Arsene Wenger: Does the Arsenal Manager Need to Buy a Striker in January?

Arsenal buying a striker in the January transfer window is a no-brainer for many. But manager Arsene Wenger isn't so sure.

With Olivier Giroud valiantly leading the line at the risk of burnout and injuries making Nicklas Bendtner the primary cover, Arsenal's need for reinforcements up front would seem obvious.

But Wenger has offered a note of caution regarding the idea of snaring a high-profile front-man this winter. According to The Guardian's Amy Lawrence, Wenger may trust his existing resources and opt against the scramble for January transfers:

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Arsène Wenger is hopeful that the return of Theo Walcott against Southampton on Saturday, and the expected full rehabilitation of Lukas Podolski from a torn hamstring in December, will reduce the demand to sign a striker in the January transfer window. The Arsenal manager reckons his team can win the title even if attacking reinforcements are not forthcoming in January.

Theo gives us qualities that other players haven't got, said Wenger, in reference to the raw pace that he brings. It's a different option. It gives us options to score, to go behind to create space in the middle. We have missed that, maybe, but we have not done too badly. Podolski also shouldn't be too far now.

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Wenger is clearly referencing both players' ability to support and even replace Giroud in the middle. While they can, there are definite disadvantages to either player leading the attack.

Walcott's pace can terrorize defenses and often does. But it is a quality most effective when used from various angles.

Walcott is tougher to counter when he is able to drift in from wider areas and attack central positions with darting runs between the lines.

In these instances it is difficult for teams to assign specific markers to track his movement. When placed in the middle, Walcott is easier to bracket and often loses the tussle between two rugged centre-backs.

This was especially evident when Wenger experimented with Walcott as a central striker, finally bowing to the consistent pleas of the player, last season.

There were some exceptional games like his hat-trick in the Gunners' 7-3 thrashing of Newcastle United. But there were also matches where an easier to defend Walcott blunted the attack and cost Arsenal.

The 1-1 draw at Southampton in January and the 3-1 UEFA Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich at the Emirates in February were the most notable examples.

To many, Podolski is a more natural choice to operate through the middle. The Germany international's game is defined by subtle movement and decisive, classy finishing.

The problem with Podolski is a lack of consistent effort and an absence of truly predatory instincts. Wenger referenced the former issue in an interview with Bild in late-October:

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Lukas Podolski is super talented, can play very well with others, has great power, can shoot free kicks, scoring goals from anywhere, make good, but he can develop even better. With him, you always feel that it to 80, 90 percent is there, but you like it to just the 100 percent - and that is with him world class.

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Wenger's comments are a fair critique of a player who has been noted for his nasty habit of going missing during large portions of games since he signed for Arsenal last summer.

The latter problem stems first from that inconsistent work rate and from Podolski's lack of assurance as a natural striker. His movement is not always direct enough to suit playing as the focal point of the forward line.

Podolski is often most dangerous when he drops a little deeper, where he can fire a long-range salvo, or make a late run onto a ball cut back from the flanks.

He is also a threat when he darts off a flank to latch onto a pass threaded through from a central area.

What Podolski doesn't have is the kind of instincts to dominate the areas Robin van Persie did in 2011/12. The Dutchman scored many goals from close-range that campaign.

He tailored his movement to be at the tip of build-up play, rather than in its supporting areas. He also showed the knack all natural strikers have for anticipating where chances would break inside the box.

Podolski's failures in these areas were evident in last season's 1-1 home draw with Manchester United and the narrow wins over Queens Park Rangers and Newcastle United.

The result was an Arsenal attack lacking consistent proficiency while Podolski took the place of the suspended Giroud.

So while both Walcott and Podolski are intriguing options for the middle, neither are suitable long-term alternatives to Giroud if that's what Arsenal need at some point this season.

This is especially true given that neither possess the two essential qualities Giroud provides this current squad, namely physical power and excellent link play.

This team thrives as an attacking force thanks to the way it uses Giroud as the ideal foil for midfield playmakers. His strength and hold up play not only give Arsenal an outlet ball, they allow for quick and varied runs around Giroud.

These are the type of runs that are hard for defenders and deep midfielders to identify and cover. As a link player, Giroud is better than all but a handful of centre-forwards in the game.

