Arsenal lost out in the race to sign Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy as the English striker decided to remain with the Premier League champions and signed a new deal to stay at the club for a longer period of time.
The Gunners were in advanced talks with Leicester to bring the forward to the Emirates but now have to deal with this transfer blow and in some ways it is a good deal as many were not happy with Arsene Wenger’s idea of signing a 29-year-old, even though he was one of the best players in the Premier League last season.
Arsenal though need a new striker to provide proper competition to Olivier Giroud and the faster they bring someone in the better it would be. The transfer market is difficult to negotiate but here are three players that the Gunners should look to sign either to have a proper Plan B or even to be their Jamie Vardy next season.
Romelu Lukaku
The one striker who could actually be viable for the right amount and someone who knows the Premier League extremely well, Romelu Lukaku could be the man to replace Jamie Vardy’s absence at Arsenal and even change the team from a top four side to a Premier League winning one.
He is great in the air, has great pace and his finishing is getting better, plus he is one of the strongest players in the league as well and if Arsenal were willing to fork out £20 million for Vardy, they should be able to fork out £40 million for the 23-year-old Belgian who has scored 25 goals for Everton last season.
Nabil Fekir
While everyone speaks about Alexandre Lacazette and the fact that he might leave Lyon sooner or later, there is also a lot of speculation about the future of one of their young star players, Nabil Fekir.
The 22-year-old is another quick player who often links up with the main striker and can play out wide or as the striker himself. He might not have the greatest scoring record and barely played in Ligue 1 last season but that shouldn’t take away from the fact that he is one of the brightest talents in Ligue 1 and has always spoken about his desire to join Arsenal.
He would probably be at the same price point as Vardy but would be someone who can get better and grow with each season under Arsene Wenger.
Stephan El Shaarawy
The fall of the pharaoh, that should be the name of the movie based on Stephan el Shaarawy, if it is ever made. The talented Italian was supposed to take over the world with his footballing ability at AC Milan but barely proved his ability due to injuries and other issues.
He is now at AS Roma and even that might not be the best thing for the Italian. El Shaarawy though still has the potential to become a great player and maybe under the right guidance he can fulfil his destiny.
The 23-year-old Italian still might not have the best of times in the capital city and Wenger could put in a cheeky bid in January for the striker who just can’t seem to settle down at a club.