Should Arsenal be pursuing this £16m La Liga ace?

Everybody knows that Arsenal need a striker. The pundits know, the fans know and hopefully, Arsene Wenger knows.

If he doesn’t return from the January transfer window with a striker or two in tow, I’m sure plenty of eyebrows will be raised.

After all, it was Arsene Wenger who allowed Robin Van Persie to leave last summer and the Dutchman’s absence has created a big gap in this Arsenal squad.

Again, it was Arsene Wenger who failed to adequately replace RVP last summer. He brought in Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, but this has proved to be inadequate. Podolski has been pushed out wide and Giroud looks a little cumbersome.

But who will Arsene look to this January to try and fill this gap?

One player who has been linked pretty strongly to Arsenal is Barcelona’s ace striker, David Villa. And now, according to the Daily Mail, the Gunners have been quoted a figure of £16m if they want to snap him up.

That’s a rather surprising figure for a player with his goal-scoring figures. Villa is one of the best strikers in the game – a natural goal-scorer, with pace, mobility and vision. He’s an intelligent footballer who has already proved himself at every level of the game.

In other words, there’s no doubting his talent. So why is his price-tag so low? Well, here’s the rub: David Villa is now 31-years-old.

No big deal right? But in footballing terms, he may as well be registering to pick up his free bus pass. Bear in mind, Arsene Wenger has a habit of only offering players over 30 nothing bigger than a one-year contract extension.

So would he be prepared to splash out on a player like David Villa? I’m assuming that Villa is on the hunt for his last major contract – wouldn’t he rather go to a club that places less onus on developing young talent?

Suffice to say, there’s a reason why Villa’s available for around £16m. Yes, he’s a good player, but he only has two-or-three years left at the top of his game.

He’s a player with absolutely no re-sale value and that’s something that’s sure to turn Arsene Wenger away.

I’m all for Arsene Wenger spending this January and spending big if necessary, but it’s clear that David Villa isn’t the solution.

What’s your take? Could David Villa be the striker that Arsenal so desperately need?

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