His flicks and touches are clever and usually precise. Giroud has a happy knack for anticipating runs around him and choosing the right one to aim for.

His work with Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil has re-emphasized the style of play Wenger loves and crafted some superb goals this season.

Take Giroud out of this team and it loses several vital qualities. This is a problem Wenger has noted, according to Lawrence:

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If we lose Giroud we have nobody with body weight up front apart from Bendtner. I think he has the level but at the moment he doesn't get enough games. And as well, in his head, is he here? Has he planned to go? said Wenger. Bendtner would not be allowed to leave in January unless an alternative physically-imposing forward comes in.

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Rely on Bendtner for cover at such a vital position for a whole season won't be palpable to many fans.

But where can Wenger find the right qualities in a player good enough to cover for Giroud, but prepared to sit on the bench? Yaya Sanogo, the Arsenal chief's first signing of the summer, has the athletic qualities.

The ex-Auxerre prodigy boasts a 6'3" frame, solid strength, pace and decent technique. But Sanogo has also been hit by the injury bug and denied the chance to refine the raw aspects of his play.

There is definite potential, but it is hard to argue a healthy Sanogo would be significantly better cover than Bendtner at this stage.

Finding the right cover for Giroud is a dilemma for Wenger and one not made any easier by the big weakness in his main striker's game.

The question mark that always hovers around Giroud is whether he is prolific enough to fire Arsenal to major prizes. His finishing has been wildly inconsistent at times, and Giroud is still not a striker you completely trust when through on goal.

In fairness, he has shown some improvement in this area this season, evidenced by 10 goals. Seven of those have come in the English Premier League.

But his recent brace against Southampton, courtesy of a dire goalkeeping blunder and a penalty, were Giroud's first domestic goals since he scored away at Crystal Palace on October 26th.

That was his first successful strike in four league games. The point is that while Giroud is improving, he is hardly prolific.

More concerning, is that he has still scored just one league goal outside London. That came in Arsenal's 3-1 away win over Sunderland on September 14th.

In fact, Giroud only has league two goals, his header against Palace and his prodded striker against West Ham United last October, away from the Emirates Stadium.

Of course, goals are vital wherever they are scored. But it is difficult to envisage Arsenal capturing a title with a striker as good as dormant away from home.

Yet what are the chances of Wenger finding a more prolific striker who still does the essential work Giroud performs, in January?

As Lawrence states, he has already as good as ruled out a move for Real Madrid's Karim Benzema:

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He was very dismissive about a possible bid for Karim Benzema, the France forward who competes with Giroud for the national team. Asked if they might also battle each other at club level, Wenger was pretty unequivocal. I don't think that's a good idea, he said.

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Benzema is certainly not a player who would willingly play second fiddle while Giroud continues to mature as the leader of Arsenal's attack.

Wenger has also apparently been rebuffed in his efforts to snare Fernando Llorente from Juventus, according to The Independent's Jack De Menzes, citing a report from Italian website TuttoSport.

The towering Spaniard would give Arsenal the qualities Giroud offers the team. But he has also played in the Champions League this season and is not a significant enough upgrade on Giroud to warrant sending him to the bench.

Neither is Alexandre Pato, the brittle Brazilian who has never delivered on his early promise. Wenger has been linked with a £10 million deal for the South American, by the The Daily Express' Colin Mafham.

He would give Arsenal more game-stretching pace at the tip of the attack. But that is what a healthy again Walcott is for.

This is where the argument against buying a striker in January comes full circle. Wenger is not wrong to think that the return of Walcott and Podolski boosts Arsenal's firepower.

A collaborative effort to scoring is also a smart ploy and one Wenger has targeted since selling van Persie last summer.

It can work, especially if another midfielder, aside from Ramsey, emerges as a consistent goal threat.

But standing pat in January dangerously gambles on Giroud becoming more prolific and staying healthy enough to maintain Arsenal's potent combination of strength and flair in attack.

To give his team a better chance of capturing major trophies, Wenger must spend big on a significant upgrade over Giroud. That could mean a second awkward attempt to sign Liverpool's Luis Suarez.

If Wenger just wants cover, he must rely on his ability to unearth a lesser known talent who can be developed into something more.

Either way, Wenger and Arsenal do need to acquire an additional front-man this winter.