Arsenal Transfer News: Analysing Mario Mandzukic Summer Bid Rumours

Arsenal could be ready to make a splash this summer by moving for Atletico Madrid striker Mario Mandzukic. The Gunners could covet the prolific powerhouse to challenge sometimes-misfiring striker Olivier Giroud.

Mandzukic could finally end a prolonged desire to add a marquee striker to the forward line. He only moved to Atletico Madrid last summer, but the Gunners have remained keen and will bid this summer, according to Daily Star reporter Garry Doolan.

He contends that, while Mandzukic has performed well in Spain's top flight, a behind-the-scenes spat with manager Diego Simeone could cut his stay in the capital city short.

The 28-year-old Croatian international has established a solid reputation at the top level of European football. He was a UEFA Champions League winner with Bayern Munich and has had little trouble finding the net for Atleti. He's scored 20 goals and provided five assists in all competitions this season, per WhoScored.com.

Mandzukic is a classic target man. He's aggressive and decisive in the air, regularly winning the ball and setting up chances for supporting forwards with clever knockdowns.

That skill would certainly suit an Arsenal squad containing fleet-footed wide attackers such as Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck. Of course, current No. 9 Giroud performs the same role for this Gunners vintage.

In many ways, there isn't much to separate Giroud and Mandzukic. But the one difference is a potentially significant one.

While Giroud is a gifted link player and has the size and strength to pose a physical challenge, he's maddeningly inconsistent in front of goal. For all the goals Giroud scores—he's netted 52 in his Arsenal career, per the club's official site—he misses as many chances as he converts.

Those misses are usually high profile: Giroud's major weakness is an inability to score in the biggest games against the toughest opposition.

The problem was exposed with ruthless effect during Arsenal's recent 3-1 UEFA Champions League last-16 home defeat to AS Monaco. To say Giroud was wasteful would be an understatement, as this statistic from BBC's Match of the Day official Twitter account reveals:

Mandzukic has a better pedigree in the bigger games. He notably scored Bayern's first goal in the 2013 Champions League final against Bundesliga foe Borussia Dortmund.

He would give Arsenal a player with Grioud's attributes—but one who could seriously challenge the Frenchman for playing time. Some may baulk at the idea of signing a player who may consign Giroud to the bench, but it needn't be that way.

The presence of strong competition could inspire Giroud to his best form. B/R's James McNicholas recently suggested the arrival of Welbeck last summer has had a similar effect:

The Gunners have become very reliant on a natural target man ever since manager Arsene Wenger reshaped his midfield from power players like Patrick Vieira to diminutive technicians such as Santi Cazorla.

Emmanuel Adebayor and Giroud have provided different collections of pint-sized pass masters with an outlet ball and focal point. But besides Giroud, today's squad doesn't have another natural centre-forward who's a physical presence.

Wenger told BBC Football Focus that Arsenal will be active in their hunt for big signings this summer, per BBC Sport. If he's really going to spend big again, Mandzukic would be the perfect alternative to Giroud up front.