Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea have all made big summer striker purchases (at the time of writing the Morata deal to Chelsea is still going through).
By the end of the season, we will know who has got the best deal, but looking backwards, which club has signed the best striker?
Keenos
Follow @KeenosAFC
There is nobody better available is a common line put out by many Arsenal fans to justify our poor dealings in the transfer market.
Occasionally it is justifiable, but in the majority of occasions, there is someone else better available.
The line is also often used when we miss out on a player. Again, sometimes you can be genuinely frustrated that we missed out on an available player that is better than what we have, other times it is just idiots trying to create a stick to beat Arsene Wenger with.
One such occasion I read recently is some plonked tweet DANI ALVES IS AVAILABLE. As if it to make the point that:
This is a perfect example of fans chatting rubbish.
Dani Alves is only available because Manchester City are offering big money in terms of wages for a 34 year old, and the chance to one more work with Pep Guardiola. Alves has mutually terminated his contract with Juventus. If it was not for the Manchester City interest, Alves would not be available and would still be contract to Juventus.
Secondly, whilst Alves has had a stellar career, he is now 34. Is he really a better option than Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Hector Bellerin – men 10 years his junior? Alves would be a short term option, a very short term option.
So if we are going to bring up names of players who are available, and are better than what we have, let’s be sensible with it. Let’s not just name names for RTs and blog or vlog hits.
One player who is most certainly available, and is clearly better than what we have is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. And I am baffled as to why it seems we are not in the race for him.
Of course, we could be moving up on sly like a Love Island alpha male muscling in on another man’s girl without the bloke she is currently coupled up with knowing. But at the minute, it just seems we are not interested. And it baffles me as to why not.
Here is a striker who is amongst the best in the world. A world where there are not too many top, top strikers. At 28 year old, he is at the peak of his powers. In 4 years at Borussia Dortmund he has scored 120 goals in 189 games.
Last year alone he scored 40 goals in 46 games for the German outfit.
He is big, he is strong, he is quick, and he knows where the back of the net is. And according to reports, he is available for as low as €70 million – in the current market, for a player of his ability, that is relatively cheap.
At the minute, it seems Liverpool are leading the race for him, with the offer of working alongside former manager Jurgen Klopp a key factor. But then you look at who else is in the race. Manchester United and Chelsea. But both clubs seem to have him as second choice if they are unable to sign Alvaro Morata or Romelu Lukaku respectively.
So you have two clubs interested in signing him as a second choice, and one club looking to signing him who can not really offer him the chance of winning trophies. Meanwhile Arsenal sit their with 3 FA Cups in 4 years and Danny Welbeck upront.
Aubameyang would come straight into the first team, and would surely be the type of stellar signing that makes Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil think I am staying here.
And imagine Aubameyang himself getting told Arsenal want to sign you and play you infront of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. It is the type of thing dreams are made of. He would get 30 league goals next seasons without even trying.
Arsenal do not have Champions League football, which might be a down point, but I am becoming a believer that players do not actually care about the Champions League – unless they win it – and just feign an interest in clubs needing to be in the Champions League to eek out an extra 10%.
I can imagine how the conversation went with Manhcester United and Henrikh Mkhitaryan went last summer.
Man U: Henrikh, we want to sign you
HM: OK, but Arsenal want to sign me, and they have Champions League football
Man U: How much is their contract offer?
HM: £120k a week
Man U: We will pay you £140k a week
HM: Deal
Not having Champions League football is not an issue. If will not affect Arsenal financially a great deal, it will just mean we have to pay a little more for Aubameyang’s services.
With Dortmund saying a deal must be done before their pre-season training starts on July 26th, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a player who Arsenal should not just be targeting, but should be going all out to sign.
Rumours seem to be growing about an agreed deal between Arsenal and Real Madrid over the 6 month loan signing of Spanish youth international Alvaro Morata in January. These rumours seem to of originated in a Spanish newspaper which many compare to the UK’s ‘The Sun’. They were thing picked up by The Daily Star, giving credence to the story. What will likely happen next is other more reputable papers in both the UK and Spain will pick up on The Daily Star’s story and run with it, giving the rumour even more legs.
