Arsenal Transfer News: Yaya Sanogo Was Brilliant Signing by Gunners

The offseason that Arsene Wenger promised to open up the checkbook has gotten of to a humble, yet shrewd, beginning for Arsenal. 

The first summer signing comes in the form of 20-year-old former Auxerre striker Yaya Sanogo.   

Arsenal's official website delivered the news:

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Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce that French youth international Yaya Sanogo has joined on a long-term contract.

The 20-year-old striker, who joins as a free agent after leaving Auxerre, made a total of 24 appearances and scored 11 goals during his time with the Ligue 1 side.

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While this move lacks the star power Arsenal fans are craving, it is a shrewd acquisition. Sanogo's upside is through the roof. 

He is a rare combination of size and speed. He stands at 6'3", 163 pounds. He's explosive with nice top-end speed and good initial burst. 

He is a little on the lanky side, but he will undoubtedly fill out as he ages. Also, he already has the upper-body strength to hold off defenders. And none of this comes at the compromise of his skill. He is right at home battling in a physical contest or mesmerizing onlookers with his skill. 

He has been blossoming with Auxerre, where he scored a combined seven goals in back-to-back games in February. He's also shown his promise on the France Under-20 side. In three starts with the junior international side, he has two goals and an assist.

However, Sanogo has been extremely injury prone. As Andrew Gibney of the Daily Mirror details, Sanogo, in just the last three years, has suffered a broken leg, an injury related to the broken leg and a thigh injury. 

Obviously, there are no guarantees he will ever get over his battle with injuries. However, his upside makes him well worth the gamble.

That said, Sanogo may not get much of an opportunity to flash his potential early in his career at Arsenal.

It seems likely that they will bring in Gonzalo Higuain, and they still have both Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski on the roster. 

However, if he stays healthy, no one will have the talent to keep this youngster off the pitch for long. 

This is the kind of signing that has a chance to be viewed as a riotous steal down the road, and if Sanogo can never stay healthy or regresses in his development, it will simply be a long-forgotten and not overly detrimental mistake.