After a slow start to the season, Arsenal have picked up their game big time and the reason they are doing so well of late is playing with a false nine. Alexis Sanchez has been regularly deployed as the false nine by Arsene Wenger this season and the team have looked much better. Even Olivier Giroud and Lucas Perez, who were more than decent last season haven’t had a look in so far in the league.
Arsenal fans have raised their voice against Wenger time and time again in the past for bringing in a quality striker and now that Arsenal finally have two solid options, they are not using either of them which is a big surprise.
As per talkSPORT, Arsenal are keeping tabs on FC Porto starlet Andre Silva who has rose to prominence this season with the Dragons. The 20-year-old already has five league goals in seven games this season, while he also bagged a hat-trick for Portugal against the Faroe Islands during their 6-0 win on Monday which has taken his stocks even higher.
The same report from talkSPORT also claims that Arsenal will have to face competition from Italian Serie A holders Juventus and Spanish giants Atletico Madrid for the signature of the 20-year-old sensation. Andre Silva is a quality young player who has a huge potential and can become a world beater in near future if he keeps up his good work. Wenger is a manager who is never scared to give young players a chance to prove themselves and a move to Arsenal makes sense bearing that in mind.
Thanks to his big frame of 6 ft 1 in, Silva excels in the air which is well reflected from his 1.9 aerial balls won every game. The youngster loves to test the keepers and has registered an average of 3.9 shots every game. His finishing needs to improve given that he had so many shots but it speaks volumes about his positioning which has always been the weak point for Giroud.
Just because Silva boasts a big frame, it would be wrong to presume that he is just a target man. The Portuguese international has brilliant work rate and can also play on the flanks and as a secondary forward. He has played an average of 1 long ball every game while making 1 key pass every game. 75.2% passing accuracy is impressive for a centre-forward and that is why the youngster is perfectly fitting into the kind of football Arsenal play.
Given that Silva is just 20 years of age, he would be a long-term project at the Emirates. On the other side of the coin, he lacks experience on the big stage having featured just 25 times for Porto till date while appearing four times for the Portuguese national team. However, despite playing a handful of games, he has shown that he is a very special player and Arsenal won’t regret the decision of going after him.
