FIVE transfers for Arsene Wenger to chew over

I think it’s fair to say that Arsenal lost against Man City on Sunday due to the lack of firepower we currently possess.

To restrict a team that’s been scoring almost three goals a game to just one but failing to find the net ourselves is very disappointing to say the very least. However, it provides food for thought for Arsene Wenger and also shows that it’s upfront that we currently lack personnel, not in our defence.

Injuries have depleted our back-line vastly, but with none of our forwards sidelined, we still look short of options and attacking prowess. That is an important aspect for quality teams to have and Andrey Arshavin and Marouane Chamakh certainly failed to provide this yesterday afternoon in Manchester.

So in my opinion Wenger has to look into reinforcing our attacking options this January, especially with the African Cup of Nations set to handicap us even further.

So here are five possible forwards that our manager should look into singing this January:

Lukas Podolski:

Currently the name on every Arsenal fans lips, and rightly so. Anyone who is capped 95 times for Germany must have serious quality, and he would certainly help Arsenal’s fortunes upfront. The 26-year-old’s contract expires next year and it is believed that FC Koln would consider bids of around £13-17 million for their star forward this winter. Podolski can play anywhere across the frontline and he’s reaching an age where strikers are at their best. However, Wenger might have reservations about signing him given his dramatic failures at Bayern Munich, which has led many to assume that he lacks the mental strength to play for the bigger clubs. Wenger though has a reputation of bringing the best out of those who struggle, and Podolski’s recent form alone is enough to tempt the Frenchman into luring the German to London this January.

Thierry Henry:

The French striker is currently training with his former club and Wenger has recently declared that the Arsenal legend looks in good shape. I think it’s fair to say that Henry is a pale shadow of his former self, but class is permanent. The former French international is an intelligent player and at 34, he still has his goal scoring instincts intact. Furthermore, Henry would be a huge inspirational presence for our younger players and will certainly adhere to the fans as well. Wenger might need to shed a few extra bucks to loan him till the end of season, but a short-term deal is on the cards. However, if I’m not mistake, Wenger isn’t someone who looks for short-term solutions. But it happened once with Sol Campbell so why not again, this time with the club’s record goal-scorer.

Olivier Giroud:

The Montpellier striker has fired his club to the upper echelons of Ligue 1 and has reportedly attracted interest from Newcastle and Arsenal in recent weeks. There appears to be no credibility in these rumors, but the 25-year-old would certainly appeal to Wenger given his French roots and transfer fee of around £7-10 million. Giroud certainly hasn’t got the same quality of Van Persie, but the French international would be a good understudy and back-up option for the in-form Dutchman. Giroud has the technical ability and intelligence to succeed at Arsenal and is my personal choice, along with Podolski, to join The Gunners this January.

Matias Suarez:

Very few Arsenal fans are aware of this 23-year-old Anderlecht striker, but Wenger has reportedly got scouts watching him at the moment. Touted as someone in the Javier Hernandez mould, Suarez would be available for as little as £6 million. The departure of Lukaku has allowed Suarez to flourish and you can always bet on the Anderlecht academy to have imparted him with good technical skills and ability. He’d certainly want to move to a club like Arsenal and looks like someone Wenger likes to sign – he’s young, technical and cheap.

Marco Reus:

One of the breakthrough players in the Bundesliga this season, the Borussia Mönchengladbach striker is one of the hottest properties in European football. The German is being linked with a move to Bayern Munich, but will find it hard to establish himself in a star studded line-up. The 22-year-old also has a £16 million release clause in his contract that reportedly comes into effect this summer. Though an extremely costly target, the German international has the talent to become one of the best players in world football. If Wenger decides to move for him in January, then he may have to pay up to £30 million due to his club performances this season and I don’t think there is any realistic chance for us to land him, as he is being chased by a lot of big clubs.

If Wenger is looking beyond the African Cup, then the Frenchman has options like Moussa Sow , Salomon Kalou and many others to look at.

No matter how much he snubs talks of players coming in January, I’ve seen enough from Wenger’s press conferences to suggest that he’s aware of his team’s shortcomings. I am pretty sure that Wenger is searching for reinforcements and trust him to make the right moves this winter.

 Article courtesy of Vivek Arulnathan from Gunnersphere

FREE football app that pays you CASH