Last season The Gunners were surprisingly short in centre-forward options. Bringing Alexis Sanchez in will help (in a major way) but it may not be enough. What if Sanchez or their other centre-forward, Olivier Giroud get injured? Arsenal will be forced to turn to players like Yaya Sanogo.
It’s not ideal, is it?
It’s not like there aren’t good options out there available at a bargain price. The Gunners have been linked to AC Milan’s world-class centre-forward Mario Balotelli for the last few months. Surely it’s time for them to start wrapping this deal up?
According to The Metro, AC Milan are keen to part ways with Mario Balotelli and are willing to sell him to Arsenal in a cut-price deal. It’s thought that he’d cost just £7.9m, providing The Gunners are willing to chuck in Costa Rica forward Joel Campbell as part of the package.
I have to say, this looks like an excellent deal for The Gunners. Campbell started the World Cup extremely well, but faded as the competition went on. It’s also worth noting that he’s thus far been unable to break into the Arsenal team, having been sent out on loan 3 times.
Whilst he looked pretty good at Olympiacos last year, it’s not clear that he’s good enough to crack this Arsenal side. At 22-years-old, is he really ready to compete with players like Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott?
Mario Balotelli, on the other hand, should be able to provide Olivier Giroud with a decent amount of competition. Balotelli’s a lot quicker than Giroud and he’s also got a good goal-scoring record. Since moving to AC Milan two summers ago, he’s found the back of the net 30 times in 54 games.
He’s also got Premier League experience, so shouldn’t take long to adapt to his new surroundings. With all this in mind, I can’t help but feel that Arsenal would be foolish to pass this opportunity up. They’d be a lot more competitive with Balotelli in their squad next season.
What’s your take? What does the future hold for Joel Campbell? Should The Gunners be chasing Mario Balotelli?
Please follow @ThePerfectPass for more football related action!
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.
They don’t want him and want a player we have. So why should we give up our player for a reject. No thank you, if they willing to sell him as cheap the find another suitor. Sure Liverpool or even Southampton would love him
It`s going to be a better bargain for arsenal……balo his a good player, but very hard to cope with
Keep JC and buy Balotelli outright.
Truly speaking balo is more better and faster,please who ever can tell to wenger should please do
It sounds a very good business only that supper Mario is hard to cope up with.
it is a welcome idea,up gunners.
He’s a good lad and good addition if he wenger can sign him. but is not going to be a good deal if Joel go on the opposite direction.
Balotelli ,he’s a world beater of a strike, great addition to an Arsenal squad already had Giroud , theo Walcott / Alexi .s but his attitude is hard knots to crack .
Balotelli, he’s a world beater of a striker, fantastic addition to an Arsenal team full of great talent like Theo Walcott, Alexi Sanchez and G.Oliver,his bad character will be a problem, direct bargain is better than a swap deal involving Joel Campel.Arsene Werger , please dont sell him , send the Lad on loan to another premier league club.
Both the present and the future is bright for Campbell,he should rather stay and wenger should also get balotelli then we loan sanogo out to a premier league side
I agree 100%.We dont sigh Balloteli and we regret mid season when Alexis and Giroud get injured.Anywhere Giroud not even half as better as Balotelli.
The only problem is Descepline
It’s nt good because campbell is a promise player like thiery henry
Arsen is a very good coach during the season, but when the transfer window opens, I completely lose hope in his decision making!!! there is no better Forward in the Market at that price than Balo at the moment…
yes he is difficult to handle, but let’s give him a chance, His ability with the ball can never be questioned… if we don’t get him, then Arsenal will just compete for 4th place because the pressure come the end of the season!!!
What a joke.. Cambell hasn’t even played a game for Arsenal yet and people want to sell him off for pennies… The only deal worth considering for JC is a loan deal.. He’s better than Sanogo and Balotelli would be a good signing for us but would probably not stay at Arsenal for very long before something moves him on.. Whereas JC is a player we can look to for the future and get a lot more than £10M.. In my honest opinion, if they were serious about a deal to buy they would offer us Balotelli and money not the other way round.. They want to sell, we don’t..
And to say he faded towards the end of the World Cup is an absolute joke!!! Costa Rica went out on penalties in which Campbell didn’t take part… Do your homework on Joel before tryna ship him off for a volatile and partially consistent Mario Ballotelli!!
I would also like to add that…
“It’s also worth noting that he’s thus far been unable to break into the Arsenal team, having been sent out on loan 3 times.”
Campbell has been unable to break into the Arsenal team simply because he did not have a work permit to play in England, until just before the World Cup.. Therefore, he has been loaned out with increasing effect each year… You will find the same situation is happening to Wellington Silva… So in respect, he is not another Vela or Myachi who were loaned out without success and then moved on for cheap.. He is a project, one that will cost AC Milan a little more than £10M.. As I said, loan deal or nothing..
I really think Wenger needs to think about this deal carefully. Because it has its pros and cons. On the positive side Balotelli is as good as it gets in world soccer when you talk about out and out striker. He will be our immediate response to Chelsea’s acquisition of Diego Costa and will most likely outshine the brazillian turned spaniard. He is an upgrade on Giroud (and i think the reason Wenger wants to tie Giroud down to a new contract now might be that he intends to do this deal and don’t want Giroud to be thinking about leaving and in the event he will leave next summer it will be for a handsome price because of the length of his outstanding contract), and most importantly he is experienced in the premier league. If Wenger will make Mario our main striker upfront, then this might be a deal of a lifetime. On the other hand if Wenger have made up his mind that Sanchez is definitely our starter upfront when Walcot returns then Arsenal should not buy Mario, because if Mario is not the main man upfront, it will provoke his negative side. He will start throwing tantrums and will ultimately loose the support of the fans and upset our hitherto peaceful dressing room.
