Arsenal FC Transfer Rumors: Interested in the "Next Henry" Emmanuel Riviere

Every transfer season, every big club is linked with the “New Messi” or the “Next Zidane” as the media outlets crank up the hype machine for business purposes.

Typically the headline reads the name of a former legend of the club reportedly interested in the “Next One” in order to get the fans talking. The more fans talk about the report, the more the media outlet stands to make.

In my opinion, it is just another form of sensationalism by the media, but I have to admit it works at getting a fans attention even if just for a moment.

Recent reports have Arsenal interested in the “New Henry.” The man touted in a few of these rumors is Saint Etienne’s Emmanuel Riviere.

Riviere is a good young talent. At 21 years old, he has been a starter in Ligue 1 for two years as both a wing and a lead striker. In 73 appearances for the club, he has scored 17 goals. While this is not a staggering number, it is comparable to some other goal-scoring stars in Ligue 1.

Karim Benzema racked up 26 goals in 76 games by the time he was 21. Considering Benzema was playing with a much more talented squad at Lyon, the numbers by Riviere are good. Riviere has also been a member of France’s U-21 squad enjoying goal-scoring success at that level as well.

Despite his goal scoring, comparing him to Henry at this stage of his career is a stretch. He is French, has a similar build and like Henry was, is in his early 20s. Riviere boasts good speed and technical ability on the ball. Those attributes are shared by several footballers in Riviere’s age bracket.

The chances of any of those players making anyone forget about Henry are small. At 21 years old, no one knows for sure if a player has the mental makeup and drive to go along with those skills. Henry’s mindset coupled with the work ethic his father instilled in him allowed him to take his skill set, combine it with the coaching he received and raise his game to the top level.  

This is not meant to put Riviere down, as a Saint Etienne fan I have seen Riviere play on many occasions. I like the young man as a player and can understand why Arsene Wenger would be interested in him. I see him as a player who would provide excellent depth at this time and should develop into a front line contributor in two years time under Wenger.

If rumors turn out to be true and he ends up in North London, it will be a signing similar to Laurent Koscielny’s signing last year. In my opinion, it would not be a signing Arsenal fans would be excited over for now, but one they would appreciate down the road.

For now, we will continue to listen to all the gossip and see how things unfold. Arsenal will sign some players, and if Riviere is one of them, I will hope for the best. I will hope being Emanuel Riviere will be enough to make Arsenal fans happy, as I do not expect to see “Henry” in him or anyone else.