Can This 23-year Old Be The Next Kanu At Arsenal?

There is one striker who has been linked with a move to the Premier League and one such striker who seems to be on the radar for most clubs is Ahmed Musa. The Nigerian was once linked with a move to Manchester United and now the rumours are swirling around that the 23-year-old striker could be the one to solve Arsenal’s striker crisis.

“I would be happy if I was wanted by Arsenal,” said Musa this week. “I have supported the team since the age of six. Kanu has been my idol since childhood. It will be fantastic to play for Arsenal.

“I will not hide it; Leicester actually came to our club. But I repeat that I want to finish the season with CSKA to help them to win a championship, and then think about changing team.”

Musa currently plays for CSKA Moscow and has scored 10 goals for the Russian Premier League side this season and has scored 46 goals for the side in his five seasons in Russia, though he did have a slow start in his first season.

A tough striker with a lot of potential

Considering the fact that he is only 23, Musa does have a lot of experience playing in Europe. The Nigerian had spent a couple of seasons at VVV Venlo in the Eredivisie and then moved to CSKA Moscow. He started his career for GBS Football Academy and then had stints at various clubs as he grew and moulded into one of the best attackers in Nigerian football.

He even set a record for scoring the most number of goals in the Nigerian Premier League in one season. Musa, though is known for his pace and ability to dribble with the ball. His lightning pace is what makes him such a tricky customer to deal with and this coupled with the movement that he puts across the forward line is something that can be a huge asset for him in the Premier League.

True, he does not score as often as some of the other top strikers in the world but that is not his game. It is the movement that makes him so pivotal for any team he plays for.

Musa can play as a winger or as a central striker as well, he has also played as an attacking midfielder for CSKA this season but his preferred position and the one where he can do the most damage is playing as the main striker.

He isn’t the most physical when it comes to taking on defenders and his heading ability and aerial strength isn’t the greatest, not that Arsenal provide a lot of crosses to their strikers. He also loves to play passes and links up well with the other attackers in the team and that could be the reason why Arsenal are so interested in the striker.

Musa would provide better movement that Olivier Giroud does and he does have a better head when it comes to playing as a striker compared to Theo Walcott. The 23-year-old is not the finished product though and needs to hone his skills to get in front of the goal and score more often.

Arsenal need someone who can stretch defences with his runs and the pace of Musa could well be the answer that Arsene Wenger has been looking for but would he be willing to try his luck with an unknown quantity?