Even with the arrival of Alexis Sanchez, there was still a few question marks over the Arsenal attack. Olivier Giroud was still the only senior striker at the club and while the Gunners did address the concerns at the back, they were still crying out loud for a 20-goal a season striker. For any injury to the Frenchman would’ve meant that the Gunners would’ve been left with precious little in the form of replacements up front. So it was no surprise to see the Gunners go out looking for a top-class striker in the summer.
Although they had been scouring across Europe they still haven’t landed anyone and as a result their worst nightmares have come true. Giroud fractured his foot in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Everton and reports that the French striker will now be out for almost four months is certainly a body blow for the Gunners. It now leaves the Gunners with little option but to go out and buy a world class striker for they badly need on.
For all the potential that Yaya Sanogo and Joel Campbell have displayed so far, neither are proven in the Premier League and cannot be counted on to provide the impetus needed in attack. The other option for Arsene Wenger is Lukas Podolski, who is yet to return to full fitness following his World Cup exploits. And even if Wenger decides to go with a false nine and deploy Sanchez in that role, there is no telling whether it would work out or not.
So it is was easy to see why Arsenal would be interested in Manchester United’s Danny Welbeck. After being told by Van Gaal that he is no longer required at the club, the 23-year-old is on the lookout for a new club and in the past few days Arsenal have been linked with the player. So, is Welbeck the man Arsenal have been looking for? Will he be the one to answer their goal scoring woes up front?
For starters, you can certainly see why Wenger might be interested in the Englishman. Welbeck is a versatile forward who can play both centrally and on the wing. He has the pace to stretch defenses at will and is a willing runner who is equally adept at not just going forward, but also tracking back and helping out in defense. While those are certainly compelling reasons to sign, there are certainly plenty of reasons not to do so.
First and foremost would be fee that Arsenal would have to pay to ensure that the transfer goes through. As the Red Devils have already spent over £100m in transfers this summer, they will be looking to recuperate some of with the sale of players. Given the premium that is placed on English players and the fact that Welbeck is still only 23, the Gunners will have to shell out in excess of £25m at least to secure the services of English striker. On top of all of this, the fact that United would be selling to their direct rivals is only bound to raise the price even higher than it normally would be.
While the Gunners can at least expect to recuperate some of that fee in case they decide to sell him in a few years, one main reason why they shouldn’t think about buying him is his style of play. Having broken through into the United first-team in the last three years, Welbeck’s goal scoring record is far from impressive. His last three League campaigns have yielded a total of just 19 goals and he has never scored 10 League goals in his career until now.
With Arsenal in search of a goal scoring striker to lead their attack, Welbeck wouldn’t be the man for the job. Despite all of his good qualities, his finishing is far from impressive and that is one of the main reasons why Van Gaal is letting him go. And that is why Arsenal would do well to avoid signing Welbeck, who despite all of his attributes isn’t the finished product and isn’t the one that Arsenal need at the moment.