Arsenal are desperately looking to sign a world class striker this summer, after losing out on the title last season, mainly due to lack of goals from upfront. The Gunners were strongly pursuing Jamie Vardy before the Leicester City striker decided to sign an improved contract with the league champions. There have been rumours linking even Karim Benzema with a move to the Emirates, however everyone knows how that will turn out in the end.
One fresh transfer speculation that has been surfacing in the media recently is about Wenger going after Everton striker Romelu Lukaku. That is the profile of striker that makes a lot more sense, with Wenger using a striker that likes to play with their back to goal and brings the midfield into play.
Olivier Giroud hasn’t been appreciated much, but he is in fact a very good forward, who has scored 57 league goals across four seasons, which is by no means a bad return. However, he isn’t a top tier striker, and Arsenal need somebody in someone world class if they are to challenge for major honours. They have Petr Cech, Mesut Ozil and Sanchez, all of whom are top tier players, and if they bring in a quality striker, they have the potential to mount a serious title challenge next season
Lukaku is a player who is excellent at not just straight-line speed, but also finding creative ways to shake defenders. He often falls back deep to get involved in the action from where he likes bringing others into the play. He uses his pace excellently to get behind opponents defenders, something that is missing from Girouds game.
One of the major weaknesses of Lukaku’s game is that he often goes to sleep in the box and doesn’t make a meaningful run to connect with the crosses coming in. However Giroud is lethal in the box, when the ball is played out wide. There are still a lot of doubts about Lukaku, including his consistency and attitude. Last season, he went on an excellent run of form during the first half of the season, but was poor after Christmas, and he didn’t look motivated to play for Roberto Martinez anymore.
Even during the ongoing Euro 2016, Lukaku looked uninterested during major portions of their matches. If he wants to cement his place in an Arsenal team, he will need to be fully switched on all the time. There are also further doubts regarding his price tag. Some reports say he could go for as high as £50-65 million, and with Chelsea also in the race to regain his services, it would be no surprise to see Wenger shy away. It will be interesting to see whether Wenger makes a move for the Belgium international but given Arsenal’s requirement right now, he will be better off going for someone who has proven himself over a consistent base on the top level.