Is Olivier Giroud football’s most under-pressure man (except perhaps Roy Hodgson, David Moyes and a few others)? Arsenal are currently at the top of the Premier League table, but if they’re to stay there, he’ll need to keep scoring, regularly.
If Olivier Giroud suddenly loses his form, or gets injured, then Arsenal will have nobody to turn to. Yaya Sanogo is injured (and still a very raw talent). Nicklas Bendtner lacks motivation and isn’t the ideal option at the best of times. And beyond that, there really is nobody.
Luckily, Giroud’s managed to produce the goods this far. But it would be foolish for the Gunners to try and push their luck past January. If they’re serious about challenging for the Premier League title, or for any kind of silverware, then signing another striker is damn near essential.
It’s also worth noting that the best striker likely to be available this summer, is Karim Benzema, Real Madrid’s superstar French striker. As luck would have it, Arsenal have experience negotiating with Madrid and may fancy there chances should they come in with a big cash offer.
But according to The Star, the Gunners will face competition from Roberto Mancini’s Galatasary side to sign Karim Benzema. They may also have to fight off advances from Chelsea.
These are club’s with some serious financial firepower, who happen to be chasing a player who will command a hefty fee. Just a year or two ago, Arsenal would have already been squeezed out of the proceedings by this stage.
But Arsenal are an altogether new kind of beast this year. Following some great commercial deals last year, years of player sales, settling of debts and the clearing of dead-weight, Arsenal now have plenty of money to spend.
That’s how they managed to capture Mesut Ozil last summer (who cost £42.4m!). If they go in strong, they could well get their man.
What’s more, Benzema may well look at the Premier League table as it stands and decide that Arsenal are a better fit for him than Chelsea. He may look at Arsene Wenger (an expert in developing French players) and decide that he’ll aid his career better than the self-serving Jose Mourinho.
All these factors put Arsenal in a very strong position indeed. It’s an exciting time to be a Gooner!
What’s your take? Can the Gunners beat off competition from Galatasaray and Chelsea to sign Karim Benzema?
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