WHICH OF THESE SIX STRIKERS SHOULD REPLACE GIROUD AT ARSENAL? 1. MARIO MANDZUKIC 2. KLAAS-JAN HUNTELAAR 3. ROMELU LUKAKU 4. LOIC REMY 5. JOSIP DRMIC 6. VINCENT ABOUBAKAR In recent seasons, Arsenal have made a habit of snatching fourth place, and with it Champions League qualification, right at the last minute. Following their weekend defeat at Everton, however, it is the Gunners that are in danger of surrendering that coveted spot this time around. Where they finish will ultimately have a big impact upon the calibre of player that they can attract to the Emirates Stadium in the summer, but it is clear in the minds of many supporters that a new striker is required: Olivier Giroud has been making more headlines off the pitch than on it of late, whilst a return of 24 goals from 55 Premier League starts for the club is hardly the stuff of legend. Unheralded names such as Standard Liege’s Michy Batshuayi and Rubin Kazan’s Serdar Azmoun have been linked with moves to North London, but are these guys really the answer? Probably not, in the short-term at least, so who could come in and hit the ground running? MARIO MANDZUKIC – BAYERN MUNICH Mario-Pic The 27-year-old has been brilliant for all-conquering Bayern Munich, scoring 32 goals in 41 Bundesliga starts during his two seasons at the club: Mandzukic-Stats Strong in the air and able to bring others into play, the Croatian international is well used to being the spearhead of his team’s attack. Robert Lewandowski’s impending arrival from Borussia Dortmund could result in him becoming surplus to requirements this summer, though there would be no shortage of interest in securing his signature. KLAAS-JAN HUNTELAAR – SCHALKE One of the most underrated forwards around, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar possesses both a poacher’s instinct and supreme technical ability: His volley against Real Madrid in the Champions League was right out of the top drawer, whilst 11 goals from 14 Bundesliga appearances this season represents some return for the Dutch international: Huntelaar-Stats The fact that he is 30 years of age could count against him, particularly in the eyes of Arsene Wenger, but he is still delivering on a weekly basis in a strong league. ROMELU LUKAKU – CHELSEA (ON LOAN AT EVERTON) Lukaku Still just 20 years of age, the Belgian international gave a perfect demonstration of his pace, power and finishing ability as he scored one and made one in Everton’s comprehensive weekend win against the Gunners. His goal on Sunday saw his tally rise to an incredible 30 in 43 Premier League starts during loan spells at West Brom and Everton: Lukaku-Stats Jose Mourinho doesn’t appear to see the young man as part of his plans, for whatever reason, with the sale of Juan Mata to Manchester United demonstrating that he is willing to do business with a potential rival. LOIC REMY – QUEENS PARK RANGERS (ON LOAN AT NEWCASTLE UNITED) Loic Remy is a proven Premier League performer, scoring goals at both Queens Park Rangers and Newcastle: Loic-Remy-Stats The French international would have better players around him were he to make the switch to the Emirates Stadium and he certainly possesses the quality to fit right in: With pace to burn and an ability to operate from wide, as well as through the middle, the 27-year-old would add another dimension to the Gunners’ attack. JOSIP DRMIC – NURNBERG The Swiss international has been an absolute revelation since arriving at Nürnberg last summer, scoring 16 Bundesliga goals in a struggling side: Drmic A composed finisher that likes to operate on the shoulder of the last defender, the 21-year-old clearly has a big future in the game: It could be argued that he is not yet ready to lead the line for Arsenal, but the way in which he has adapted to German football suggests otherwise. VINCENT ABOUBAKAR – LORIENT Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and Alexandre Lacazette have scored more Ligue 1 goals than Vincent Aboubakar this season: Aboubakar-Stats Best described as a cross between Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba, the 22-year-old Cameroon international possesses all of the attributes needed to succeed at the highest level: His 12-minute cameo against Denmark at the 2010 World Cup hinted at enormous potential and that could well be fulfilled were he to make the move to the Emirates Stadium this summer. THOUGHTS Of these six, Romelu Lukaku would be my number one target. The young man has proven himself more than capable of leading the line in the Premier League, whilst he will only get better in the coming seasons. I suspect the Belgian international might be amenable to a move if Arsenal manage to pip Everton to Champions League qualification, but Jose Mourinho could prove to be the key figure in determining his future. Which of these strikers would you like to see playing for the Gunners? Perhaps you are happy with Olivier Giroud or maybe you have someone else in mind?
Posted on: Thu, 10 Apr 2014 18:58:13 +0000
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