Arsenal Transfers: Daniel Sturridge Linked with Shock Move to the Club

Deemed to be growing increasingly frustrated with his role on the right wing for Chelsea, Daniel Sturridge has been linked with a shock transfer to Arsenal, as the Daily Mail is reporting that the move is presumed to go forward this summer .

Sturridge's current contract doesn't expire until the end of next season, but a combination of factors might facilitate a move away from Stamford Bridge before then. Arsenal's top scout, Steve Rowley, has apparently been tracking the player and is setting the wheels in motion for a deal.

The 22-year-old England international has grown unsettled with manager Andre Villas-Boas's refusal to play him in a central attacking role.

Sturridge has been occupying a right wing position in the Portuguese manager's 4-2-3-1 formation, which requires Chelsea's wingers to occupy deeper-lying roles and track back extensively in support of the full-backs.

Not exactly Sturridge's—who has said in the past he aspires to be England's No. 9—bread and butter.

Michael Cox, known best for his website Zonal Marking, but who also does freelance work for ESPN from time to time, made the excellent point that Sturridge has started 19 games for Chelsea, but he has been substituted in over half of them.

On Sunday during Chelsea's 3-3 thriller with Manchester United, Villas-Boas was seen visibly exhorting his young charge to get back and help out in defense more frequently. Just minutes after that exchange, Sturridge conceded the first penalty of the game, fouling United's left-back Patrice Evra in the box. He was substituted soon after and did not go to shake his manager's hand nor give him a sign of acknowledgment.

As Cox noted, Sturridge isn't the first English youngster to plead his case for time as a central forward.

Arsenal fans should be familiar with that script, as Theo Walcott has made it a point this season of asking Wenger for chances to play as a central forward. Like Sturridge, Walcott plays on the right wing for Arsenal.

Sturridge has played for five clubs already in his burgeoning career and professes to have been an Arsenal fan growing up.

Will he switch London clubs? He can't be too pleased that his path to center forward at Chelsea is blocked by Fernando Torres, who despite providing an assist in Sunday's match, hasn't scored for over four months now and somehow still finds his name penciled in up top each week.

It's understandable that Walcott would be considered a secondary option to Arsenal's ubiquitous goalscoring machine Robin van Persie, who occupies the central forward position in the Gunners' own 4-2-3-1 formation.

With Sturridge, however, the situation seems to be a bit more untenable—perhaps even unreasonable. The youngster also wants a pay raise, which only serves to add more fuel to this story that threatens to spiral into conflagration.

There is no denying that Arsenal could use cover at the center forward position, as Marouane Chamakh and Chu-Young Park don't seem to have Wenger's confidence at the moment. The Korean, signed from AS Monaco just this past summer, has even said he will move on in the summer if his situation doesn't improve.