With Emmanuel Adebayor having departed, we’re bound to spend the next few days being inundated with links to unheard of Franco-African strikers. In an attempt to get ahead of that particular game, Gunnerblog brings you a few of the names we’ve heard banded around already, and a couple we haven’t:
Marouane Chamakh, BordeauxMost of the press seem to be assuming this is a done deal, and certainly French journo Philippe Auclair was declaring just that a few weeks back. On paper it makes sense: Chamakh has just been a key component in Bordeaux’s title-winning side, and whilst not prolific he is hard-working, good in the air, and has a deft touch. Arsene has admitted publically on more than one occasion that Chamakh is a player that interests him, and with just one year remaining on his current contract the Morroccan seems primed for a move.
And yet, are we forgetting the golden rule of Arsene’s transfer policy: that as soon as he admits an interest in a player it’s almost guaranteed he won’t sign? At a club where silence is most certainly regarded as golden, a public declaration of interest is usually the death knell for any potential deal, and now it seems Chamakh knows it too. With Sunderland, Blackburn, and apparently even Spurs lurking, I can’t help but feel that were Arsene’s interest genuine he would have made it concrete by now.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Real MadridOne of the stranger sights at Saturday’s friendly against Barnet was man in a brand new Arsenal top with “Huntelaar 25″ emblazoned on the back. Unless the man in question’s name was actually Mr. Huntelaar, I can’t help but feel he’s going to be disappointed: despite the Dutchman’s finishing prowess the touted £17m seems too steep a price. Huntelaar, like Chamakh, is now being linked with Harry Redknapp’s Spurs. Presumably Steve Bruce and Sunderland will be interested too: those managers seem to do fairly well out of picking up players Arsene is interested in but neglects to buy.
Andre-Pierre Gignac, ToulouseLinked today by The Daily Mail, £15m-rated Gignac was Ligue 1’s top scorer last season. After Toulouse sold Johan Elmander to Bolton for some £10m (a deal known commonly in france as “La grande scandale hilariouse”) Gignac was promoted to goalscorer in chief, and he did not disappoint, ending the season in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season and as a full France international.
Lyon were interested before switching their attentions to Lisandro Lopez of Porto, and the player certainly fits Arsene’s typical bill: young, French, and almost unheard of. That said, Toulouse are known for driving a hard bargain, and I can’t see Le Boss splashing out millions on a player who could yet be a one-season wonder.
Bafétimbi Gomis, Saint-EtienneRemember him? Bafétimbi Gomis is comparable to Adebayor in several respects, not all of them attractive. Like Adebayor, he is a powerful striker, dangerous in the air and quick on the ground. Like Adebayor, he had a storming 07/08 season, culminating in being called up to the France squad for Euro 2008 ahead of the esteemed David Trezeguet. Like Adebayor, he spent the summer of that year being linked with moves to Europe’s elite. And like Adebayor, he ended up staying where he was and following up with a disappointing season in 08/09.
Gomis’s stock is lower than it has been for some time, and inevitably that means his price will be lower too. With Saint-Etienne reportedly reading to sell for anything north of €10m, the 23-year old Gomis might be a gamble Arsene considers worth taking.
Demba Ba, HoffenheimHoffenheim is a club built on the Arsenal model: they sign young, often African talent and build a team of counter-attacking athletes. Demba Ba, the Senegal striker, is a perfect illustration of this, and one of the Bundeliga’s most feared marksmen. Tall, powerful, and very quick, Ba has all the characteristics that we require from our new frontman, and the signings of Jens Lehmann, Tomas Rosicky and Aleksandr Hleb demonstrate Arsene’s willingness to recruit from the German league. Hoffenheim, however, are backed by a rich owner and have no need to sell. Were we interested, he wouldn’t come cheap.
Luis Fabiano, SevillaLuis Fabiano, being Brazilian, is often unfairly compared to his predecessors in that yellow number nine shirt: no-one comes off well in a straight fight with the original (and slimmer) Ronaldo. Fabiano does, however, compare well with just about every other striker going on the continent.
A pure finisher in the Samuel Eto’o mould, Fabiano is currently AC Milan’s principle target, but after the Italians refused to up their bid from €13m it seems that deal is at a standstill. An offer of €16m or so would reportedly prompt a warmer response from Sevilla. Fabiano is in his late twenties: somewhat old for an Arsene signing, but if the manager decides we need more experience (as he did with Arshavin) than the Brazilian would be a great option.
Nicklas Bendtner… Arsenal, of courseIs this the most likely choice? Bendtner had an impressive end to last season, and ended with a none-too-shappy fifteen goals - just one shy of Adebayor’s final total. The Dane is similarly threatening in the air and arguably more intelligent in his build-up play, but lack’s Adebayor’s pace in behind. I admire Bendtner and think he could be relied upon to score 20+ goals were he to start most games, but my concern about our current selection of first-choice forwards (Van Persie, Eduardo, and Bendtner) is that they lack the searing speed to get beyond a back four. Adebayor gave Fabregas the option to look for the long ball over the top, whereas none of that trio do. Carlos Vela and Theo Walcott are both quick, but I don’t think either is ready to be relied upon as a regular starting striker.
For the reasons just outlined, I’d like to see our current selection supplemented with another forward, for whom the primary considerations must be pace and power. Whether it’ll be any of the above remains to be seen. If the interest in Chamakh is real, then that deal could be done as early as this week.
We might yet have more money at our disposal if Myles Palmer is right about Kolo Toure heading to Man City. I do consider this a possibility, though I suspect it would only happen later in the window, were City to concede defeat in their pursuit of either John Terry or Joleon Lescott.
It’s fun to talk about strikers, but I would gladly cope without one if it meant we signed a high quality central midfielder. It’s obvious they’re at an absolute premium right now: just a year ago Xabi Alonso was talked of in the £14m bracket - now he’s valued at something closer to £35m.
Still, if anyone can pluck a bargain from the big hat of world football, it’s Arsene. Let’s wait and see.
