Arsenal started their Premier League season on an indifferent note against West Ham, but registered a deserved 2-1 win over Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace. The Gunners performed exceptionally in the pre-season, but there still remains areas of concern which need to be addressed before the summer transfer window officially slams shut.
Though Giroud impressed in his last outing against Crystal Palace, he himself has admitted the necessity of another striker at the club in the past. Giroud has always maintained that he welcomes healthy competition for positions at the club. With Welbeck injured and his return date unknown, Walcott is the only other striker option at the club now. However even he is primarily a winger and although he has expressed his interest to play more as a striker this season, his traits are best suited to play the winger’s role.
Hence the need to sign a new striker has increased furthermore and until recently Benzema was the only striker linked who was linked with us. But this week reports from the Telegraph suggested that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is readying bid for Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang if Benzema deal fails to materialize.
Aubameyang is a 26-year old centre forward who currently plays for German club Borussia Dortmund and after a slow start to his Dortmund career he quickly rose to prominence at the German club with his fast flowing football. He is now the numero uno striker and has been highly successful in that position since the departure of Polish striker Robert Lewandowski. The sudden emergence of Aubameyang has turned the attention of many top club managers around the world towards the talented Gabonese forward. The list includes Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger as well.
Wenger admitted in the past that the Gabon international is a player who would suit the Arsenal way of playing. Hence buying Aubameyang would be a wise move. It would not only give our squad the necessary depth but also bring in extra pace to our already good looking forward line. With players like Cazorla, Ramsey and Ozil in midfield, Aubameyang will be provided with ample goal scoring opportunities at Arsenal. Hence even he would be interested in joining us if Wenger bids.
Another player from the German Bundesliga who was recently linked with the Gunners is German forward Mario Gotze, who reportedly wants Arsenal move according to reports in the Metro. He primarily plays as a winger for Bayern Munich but he also play as a striker. He has recently come under a lot of criticism for his lack of form. The Bayern fans have also expressed their concern over the misfiring German forward, but one of the main reasons for his mediocre performances is that he doesn’t suit their style of play. With players like Arjen Robben, Douglas Costa, Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski working well in tandem with each other, Gotze has found it difficult to adapt to the nature of their play.
At Dortmund, it was entirely different and he enjoyed tremendous success there, but has found life difficult at Bayern. Arsenal’s style of play is quite similar to that of Dortmund and with wingers like Sanchez, Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain, he would have a great time at Arsenal. A striker like Olivier Giroud who is experienced would help the young forward to develop well at Arsenal. Hence keeping Gotze as a backup for Benzema is a really good plan considering Gotze’s age.
Though Benzema still remains our primary striker target, players like Aubameyang and Gotze can also boost our Premier League title hopes. However the final decision remains in Wenger’s hands and let us all hope that he brings in the right player.