Concerning Campbel, I dont agree he faded after the first game at the world cup. He plays for Costa Rica for God’s sakes and they played really really really well. i am of the opinion they even surpassed their expectation and that of their nation. This boy was one of the few shinning lights of that team, in fact he was by far their best player followed by their Goal Keeper. Joel did not fade he rose up to the occasion when called upon. They beat Uruguay, Italy (Mario’s team), Greece, drew to England (when they’ve already qualified) and lost to Netherlands only on Penalty shoot-out, what more could you possibly ask of them. I believe if Wenger intends to go with Sanchez as our main striker then keeping Joel as our Fourth Striker (after Giroud and Podolski (I believe Poldi can thrive in the centre with Sanchez, Walcot, OX on either side of him)) will not be a bad idea at all. He is way better than Yahaya Sanogo.
Again the Bottom line is this deal will happen or otherwise depending on what Wenger’s plan for Sanchez is.
Jol Campbell hasn’t played for arsenal for one simple fact!! He didn’t have a work permit for the past 3years you knob jockey!!! Get your facts right before wasting your time writing it and My time reading it! A load of bull shit
It is hard to argue with yoyr reasoning, but the rumours from the Emirates are thar Wenger wanted to sign a big replacement fir Santi Cazorla to keep the team balanced and the fans happy. This was to be Douglas Costa. If this does not materialise we may see a striker arrive after the community shield. That is the game he will be reminded how weak the team is at CF.
If we ever gonna win the Premier League we need Joel freakin Campbell who is a workhorse beyond belief. That sucker even blasted De Gea in the Champions League and the Spaniard only looked down in grief he ran like a group of lions taking down a elephant against the Netherlands. Arsenal FC needs a great player and that’s Joel Campbell who can only get better and not be a stubborn 6 year old both on and of the pitch!!!! No fucking way Campbell is gonna join AC Milan!!!!! Arsenal FC didn’t quite tame Vieira. Picture a insane Vieira red card threat up front which player comes from Serie A and had worse stats then even Olivier Giroud who played over 40 games up front for the Gunners and he manages to score less in Serie A for a club like AC Milan!!!!!! No Balotelli will forever never ever be a Gunner the man is a former City player as well. Which club has bought more Arsenal prospects, players and legends then anyone else in the world!!!!!! I remember a certain Campbell becoming a Arsenal FC legend!!!!!! Give this kid a chance!!!!!!
Arsenal has been giving chances for years.if you wana win trophies u need a group with a winning mentality,a group that can go the way.its gonna be a long season if we wanna b competitive we need champions,attackers that oppositions will worry about,attackers that can do it week in week out.Balotelli is preferable in this sense to campbell basically for that fear factor.campbell is good but still a work in progress,u cant compare fielding campbell against the likes of Barca,Madrid and Bayern to fielding Balotelli especially in d league we get really blunt against big oppositions,we need the fear factor back,no big team will b happy to come against an attack wif walcott,sanchez nd balotelli.
Wenger made Henry into a Striker from being a Winger he changed the position of Emmanuel Petit he can change anybody!!!!!! Get Podolski up front even rather then Giroud who is practically exhausted after being striker for so long including the World Cup. Plus he ain’t a workhorse like RVP was who ran straight against the keepers with his pace putting pressure on them making them do mistakes that is what we need and now have in Sanchez!!!!!! Olivier Giroud is jogging up front putting no pressure on players that keeper incident against Southampton was nothing but a stupid keeper mistake making what 4 Cruyff dribbles instead of firing the ball out. I say even Campbell in front of Giroud!!!!! That young kid had 4 assists during a single game that is more than Özil had against Stoke City!!!!! And this kid has incredible speed also and I saw him running in front of keepers putting pressure on then in the World Cup for Costa Rica as well!!!!! Because he is young, fit and in FORM!!!!!!! How old is Giroud almost 30!!!! And now we have Shad Forsythe as a fitness coach making it only better and easier for us to land Khedira because the man knows exactly how professional this man is. There are many who calls him our best summer signing and Khedira needs all the help he can get to make hi the best he can become again. Not only will he help him but all the dangerous injury players on the team!!!!! Diaby, Walcott, Ramsey, Giroud, Özil, Sanchez and Khedira if he joins which I think he will!!!!! This Bayern talk is just Crap!!!!!! Podolski already says Khedira he is on his way!!!!!!!! Guess what the reason is because he has his best buddy on the team as well as plenty more German representatives and prospects like Gnabry and Zelalem!!!!!!!
Its a great deal if Milan give arsenal 7.9 mil and balotelli. Campbell has huge potential as does balotelli. Yes that’s right I said balotelli has huge potential but that’s all it is! Every time he looked like really fulfilling it he messes up with his moronic behaviour and if he doesn’t get his own way he’ll sulk, where as Campbell has kept his head down and worked hard. He has expressed at every opportunity his desire to play for arsenal and on any big occasion he has not wilted but rather stepped up and been outstanding. So yes Milan u give us 8 mil and Mario and we’ll consider it thanx.
Mario is gud and cambell is aswell gud. But we all know Mario for his Stubborn nature, I tink by d tym dey start leaving him on d bench an if he is nt given more playing tym he wil start showing his bad side. So I tink we should just allow Cambell to prove himself
I rather suggest to keep Joel Campbell and buying Balotieli in a cut price deal cos’ who knows as we see now there seems a short of strikers in the world. So as Campbell comes matured he can capable of emulating any good striker with good skill of football in the world!