Arsenal Transfer News: Francisco Alcacer an Inferior Option to Alvaro Morata

Arsenal are reportedly keeping tabs on Valencia starlet Francisco Alcacer ahead of a frantic summer for the Gunners.

Arsene Wenger has certainly outlined a talented striker if his interest proves to be concrete, but Alvaro Morata is a better fit for what Arsenal need right now despite the North Londoners reportedly watching Alcacer on multiple occasions.

Per John Cross and Neil Rowlands of the Mirror: "Arsenal boss Wenger has had the Spain Under-21 striker watched four times in the last month as he looks to strengthen his strike-force this summer."

Alcacer is a two-footed striker whose intelligent runs often afford him space. He is fairly quick and agile, and he is capable of scoring different types of goals, as noted by his nine in 19 appearances across La Liga and the Europa League, per WhoScored.com.

Currently playing as a lone striker, Alcacer's finest moment of the season came when he netted a second-half winner to beat Barcelona 3-2 at the Camp Nou. He should be earmarked as a lethal finisher and someone who is likely to improve across the coming seasons, but there are many aspects of his game that ensure he isn't right for Arsenal just yet.

The first of these is his sloppiness when in possession. Alcacer has completed just 69.8 percent of his passes this season, a worrying statistic when you consider he has played 70 minutes or more in 12 games.

Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images

While Morata barely exudes confidence at 72.2 percent, the 21-year-old's numbers are likely to improve when he is afforded greater time on the pitch. Morata has played more than 70 minutes just once in a combined total of 19 displays, ensuring his mistakes are amplified with limited time to make an impact. 

Alcacer has the capacity to seem isolated when Valencia are under pressure. Despite his best efforts at contributing defensively, he often suffers with poor discipline and is prone to racking up irritating yellow cards, as highlighted by six cautions this campaign.

He has grown used to being a lone striker—a strategy Wenger favours at Arsenal—but Alcacer would need a strike partner if he was to effectively combat the physicality of Premier League football.

Morata has the potential to work alongside a teammate or spearhead the attack alone with his bulky 6'1" frame, something Alcacer would struggle to do at an inch shorter and with considerably less weight behind him.

Morata's array of skills has been downplayed this season due to his lack of game time. Carlo Ancelotti has understandably favoured an attacking trident of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, but Jese Rodriguez's rise to prominence has halted Morata's progress further still.

Although Morata has been limited to just a single start, Nicholas Rigg of ESPNFC.com details a forgotten talent who remains prolific when afforded the chance to shine:

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As with Madrid's young Spanish players Morata continues to flourish internationally with Spain's U-21s. He netted in their victory over their German counterparts last week and has now notched 13 goals in 12 games, needing just one more goal to become the country's top goalscorer at that age level.

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The Los Blancos starlet finished top scorer during Spain U21's Euro 2013 triumph, netting four in a competition of limited playing time, per UEFA. As an all-round player, Morata would offer Arsenal far more than the outright goalscoring prowess of Alcacer.

Morata's power, grace on the ball and holdup play make him an excellent candidate for Wenger. As we've seen, he is more than capable of notching important goals on a regular basis.

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