frenchman. He is currently valued at £20 million, and although that may be beyond Wenger’s normal budget, it could prove to be a shrewd piece of business, as Benzema is just 23 right now.
Connor Wickham
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Young, heavily talented and with a bright future ahead of him, Connor Wickham has all the makings of another Wengeresque signing. Although he may be too young to make an immediate impact next season, Wenger may choose to sign him with the benefit of reaping future rewards.
But despite his young age he has been good for Ipswich and has managed 33 appearances for the Tractor Boys and has scored six goals this season already and even notched up his first hat-trick.
He will turn 16 this March and is already shaping into a great prospect. A move to Arsenal will do wonders for his Arsenal career, and he can no doubt add some youth to the striker force.
But his young age and inexperience at the top level means that he will take time to get adjusted into the Premier League and will take time before he starts to rack up the goals.
But with Arsene Wenger reported to have shown interest in the young lad, a summer move could be on.
Gervinho
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Another player linked with the Gunners and this time, Gervinho has even stated that a move to Arsenal would be his "dream" move, and it looks like he would be great addition to the Arsenal squad.
He is a very talented dribbler of the ball, something few players in the current Arsenal team are really good at. He is quick with the ball at his feet and can run past defenders with ease.
Added to that he is a good finisher of the ball and has an eye for goal. His quick feet and great positional sense helps him to create space in a tight situation and take shots on goal.
He can play in the wings as well and is adept both as the frontman and on the wings. He enjoys cutting him from the wings to get into good goalscoring positions.
He has scored 23 goals from 53 appearances for Lille and has scored 11 goals this season and has been instrumental in their rise to the pole position in Ligue 1.
Romelu Lukaku
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Right now there is no teenager more in demand than 17-year-old wonderkid, Romelu Lukaku. Already labeled the next Drogba, Lukaku has rejected a move to the Premier League for the time being.
He may just be 17, but this season he has been an absolute revelation for Anderlecht. He has scored 34 goals in just 86 games which is an absolutely shocking and impressive statistic for a 17-year-old.
For a 17-year-old, he is physically a beast. He is tall, strong and is an absolute monster when on the pitch. He is fast, is a deadly finisher and can outmuscle defenders with consummate ease and can win aerial balls as well.
With such talent, Lukaku is bound to leave Anderlecht one day but if Arsenal wish to sign him, they will face stiff competition from the likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City.
Hugo Rodallega
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Wigan forward, Hugo Rodallega was linked to the Gunners last winter when Arsenal had both Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner out injured. With Wigan looking destined for relegation, their top players like Rodallega, Charles N’Zogbia all looking set to leave the club for greener pastures.
He has been impressive for Wigan and was their top scorer last season as he notched up 10 goals. Although that might be a small number, Wigan are a team that score very few goals, and a move to Arsenal will help to bring out the best in him.
Rodallega has proved to be a strong player and despite his short height, he uses his strength to great effect. The price for the Colombian will not be too high and he will fit well within Wenger’s budget.
Kevin Gameiro
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Lorient’s Kevin Gameiro is currently second in the goals chart having notched up 16 goals already this season in the league. Gameiro has all the attributes to become the goal machine that Arsenal require.
He is relatively injury free having missed just five games in the last two seasons, and he is currently racking up the goals in France. Despite his relatively light frame, he is a potent dribbler of the ball and is fast with the ball in his feet. Also he is comfortable moving into the wings and can even play in the hole.
His overall style is a bit similar to that of Arsenal lynch pin Robin van Persie as he likes to drop deep to receive the ball, something which he does to great effect.
But if the Gunners do wish to sign him then they will have to fight off competition from the likes of Bordeaux, Valencia and rivals Tottenham Hotspurs who have all expressed interest in the forward.
But Arsenal’s French influence and the opportunity of Champions League football could entice the young forward to move to the Emirates.
Mario Gavranovic
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If recent rumors are to be taken seriously, than Arsene Wenger looks all set to make a £7 million bid for Schalke’s Mario Gavranovic. Although he is virtually unheard of, Wenger has made it a habit to sign players from obscurity and turn them into stars.
Wenger is reported to believe that he could be the answer to Arsenal’s striker problems in the absence of the prolific van Persie.
He was instrumental in their progress to the last eight of the UEFA Champions League as he scored against and helped his side move past Valencia.
He has shown plenty of potential and is only 21 right now. He has looked impressive when given the chance but with Raul, Klass Jan Huntelaar all ahead of him in the pecking order, the Gunners could tempt him to switch to England.
Nilmar
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Currently playing for Villarreal, Nilmar is a highly talented player with an eye for goal. He started to score more freely this season along with striker partner, Giuseppe Rossi and has already notched up 15 goals this season.
Nilmar is a fantastic dribbler of the ball and I personally would love to see him at the Emirates next season. He has all the attributes to be a good player in my opinion. He is a good finisher, gets into great goalscoring positions, is lovely with the ball in his feet and despite his short height, uses his head to great effect.
His asking fee may be more than Wenger’s budget, but I strongly feel that Wenger should spend on this player or at least another striker. Players like Nilmar are at the peak of their game, and he will definitely contribute to the side with his dynamic and scintillating play.
Conclusion
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Out of these players I would personally love to see either of Gameiro, Nilmar or Doyle join the club. With the sale of Nicklas Bendtner looking a real certainty, Wenger should not make the same mistake he did last season and should be proactive on the transfer market and buy a striker if the need arises.
Also with the constant injuries to van Persie it may be best for Wenger to buy a striker.
But we can only speculate on Wenger’s next move in this regard. It still remains to be seen whether he will finally splurge the cash or whether he will look to develop another player.
