With the departure of Eduardo to Shakhtar Donetsk earlier in the week, will Arsene Wenger
have to obtain yet another striker this summer? Or are the Gunners
already adequately equipped in the attacking third this season?Eduardo completed his reported £6 million move to Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk this week, after struggling to find his form at the Emirates Stadium following his horrific leg-break 2 years ago against Birmingham City in 2008.
In his 3 year stint at Arsenal, the 27-year-old striker managed to make a total of 67 appearances for the Gunners (in all competitions) and bagged 22 goals along the way. Although the forward was a firm fan favourite at the North London club, Eduardo seemed to have misplaced his form and confidence, and as a result, sadly had to move on. The Croat signed a four-year deal with the Eastern European club and many Arsenal fans (along with me) will wish him the very best for the remainder of his career.
So what have Arsenal been left with in regards to their attacking options following the leaving of Eduardo this summer? Robin van Persie, Nicklas Bendtner and new-boy Marouane Chamakh are the only three realistic front-men within the squad, which will leave a number of fans feeling nervous and on the edge. Although a great player, van Persie has not been able to give the club a full season without an injury occurring. Bendtner has scored some vital goals for the club, but the Danish international still has a question mark over his head, due to hindrance of not finding the net as much as he should be. Marouane Chamakh is evidently not proven within the Premier League, and as such will need time to adapt to the fast paced style of the English game. As well as that, the Moroccan will also need time to gel with his new team-mates, so can Arsenal fans really expect him to deliver from the get-go?
Of course Wenger may not necessarily need to go out into the transfer market this summer and acquire a forward…he may already have one player within his current squad who is able to step up to the role, Theo Walcott. Walcott has been utilized as a Winger for the majority of his Arsenal career, but many Arsenal fans would like to see what the England international is capable of when played as a striker. He seizes all the ability required to become a great forward for the club, but Wenger feels he is better in a wider position because of the pace the 21-year-old attains. This is just an option of course, for all we know Wenger may already have another striker lined up to come in this summer to add more depth to the Arsenal front-line. Nice striker Loic Remy has been heavily touted for a move to the Emirates, but there maybe other options available that you (the Arsenal fans reading this) may like to see added to your clubs squad.
So I ask, who would you guys like to see come in this summer? (If anybody needs to of course). Should Wenger employ Theo Walcott as a striker this season and not waste his cash? Or currently, are Arsenal sufficient enough up-front to mount yet another title challenge this season?