Arsenal Transfers: 5 Strikers Who Could Replace Robin Van Persie

Robin van Persie was named as the captain of the Arsenal team when Cesc Fabregas departed the club to join FC Barcelona, and though everyone knew the quality of Van Persie as a player, it has been impressive to see him leading the team this season.

Despite the loss in attacking quality due to the injury to Jack Wilshere and the departures of Fabregas and Samir Nasri, Van Persie has managed to inspire the team with his performances and has shown great commitment on the pitch.

It is clear that he is a player who is very respected in the dressing room and bringing in players of immense experience like Mikel Arteta and Per Mertesacker will also help the Dutchman in guiding youngsters.

Van Persie has been in sensational form this year, scoring as many as 28 Premier League goals in 27 games and has been one of the best players in the world this year.

He has around 18 months left on his contract and it is inevitable that many other clubs will track the forward and try to sign the Dutchman. However, he has stayed eight years at this club and if Arsenal do prove their ambition, there is a good chance he could stay at Arsenal in the long term.

Van Persie's injury problems in the past and the uncertainty regarding his contract situation is why there is a need to look for Van Persie's replacements because he is a player who is one of the most difficult players to replace in this current Arsenal side.

1. Edinson Cavani (Napoli)

Edinson Cavani has been in brilliant form in recent seasons establishing himself as one of the best strikers in Europe. “El Matador” as he is nicknamed for his strength, was always a very talented player but he has now added great consistency and clinical finishing to his game which is why he has been very prolific for Napoli. Though the Napoli attacker can play on the wings, he is best suited in the role of the centre forward where he can influence things.

He is capable of producing similar form in the future as well considering that he has improved greatly and also has the right attitude. As a striker, he can be an effective target-man with his height and physicality and would add a lot to the team. It would be difficult for the Gunners to sign the striker who has a huge price tag but strange things have happened and there still exists the chance that the Gunners could sign the Uruguayan international.

2. Lukas Podolski (FC Cologne)

Lukas Podolski is one of Germany's best strikers and he did show his quality at the World Cup in South Africa, though he could not help his team beat Spain in the semifinal. Podolski is also left-footed like Van Persie and he can play anywhere along the forward line.

He is also quite strong and possesses excellent shooting skills. Also, Podolski is a very direct player who does take on defenders and shoots when there are opportunities.

The FC Cologne forward is at his home club after he struggled to make an impact for Bayern Munich, but if the club does not compete for European places this season, he could be inclined to move to another club.

With Germany international Per Mertesacker in the Arsenal team, it could also be a factor in persuading Podolski to choose Arsenal over many other clubs who could also be interested in the forward.

3. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

There are not many players in the world who have the quality to replace Robin van Persie, but Karim Benzema is one striker who could go on to be one of the world's best.

He has all the attributes of a quality striker and he is a player who can be prolific for his side. If Arsenal do sign a striker like Benzema, it will certainly prove the ambition of the club and also could help persuade some of their other important players like Robin van Persie, Alex Song and Theo Walcott to sign a new contract.

Benzema has been in excellent form in the last year, scoring plenty of goals for Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid, but the return of Gonzalo Higuain has meant that he has had to be benched for some games.

Higuain has returned to his best form and is scoring plenty of goals as well, and it will be difficult for the Portuguese tactician to provide enough playing time for both strikers.

If Real Madrid also do sign Neymar for a whopping transfer fee, then they might sell one of the two strikers and either of Benzema or Higuain would add plenty of quality to the Arsenal squad.

4. Steven Jovetic (Fiorentina)

Steven Jovetic is another player who has the potential to be a superb player in the future and he has shown that he has the quality with his performances for Fiorentina.

Jovetic's position in the future is not certain, as he can play as an attacking midfielder or as a striker, but with Wenger as the manager, he can help blend the Jovetic in the role currently occupied by Van Persie, where he plays using a combination of attributes of  a typical striker and of a attacking midfielder.

Jovetic recently signed a new contract with Fiorentina, which is why it will be difficult for the Gunners to sign the Montenegro international, but in several cases, players have left the club after signing a new contract at a higher transfer fee.

Though still young, he has the talent to make a huge impact at Arsenal if they sign him and it would be a huge coup for the Gunners.

5. Alexandre Pato (AC Milan)

Alexandre Pato was recognized as a player who could become world-class in the future at a very young age and AC Milan managed to sign the striker when he was only 18 years old, though they did have to pay a sizeable amount for the talented player from Internacional.

The Brazilian international has all the attributes of a top striker and will only continue to progress under the guidance of a manager like Arsene Wenger, who has contributed to the development of several youngsters.

Pato has suffered a number of injuries during his time at Milan, but with the Brazilian reaching his prime years in the future, he can improve his fitness as well.

With Milan having several excellent forwards like Robinho and Ibrahimovic in their squad, they could sell Pato in order to strengthen their squad in other areas. Arsenal would have to pay quite a big transfer fee to sign Pato but it could be a good investment as he is a player with huge potential.