Whether the deal is a ‘done deal’ yet is unlikely. Arsenal have been linked with 7 players since we started our A to Z of Transfer Speculation yesterday. What is the more likely story is Arsenal have agreed 1st refusal on the striker. That if he is available for loan, he will come to us first.
But if Arsenal do get the young striker, even for 6 months, what can they expect?
At 21, Morata has long been touted by the Real Madrid faithful as the next Raul. Not in a playing sense, but in a culture sense (He is more similar to style to Fernando Morientes). He is a Real Madrid born boy and has been at the club since 15. Whilst Barcelona have bought through the likes of Puyol, Xavi, Ineista, Valdes, Fabregas, Pique, Messi, Alba (via Valencia), Montoya, Busquets and Tello in recent years, Real Madrid have not provided a regular international to the Spanish National side since Casillas in 2000.
In a country still split with regional differences, it hurts Madridistas that over recent years, the majority of the Spanish side has been made up by Catalan’s, a region of Spain which do not accept they are Spanish. Morata is supposed to stop that rot, with him being pencilled in as a potential to lead Real Madrid’s line for the next decade, as well as break into the Spanish National side sooner rather than later.
Why would Real Madrid be looking to loan him in January? For the simple reason that he needs to play. With Karim Benzema currently number 1 striker, Morata has started just once in 12 appearances for Madrid this season. If he is to progress next season and take over the number 1 spot from Benzema, he needs to prove himself. With lack of opportunities at Madrid, the only option is a loan deal, and with the Spanish league so weak, a long deal abroad will be best.
Where does Arsenal fit in? Florentino Perez was very impressed with the way Arsenal handled themselves during the transfer negotiations with Mesut Ozil. Already a fan of Arsene Wenger, having attempted to prise him away from Arsenal numerous times, he knows Morata will be in safe hands with Arsenal. With Olivier Giroud as Arsenal’s only option upfront, Morata will get more playing time at Arsenal than at Madrid, and will benefit from top coaching. The physicality of the Premier League will also add something to Morata’s game which you do not get in Spain. 6 months in England could make him a very rounded striker for European competitions.
Morata is 6ft 3in. He is a giant of a man. He has the height of Oliveir Giroud, but not yet the core strength. This can be built into him though. To this physicality, he also adds pace. Quicker then Giroud, he might not be lightning, but he has enough pace that once he has turned his man, he can run away from him, similar to Robin Van Persie. What he also has is brilliant technique and skill, a given with Spanish players these days. He also has excellent movement, able to drift into space like a true poacher, and has the clinical finishing to match. With his physical attributes and technique, you can see why Real Madrid are keen to progress him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STh4f5woFrg
Whilst he might not have much first team experience, 30 games for Real Madrid, scoring 4 goals, his appearances for Castilla (Real Madrid B) highlight his ability, scoring 45 goals from his 84 appearances. You can start to understand why Real Madrid want him to get more 1st team experience. He also scored 34 goals in a single youth season.
For Spain, his youth record is equally as impressive, scoring 23 goals in 24 games. He won the Golden Boot in both the u19 European Championship and u21 Euoprean Championship, leading the line to glory for Spain in both competitions.
If Arsenal do get Morata, they would have signed a very talented, but very raw striker. Whether he is what we need to push us to glory in January is inconclusive. He is certainly better equipped than both Bendtner (Who will surely leave if we get Morata in) and Sanogo, but good enough to take pressure of Giroud? That is up for debate. Especially taking into account his wage and whether he settles quickly.
Were we signing him on a permanent contract, I would be very happy, as he is clearly talented. A loan is a risk, although he will add depth. Also, if no one else is available in January who is of quality, it is perhaps better to not spend but see what is available in the loan market. Signing Morata would give us striking options of Giroud, Podolski.
If he does join, I hope we have an option to make the deal permanent, as Morata could become a very special player over the next couple of years.
Keenos
Follow @KeenosAFC
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