Arsenal were kind of struggling going into the final week of the transfer window last summer after they lost Olivier Giroud for 3 months due to a broken ankle. There were very limited options available in the transfer market, as many clubs prefer to keep their strikers that late in the window as it would be virtually impossible for them to find a replacement.
However as we approached the final hours of the deadline day Arsene Wenger, who was out of town attending a charity game pulled out a surprise by signing out of favour Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck. It was a move which some of the fans cherished while some others were disappointed. But considering the circumstances then, it was a very good move as he is a great player who is yet to reach his prime and can also be one the most destructive strikers around on his day.
Initially it took him sometime to get used to the Gunners style of play and as expected goals weren’t frequent. The Englishman didn’t score many goals, but the few he did score were very some memorable. The hat-trick against Galatasaray in the Champions League group stage and the one against Manchester united to seal a FA Cup semifinal spot at Old Trafford was stand out.
His goal tally stands at a modest of a 8 this season but he has brought much more to the club than just the goals. He is a hard working forward, who tracks back in defence and always puts in a great shift for his side. His work ethic is a key feature of his play and although his record has been mediocre for Arsenal, he has been in good form for the Three Lions.
Moving to a new club is never easy for a player and it seems Welbeck has also suffered from the same this season. He prefers to play up front and that’s one of the reasons why he left United, however he hasn’t had many opportunities to play there this season. One of the reasons for his negligible game time this season has been Giroud, who has been piling up goals up front this season
He had his chances to impress but struggled at times while playing as the lone striker, which he is likely to improve with further experience. He hasn’t been a excellent buy like Sanchez, but you cannot attribute him as a bad signing as he is the one for the future. We can look forward to a better contribution from him in the coming seasons. Our rating of Danny Welbeck for this season is 6.5 out of 10.
What did you think of Welbeck’s performances this season?
