It is the first time since the start of the season that Arsene Wenger has all his striking options fit and available to start. Wenger has more or less stuck to using Alexis Sanchez in the false 9 position so far, with Olivier Giroud’s aerial dominance as a different attacking dimension up his sleeves.
Though Arsenal have scored a decent 54 goals this season in the league, Wenger’s attacking third still lacks the mentality and toughness to keep the pressure going into big games. Arsenal added Lucas Perez last summer from La Liga side Deportivo La Coruña alongside Sanchez, Giroud, Theo Walcott, Danny Welbeck and Yaya Sanogo.
And if the Gunners fail to get any silverware this season, the huge fan pressure is bound to force a change in the attacking line-up. With Alexis Sanchez stalling his contract talks and Lucas Perez already looking for a place elsewhere owing to lack of first team action, the North-London is reportedly eyeing a move for the highly-rated Nigerian forward Henry Onyekuru.
The 19-year-old currently plays in Belgian side KAS Eupen and has simply been phenomenal in the Jupiler Pro League scoring 12 times in 26 outings. A right winger by nature, the Nigerian wonder kid can play anywhere in the attacking third and possesses a good burst of pace.
His performances have attracted huge attention from the likes of Scottish Champions Celtic and Premier League leaders Chelsea among Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach and Lille. Although his current club are very much unwilling in letting him leave, a fee in the region of £6million could be sufficient to lure them. Celtic had been quite close to landing him before with a £1million bid earlier this January, and now with all the big names involved, their chances look fading.
Arsenal are particularly well known for handing opportunities to young players, and Onyekuru could fancy his chances at the North-London club following the footsteps of fellow countryman Alex Iwobi, who also broke through for the Gunners at a young age.
Eupen hasn’t had the best of campaigns this year with the club sitting in the 12th position in the Jupiler pro-League and there is no way they could hold on to the ambitious forward. The forward has already rebelled the club’s decision of not letting him leave last month by disappearing for three days. And with more chances seeming to come this summer, he is a definite mover.
