There is a huge request from many concerned with Arsenal that a new striker needs to be signed by Arsene Wenger during the January transfer window so that the club can continue to push for the Premier League and Champions League titles.
Olivier Giroud has been carrying the load upfront by himself this season and he can not continue to do it all alone and thus another quality striker needs to be signed in January. But Arsene Wenger insists that if the right player is not available to sign in January then he will not buy anyone.
Wenger said, as reported by Sky Sports, “I don’t say I never make a mistake – I certainly made some, sometimes it is because we didn’t sign the right player.
“But it is always difficult in the middle of the season. If somebody is doing well somewhere, the clubs do not necessarily want to sell him. They can wait until the end of the season.
“Most of the time it is because we didn’t find (him).”
So what would Arsenal do if the ‘right player’ is not available in January? Wenger seems to think that Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott can fill in as strikers if need be.
Arsene added, “Yes, Podolski is not back as well (yet), but he shouldn’t be too far now.
“Theo gives us an opportunity to be a mobile striker. If we lose Giroud today we have nobody with body weight up front, apart from Bendtner.
“I think Bendtner has the level, but at the moment he doesn’t get enough games – and as well, in his head, is he here or has he planned to go (in January)?”
Wenger continued: “Theo gives us qualities that other players haven’t got, it is a different option.
“We have a lot of players who like to come to the ball, so to have one or two who go behind and create space in the middle, it gives us options to score.”
We can not start to talk about Bendtner now as we know he is not a good enough option and he simply has to be sold as soon as possible. Podolski and Walcott are both able to come in and do a decent job upfront but they are not out-and-out strikers like Giroud. Arsenal would have to change the way they are playing right now to accommodate Podolski or Walcott as strikers.
Wenger is right when he says that it may be difficult to buy a quality striker this January as many clubs will not want to sell and many players will not want to move as it may jeopardise their chances of playing in the World Cup. Wenger just has to try his best and bring in a player like Benzema, Benteke or Ba then we will be in a much better position.