Arsenal Transfer News: Latest on Carlos Bacca and Sofiane Boufal Rumours

Carlos Bacca didn't sign for West Ham United this summer because he wanted a move to Arsenal. That's according to Hammers manager Slaven Bilic, who has revealed Colombian striker Bacca preferred to wait for the Gunners to come calling.

West Ham were heavily linked with AC Milan attacker Bacca for most of the summer, but Bilic has stated how the player wanted another destination, per Metro's Sean Kearns:

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But we were not the first choice of Colombian. He was waiting for Arsenal and Atletico Madrid then finally decided to stay at Milan, but we are very happy because we bought Zaza who a year ago was our first choice.

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News that Bacca wanted to sign for the Gunners begs the question why Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger never made a move. After all, Milan were willing to sell, according to Italian source Calciomercato.com.

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That should have interested Wenger, since the Gunners have needed an accomplished finisher for a while and few can match Bacca's composure in front of goal.

He helped fire Sevilla to consecutive UEFA Europa League titles before leaving for the Rossoneri in 2015. Bacca then helped himself to 18 goals during his first season in Serie A, per WhoScored.com.

He was even named as a primary target for Arsenal back in July, according to Richard Amofa of the Daily Telegraph. Yet, Wenger ultimately opted to sign Spaniard Lucas Perez from Deportivo La Coruna for a fee of £17.1 million.

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It's obviously still too early to judge Perez, but there's no denying Bacca could have helped Arsenal. He's more of a natural No. 9 than Perez, who can also play on the flanks.

Bacca is a focal point up top. He's not the hold-up player target man Olivier Giroud is, but he is quicker than the Frenchman and more unerring in front of goal.

Lacking a striker they can rely on to finish moves has hamstrung the Gunners in recent seasons. Giroud and Theo Walcott are inconsistent, while Danny Welbeck has been blighted by injuries.

Wenger will hope Perez can finally solve this problem, but he may rue not making a move for Bacca if Arsenal's forward line runs into familiar problems this season.

Gunners Wanted Sofiane Boufal

Bacca isn't the only player Arsenal might have signed this summer. The Gunners were reportedly keen on former Lille winger Sofiane Boufal before he signed for Southampton.

Boufal's agent Yvan Le Mee told SFR Sport (h/t ESPN FC's Ian Holyman) about Arsenal's interest: "We also had Arsenal, who—when they lost out on Mahrez—came back to us, but it didn't happen."

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Boufal eventually became Southampton's record signing when he joined the Premier League club for a fee thought to potentially rise to £21 million.

Although Boufal has talent, missing out on the 22-year-old shouldn't bother Arsenal too much. Wenger's squad has plenty of options for the wide berths.

The Frenchman can choose between Alexis Sanchez, Alex Iwobi, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott when everybody is fit. Factor in the ability of both Perez and Welbeck, at least when he's healthy, to play on the flanks, and the Gunners had little need for another winger.

However, the need for a prolific striker won't go away until one of Wenger's chosen options proves he can find the net on a regular basis, particularly in the biggest games.