Arsenal Need so Much More Than Olivier Giroud in Attack to Win Premier League

It is sometimes said that Olivier Giroud is a player that divides opinion. Some appreciate his outstanding hold-up play, while others lament his erratic finishing and lack of pace.

However, this summer the Arsenal fans seem united in their view about the French forward. Whatever qualities they may believe he has, he cannot prop up Arsenal’s attack alone. The Gunners need more attacking artillery in their squad—and time is running out. 

Even Giroud himself seems to agree that Arsenal could do with adding a new forward. When England striker Jamie Vardy was linked back in June, the Frenchman told Sky Sports (h/t the Mirror): 

"

I've been told Jamie wants to join us. It's a very good move for us. I think we can complement each other.

That's all I can say, he is a fantastic player, so yeah, it's a good move for us.

As I said in the past, I'm happy with competition. We've always had fantastic strikers at Arsenal and I want the best for this club so hopefully he's going to help us to win this title.

I expected a top striker to come in and I think it's very beneficial for the club and for the team, so hopefully he's going to score a lot of goals as he did with Leicester.

"

If Giroud was speaking honestly, there are two possibilities here. The first is that he recognises that his best performances in an Arsenal shirt have tended to come when competition for places has been strongest. The arrival of Danny Welbeck in the autumn of 2014 inspired him to some of his most effective form in an Arsenal shirt—now, with Welbeck out, he might crave someone to keep pushing him.

Sang Tan/Associated Press

Alternatively, maybe he simply wants a bit of help. Giroud has becoming a lightning-rod for criticism over the past few years, but that’s partly because he’s spent long periods as Arsenal’s only viable option at centre-forward. Welbeck has been injured and Theo Walcott hugely inconsistent. The strain on Giroud has been significant, and occasionally he has faltered under the sheer weight of expectation.  

As it turned out, the Vardy move was doomed to fail—the player ultimately chose to stay at Leicester. However, Arsenal must not give up the chase for a new goalscorer. Their need remains as acute as ever. 

Arsene Wenger at least seems aware of the seriousness of the situation. Speaking after Arsenal’s 2-1 win over the MLS All-Stars in preseason, he said, per Sky Sports:

"

At the moment I have not too many attacking options in terms of experienced players. But let's not forget we still have a few players at home. 

There are also a few players who did not play [against the MLS All-Star team], like [Santi] Cazorla and of course [Mesut] Ozil and [Aaron] Ramsey are at home. [Olivier] Giroud is also not here.

So we have options but we will still look outside to find one more.

"

Arsenal have arguably needed a new goalscorer long before now. Not since Robin van Persie left the club in 2012 have they had a natural finisher in their ranks. Towards the back end of last season, Wenger lamented the lack of efficiency in their front line, citing it as one of the major reasons the club failed to win the title ahead of Vardy’s Leicester. Wenger said, per the Guardian: “We have to add what we missed this season. And I have said many times we did not score enough goals to win the championship”.  

Arsenal finished the season with 65 league goals—the lowest tally in the top four. Wenger might have hoped that a fully fit Welbeck could contribute a further 10-15 to that total this season. With the former Manchester United man now set to miss most of 2016/17, a new arrival becomes essential.

It’s a view echoed by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry—who should know a thing or two about scoring goals in the Premier League. Henry has told the Sun (h/t Goal): 

"

Olivier Giroud has done well. He's a good player but they need someone of the calibre of a Sergio Aguero or a Luis Suarez.  

They missed out on Suarez a few years ago. He would have been perfect for them and could have helped them go on to win the league. 

If they can get someone of that ilk then they could go on to challenge for the title next season.

"

What Henry says may well be true—that doesn’t make it easy to pull off. He alluded to Arsenal’s attempt to sign Suarez in 2013, but the reality is that players of that calibre rarely appear on the market. 

In the past, Wenger might have allowed himself to stay above the fray. Typically, he’d rather wait until the perfect player comes along than dive into the melee of the transfer window to grab a player who isn’t quite top drawer. 

This summer, he has no choice. On their pre-season tour of America, Arsenal are currently being forced to use Chuba Akpom in their forward line. Akpom has potential, but he made little discernible impact during a loan spell with Championship Hull last season. If Arsenal hold serious ambitions of domestic and European success, they need a credible alternative to Giroud.

Wenger is trying. Already two offers have been made public knowledge. There was the bid for Vardy, then journalists such as Jason Burt of the Telegraph documented an offer for Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette. Neither has proved successful, although Burt believes Lacazette “has decided he wants to join the Premier League club”. 

Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

Even if that is the case, Wenger will have to substantially raise his offer to appease Lyon. That goes against his parsimonious instincts—but this is no time for penny-pinching. In the football economy, there are few things more valuable than a goalscorer. Arsenal’s need is evident, and that puts selling clubs in a powerful position.

The Gunners boss will have to bite the bullet. His faith in Giroud is admirable, but when even the player himself is calling for reinforcements, it suggests the club are in dire need. Giroud can still be an important part of Arsenal’s forward line next season—he simply should not constitute the entirety of it.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout 2016/17. Follow him on Twitter here.