Arsenal Transfer News: Thomas Muller, Robert Lewandowski Sounded Out by Gunners

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger may not have brought in a star striker who will sate the ambitions of the Emirates Stadium faithful yet in this window, but it doesn’t mean he hasn’t been trying, with reports claiming the Gunners made enquiries on Bayern Munich pair Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller.

That’s according to Rob Draper of MailOnline, who claims Wenger sounded out both players earlier in the window but was advised by Bayern they were not for sale. Draper elaborated in his piece:

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It was made clear to Arsenal that neither player would be allowed to leave – meaning the club have had to look at alternative option such as Karim Benzema at Real Madrid.

There was a hope that tensions at the club caused by Pep Guardiola’s systematic approach, not necessarily best suited to Muller and Lewandowski, might provide the opportunity for a £50m move for either player.

But Arsenal were given a message that neither player could leave the club and with both of relatively long-term contracts the issue was not pursued. Bayern also gave the same message to Manchester United, given Louis van Gaal’s persistent interest in Muller, which began last summer when he nominated him as one of the players he was keenest to sign.

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Naturally, both players would have made a major impact for the Gunners had deals been done. Muller is a remarkably intelligent footballer who is superb at carving out opportunities with subtle movements, while Lewandowski is a more refined target man, capable of leading the attack with physicality and poise.

Here’s how the duo compared last season to other reported Arsenal target Karim Benzema, per Draper’s piece, and their own starting centre-forward, Olivier Giroud:

	Lewandowski	Muller	Benzema	Giroud
Apps (Sub)	28 (3)	28 (4)	29	21 (6)
Goals	17	13	15	14
Assists	5	10	10	3
Shots per game	3.4	2.6	2.4	2.6
Key passes per game	1	1.3	1.6	1.1
Dribbles per game	1.4	0.8	1.1	0.3

The Gunners have been linked with moves for strikers throughout the summer, with plenty still unsure about Giroud's capabilities to lead the line for a title-winning side. But the Frenchman provided an indicator of his quality with a sumptuous goal against Crystal Palace last weekend.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

Still, Arsenal News provided some statistics that suggest a top-quality finisher may enrich the Gunners' other creative options:

Both Muller and Lewandowski would have represented upgrades on Giroud, but it’s no surprise Pep Guardiola is keen to keep hold of both. After all, the latter is the only real orthodox No. 9 capable of making an impact against elite opposition in the Bayern squad, while Muller’s versatility makes him a wonderful player to have around.

ODD ANDERSEN/Getty Images

As we can see here courtesy of WhoScored.com, Muller offers both a creative and clinical influence in the attacking areas for Bayern:

Ultimately, Arsenal look set to be frustrated again in their endeavours to land a world-class forward, and that's something that will disappoint a lot of the club’s supporters. But in Giroud they have a savvy striker who is a wonderful foil for the cultured crop of midfield men currently available to manager Wenger. 

Muller and Lewandowski represent ambitious targets, as is Benzema, as elite clubs simply don’t want to sell their best goalscorers. So if Arsenal are to eventually be in possession of a world-class No. 9, their most likely chance would be to bring someone currently below that bracket who can flourish into a force at the Emirates.