Should Arsenal make a move for this Bayern Munich outcast?

With time running out, Arsenal’s need is as desperate as ever. Arsene Wenger has cultivated a strong squad (one that’s currently duking it out at the top of the Premier League), but there’s one key weakness.

Wojciech Szczensy is a top young goalkeeper. Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker are (arguably) the best centre-back pairing in the Premier League. Arsenal have a treasure trove of options when it comes to their midfield. But the reserves don’t reach quite as deep when it comes to their strikers.

Indeed, I’d venture that Olivier Giroud is the only world-class out-and-out striker the Gunners have in their squad. Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott are both part time centre-forwards, who probably perform best when playing out on the wings and the likes of Nicklas Bendtner and Yaya Sanogo still have a lot to prove.

This just doesn’t sound like a strike-force that you can build a Premier League title-tilt on. Wouldn’t it be an extraordinarily large gamble to rely on Olivier Giroud for the remainder of the season?

It’s not like there aren’t candidates out there. Take Bayern Munich’s Mario Mandzukic for instance. Whilst the Croatian international led the line during Bayern’s treble-winning campaign last year, he hasn’t featured quite as regularly this season.

Pep Guardiola often opts to play Mario Gotze or Thomas Muller in more advances roles and the impending arrival of Robert Lewandowski is sure to affect his playing time.

This has led The Mirror to link Arsenal with a move for the Croatian. They also quote the club’s honorary president Franz Beckenbauer, who suggests that Mandzukic ‘could pack his bags’ and that he sees ‘Lewandowski in the attack. His playing style is [more] suited for Guardiola’s ideas than that of Mandzukic’.

It does look as though his days at the Allianz Arena are numbered.

But the man won’t come cheap. Despite his diminished profile, the 27-year-old has still managed to score 13 goals in 20 games. That’s a fairly healthy return. When you consider his 22 goals last season, it’s clear that he’s still among European football’s most prized forwards.

He’d get more game-time at the Emirates and he may well help fire the Gunners to silverware this season. Let’s see if Arsene Wenger is willing to loosen the purse-strings once more.

What’s your take? Should Arsenal continue to chase this Croatian goal-machine?

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