Arsenal will have the option of landing Mauro Icardi for £50m in case they fail in their bid to land Alexandre Lacazette. Wenger seems to have finally yielded to the hoarse screams from all quarters on the clear need for Arsenal to recruit a better striker than Giroud.
With all respect to the Frenchman, who is not a poor striker by any means, the HFB (Handsome French Bloke) is not suitable of being handed the responsibility of a side who are expected to challenge for the title and progress beyond the Round of 16 in the Champions League. He does have his moments with nice hold up plays and a couple of moments of magic here and there but his inconsistency has been a major factor in the calls for another striker who will likely be ahead of him in the pecking order.
Arsenal lost out on their favourite annual transfer-rumour contender Gonzalo Higuain as he made the astronomical money move to Juventus, thus making him the 3rd costliest player in the world. Though to some extent, Wenger’s perennial argument of an inflated market is logical but the Frenchman must also realise that it cannot be the sole reason for the club to give up on challenging for the title.
Arsenal have lined up Alexandre Lacazette as their preferred candidate to push Giroud for a place in the starting line-up but Lyon have been playing hardball with all the clubs who have approached their star striker. With the public knowledge of the absurd amount of money coming in from the TV rights, teams all over the world have put on an opportunistic attitude wherein they attempt to squeeze out every dime they possibly can from the Premier League clubs before agreeing on a deal.
Wenger feels Lacazette is the ideal choice when the finances and the ability of the player is tallied(!) and has made a determined bid of £35m for the player, as they hope the eagerness of the player to join them will facilitate the transfer going through.
But latest reports suggest another player on their wishlist, Mauro Icardi has been made available to them if they cough up the £50m valuation of Inter Milan. The Serie A striker has scored 47 goals for them in 91 appearances and his prolific nature is something which could push Wenger to relax his stance on big money signings. The 23-year old will be a long term prospect for Arsenal and his playing style is considered to be better suited to Arsenal’s approach play than Olivier Giroud. He boasts of good movement in the area, a sharp footballing intelligence, and fine finishing skills which are everything the fans dream of.
Either way, this year seems to be the one when Arsenal will finally be equipped to start off their season with all their bases covered and the acquisition of Icardi will certainly transform them into serious title contenders and he is seen by many as the final piece in the jigsaw.
